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May 31, 2026e-Paper
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May 31, 2026e-Paper
Updated – May 10, 2026 01:07 am IST
U.S. President Donald Trump. File. | Photo Credit: AP
Iran on Saturday (May 9, 2026) said it was still reviewing the United States’ proposal linked to ongoing negotiations over the West Asia conflict and would respond “at the appropriate time”, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least five people on Friday (May 8, 2026), while Hezbollah fired rockets on northern Israel without inflicting any casualties.
Also read: U.S. imposes sanctions on 10 individuals, companies for aiding Iran’s weapons sector
A U.S. fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers to enforce a port blockade on Friday, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as Tehran weighed Washington’s latest proposal to end the West Asia war. Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Qatari LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat was sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (May 9, 2026) after departing Qatar’s Ras Laffan en route to Port Qasim in Pakistan, according to LSEG shipping data.
A successful passage would mark the first transit by a Qatari LNG tanker through the strait since the start of the war on Iran. There was no immediate comment from QatarEnergy.
The vessel, managed by Nakilat Shipping Qatar Ltd and sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, has a cargo capacity of 211,986 cubic metres, according to LSEG data.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards halted two Qatar LNG tankers, Al Daayen and Rasheeda, that had been heading towards the Strait of Hormuz on April 6 and instructed them to hold position without explanation, a source told Reuters at the time.
-Reuters
A tenuous ceasefire appeared to be holding on Saturday after the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers, while the country that hosts the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters said it arrested dozens of people it alleged were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Friday’s attacks cast doubt on the month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect.
Washington awaits Iran’s response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme.
The U.S. military said on Friday that its forces disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach the American blockade of Iran’s ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.
-AP
Lebanese official media reported a new Israeli strike outside Beirut on Saturday (May 9, 2026), moments after it reported two strikes on the highway linking the capital to the country’s south.
The state-run National News Agency said the strike hit the Chouf district, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Beirut and not far from a previous strike on the Saadiyat highway.
Both areas are outside Hezbollah’s traditional strongholds and came despite a ceasefire in the Iran-backed group’s war with Israel.
-AFP
The U.K. will send a destroyer to West Asia ahead of any international mission to help protect shipping in the key Strait of Hormuz, its Defence Ministry said on Saturday (May 9, 2026).
“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the U.K. is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the U.K. and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow,” a Ministry spokesperson told AFP.
Britain and France said last month that military plans to secure the Strait of Hormuz were coming together and would succeed in restoring trade flows through the vital passage.
The MoD said deploying HMS Dragon would strengthen the confidence of commercial shipping and support mine clearance efforts once hostilities end.
-AFP
A tenuous ceasefire appeared to be holding on Saturday (May 9) after the United States struck two Iranian oil tankers, while the country that hosts the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters said it arrested dozens of people it alleged were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Attacks on Friday (May 8) cast doubt on the tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect. Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and roll back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
The U.S. military said on Friday (May 8) that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran’s ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait.
-AP
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said on Saturday (May 9) that the country’s security services had dismantled an organisation accused of links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and arrested 41 of its suspected members.
Sunni-ruled Bahrain, which has a large Shia population and houses a major U.S. military base, was hard-hit by Iranian attacks on the Gulf, launched in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic.
“In accordance with previous investigations carried out by the prosecutor’s office in cases of espionage on behalf of foreign entities and sympathy for Iranian aggression, the security services dismantled an organisation linked to the Revolutionary Guards,” the Ministry said in a statement, referring to Iran’s ideological Army.
-AFP
Lebanon said at least one person was killed in Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Saturday (May 9) despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah, after Israel’s Army issued an evacuation warning to several villages.
Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since April 17.
Israel’s military had called on residents of nine villages to evacuate, warning that it would act “forcefully” against Hezbollah after its “violation of the ceasefire agreement”.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli warplanes “launched a strike on the town of Zrariyeh” and several other areas included in the notice.
-AFP
Iran’s football federation said on Saturday (May 9) that the men’s national team will take part in the 2026 World Cup this summer, but demanded that joint hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada agree to its conditions amid the West Asian war.
The call comes after Canada refused entry to the federation’s chief last month before the FIFA Congress because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the ideological arm of Iran’s military, which it designated as a terror group in 2024.
Iran’s presence at the tournament, which will take place between June 11 and July 19, has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in West Asia in February following strikes by the United States and Israel.
“We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the hosts must take our concerns into account,” the Iranian federation said on its official website.
-AFP
Lebanon said at least one person was killed in Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Saturday (May 9, 2026) despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah, after Israel’s army issued an evacuation warning to several villages.
Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah have traded fire daily, mostly in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement in effect since April 17.
Israel’s military had called on residents of nine villages to evacuate, warning that it would act “forcefully” against Hezbollah after its “violation of the ceasefire agreement”.
– AFP
Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes on the country’s south on Saturday (May 9, 2026) after Israel’s army issued an evacuation warning to several villages, as well as in other areas despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Israeli warplanes “launched a strike on the town of Zrariyeh after a morning warning”, the state-run National News Agency said, also reporting strikes on several other areas included in the Israeli warning, in which the army said it would act against Hezbollah.
The agency also reported Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling on other areas of the country’s south not mentioned in the warning, along with casualties in several locations.
– AFP
Bahrain’s interior ministry said it had arrested 41 people it said were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the state news agency reported
Reuters
Iran said it was still reviewing the United States’ proposal linked to ongoing negotiations over the West Asia conflict and would respond “at the appropriate time”, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
The report said expectations had grown that Tehran would issue a response on Friday (May 8, 2026) after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Washington was expecting an answer from Iran.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the proposal remains under review and dismissed pressure from Washington over deadlines.
“The deadlines set by American politicians mean nothing; we do our own work, and we do not concern ourselves with deadlines or ultimatums,” Mr. Baghaei was quoted as saying.
According to Al Jazeera, one reason behind the delay is the highly technical nature of the proposal, with Iranian negotiators closely examining every provision in the document before finalising a response.
ANI
The incident came amid increasing hostilities between Iran and the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes.
An Indian sailor died and several were injured in a dhow fire near the Strait of Hormuz; rescue efforts are ongoing.
The Israeli military called on residents of more than half a dozen villages in southern Lebanon to immediately evacuate ahead of expected attacks against Hezbollah, despite a truce with Lebanon intended to halt the fighting.
“In light of the terrorist Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire agreement, the IDF is compelled to act against it forcefully,” the military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X, listing nine villages.
“For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and stay away from the villages and towns by a distance of no less than 1,000 metres to open areas,” he added AFP
A fragile ceasefire in West Asia faces fresh uncertainty after the United States struck two Iranian-flagged tankers in the Gulf of Oman, prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran. Iran accused Washington of violating the truce and sabotaging diplomatic efforts, while Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at Israeli bases amid escalating regional tensions. The crisis has also raised concerns over oil supplies and stability in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.
A CIA assessment indicated that Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, suggesting that U.S. leverage over Tehran remains limited as the two sides seek to end a conflict that has been unpopular with U.S. voters.
Tehran could withstand blockade for four months, CIA report shows, as fighting flares
A CIA report reveals Tehran could endure a U.S. blockade for four months amid escalating tensions in the Gulf.
A CIA report reveals Tehran could endure a U.S. blockade for four months amid escalating tensions in the Gulf.
Just when the United States–Iran conflict appeared to be stabilising, a fresh wave of strikes and counterstrikes near the Strait of Hormuz has reignited fears of a wider regional war and a new global oil crisis. As ceasefire violations mount and neither side backs down, the question now is whether the region is heading toward de-escalation or a deeper conflict with global consequences. #USIranWar #StraitOfHormuz #OilCrisis
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran remains committed to expanding friendly relations with other nations based on mutual respect and shared interests, while rejecting the policy of “colonialism and exploitation”.
In a post on X on Friday (May 8, 2026), Mr. Pezeshkian said, “The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to expand friendly relations based on mutual respect and shared interests.”
Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire through military actions near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the UN Security Council, Iravani said alleged U.S. military action against two Iranian oil tankers near Jask Port and the Strait of Hormuz, along with attacks on Iranian coastal areas, constituted “a clear violation of the ceasefire” and “a gross violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter”.
He warned that continued U.S. military activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz could have “catastrophic consequences” extending beyond the region and threatening international peace and security.
ANI
The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.
The report said both sides are working through mediators on a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) intended to establish the framework for a month-long negotiating process aimed at ending the conflict.
According to the report, the proposed draft includes Iran’s nuclear programme, reducing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible arrangements for transferring Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country. However, several major issues remain unresolved.
ANI
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a central role in shaping Tehran’s war and negotiation strategy alongside senior Iranian officials, even as uncertainty persists over his health and exact level of authority, according to a CNN report citing U.S. intelligence assessments.
The news report said U.S. intelligence believes Mr. Khamenei has become a key figure directing Iran’s approach to negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the conflict that followed recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. However, officials reportedly acknowledge that authority inside Iran’s leadership remains fragmented after the war and the deaths of several senior military commanders.
ANI
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (May 8, 2026) said his administration may consider reviving the now-suspended maritime security initiative, “Project Freedom”, aimed at helping the passage of commercial vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tensions in the Gulf.
If a deal is not reached with Iran, Mr. Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called “Project Freedom plus.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Mr. Trump said that he might “go back to Project Freedom” if a deal is not reached, but it would be “Project Freedom plus”, noting that the initiative would be the same as its predecessor, “plus other things”.
ANI
A U.S. fighter jet on Friday disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as President Donald Trump said he was awaiting Tehran’s reply to his latest proposal to end the West Asia war.
Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
A parallel ceasefire in Lebanon was also under strain. Iran-backed Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday.
-AFP
On Monday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “guide commercial ships” through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. Mr. Trump said any interference with the ‘Operation Project Freedom’ would be dealt with “forcefully”.
The View From India: Trump takes another U-turn on Iran
The View From India: Trump takes another U-turn on Iran
The View From India: Trump takes another U-turn on Iran
The U.S. Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, for aiding efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons and raw materials used to build Tehran’s Shahed drones.
The Treasury move, first reported by Reuters, comes days before U.S. President Donald Trump plans to travel to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping and as efforts to end the war with Iran have stalled.
Read more:
U.S. sanctions 10 individuals and companies for supporting Iran's weapons sector, aiming to curb military capabilities and illicit commerce.
A U.S. fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers to enforce a port blockade on Friday, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as Tehran weighed Washington’s latest proposal to end the West Asia war.
Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Read more:
U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers escalate tensions, jeopardizing ceasefire and diplomatic efforts amid ongoing conflict in West Asia.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he was expecting Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal on a deal to ending the Middle East war by “tonight.”
“I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.
-AFP
Published – May 09, 2026 07:30 am IST
World / Live news / USA / Iran / Israel-US strikes on Iran / war / Israel / West Asia
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