Trump tells CBS that US, Iran 'getting a lot closer' to agreement

Iran said on Saturday it has included the ending of a weeks-long US naval blockade and arrangements on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a draft framework for a deal with the United States. 

"The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is among the subjects addressed in this 14-point memorandum of understanding but more importantly, ending the piracy carried out by the United States against international navigation," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei. 

(AFP)

Iran signals convergence of views with US, says gaps remain: state TV

(AFP)

Iran says nuclear issue not part of initial framework with US

(AFP)

Iran says in 'final stage' of drafting framework for deal with US: state TV

(AFP)

Tehran took a swipe at US President Donald Trump by circulating a trending video of an albino buffalo from Bangladesh that bears a striking resemblance to him. Amid the ongoing friction between Washington and Tehran, Iran asserted that the animal had gone off its food after being likened to the American politician.

In a post on X, the official handle of Iran in Russia posted: "Poor thing! Bangladeshi buffalo upset by comparisons to Donald Trump."

(ANI)

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Saturday warned of a "crushing" response if US president Donald Trump resumes hostilities, saying Tehran had rebuilt its armed forces during a ceasefire

"Our armed forces have rebuilt themselves during the ceasefire period in such a way that if Trump commits another act of folly and restarts the war, it will certainly be more crushing and bitter for the United States than on the first day of the war," he posted on social media.

Ghalibaf made the warning after meeting in Tehran with Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, a leading figure in international efforts to negotiate a diplomatic settlement.

(AFP)

Iran chief negotiator says armed forces 'rebuilt' in ceasefire with US

(AFP)

Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands", Iranian media said on Saturday, as US media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal.

Pakistan's army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to bolster mediation and US President Donald Trump abruptly changed his plans to skip his son's wedding to stay in Washington due to "circumstances pertaining to government", fuelling speculation that the situation had entered a sensitive stage.

(AFP)

Watch #FaultLines with @GaurieD | Has the U.S.-Iran war become America’s next forever war? 84 days in and still no political endgame in sight. Is this becoming another long war of attrition? Here's Gaurie Dwivedi's take. pic.twitter.com/L81QmFtKGJ

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 23, 2026

Pakistan's Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has held talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to end the Middle East conflict and establish lasting peace in the region, the Iranian government said on Saturday.

Munir flew to Tehran on Friday for a crucial visit to expedite efforts for a peace deal between the US and Iran, said the Pakistan Army, adding that the visit was "part of ongoing mediation efforts".

Munir was received in Tehran by Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi -- believed to be close to Munir -- was already in Tehran and engaging in talks with top Iranian officials when the field marshal arrived, according to the Army.

According to a statement posted in social media by Iran's government, Munir met Araghchi in Tehran to "discuss diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation and promoting peace, stability, and security in West Asia".

(PTI)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that "slight progress" was made during talks with Iran as Pakistan's army chief traveled to Tehran in a renewed effort to mediate a peace deal and uncertainty loomed over whether the war would resume.

Rubio spoke days after US President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because "serious negotiations" were underway. Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement.

America's top diplomat made the comment ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, where the military alliance discussed what role it could play in helping police the Strait of Hormuz once the war is over.

Rubio said he did not want to exaggerate the progress, saying there had been "a little bit of movement and that's good." In recent weeks, repeated claims of progress have emerged, but a deal has stayed out of reach.

(AP)

Iran is discussing with Oman how to set up some form of a permanent toll system that will formalize its control of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. (Bloomberg)

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Friday appointed the spokesperson in Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, as the official spokesperson of the Iranian negotiating team for peace talks with the US aimed at achieving a complete solution to the crisis in West Asia.

As per state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Ghalibaf, who heads the negotiating team for the peace efforts, issued a decree naming Baqaei as the team's official spokesperson.

The decree described Baqaei as "one of the revolutionary forces and an expert in international law", highlighting his experience in diplomacy and his current role as spokesperson of Iran's Foreign Ministry.

European Union nations moved Friday towards imposing sanctions on Iranian officials and others responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the EU said.

SECRETARY RUBIO: We would all love to see an agreement with Iran, in which the Straits are open and they abandon their nuclear ambitions.
But we also have to have a plan B. What if Iran refuses to open the Straits? At that point, something has to be done about it. pic.twitter.com/UyheAl3XTn

— Department of State (@StateDept) May 22, 2026

Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir departed on Friday for an official visit to Tehran, security sources told AFP, as Iran examined the latest US proposal to end the Middle East war.

Pakistan, Iran's eastern neighbour, has been mediating between Tehran and Washington in an effort to end the conflict, which broke out on February 28 when the US and Israel launched attacks.

"Munir has left today for an official visit where he will have meetings with Iranian leadership," the sources in Pakistan said.

The Royal International Air Tattoo, one of the world's largest defence shows, has been cancelled due to military operations linked to the Iran war, it said on Friday.

RIAT had been scheduled for July 17-19 at RAF Fairford, an active Royal Air Force base in southwest England.

"This has not been an easy decision. It follows extensive discussions with the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force regarding uncertainty over access to RAF Fairford, given the ongoing situation in the Middle East," RIAT said on its website.

A small, elite band of men in senior positions, most of whom are current or former senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders, are guiding decision-making in Iran, according to a New York Times (NYT) report. 

A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran on Friday in coordination with United States to help secure a deal to end the war with Iran and resolve outstanding issues, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that discussions aimed at halting the conflict with Iran have shown "some slight progress," while simultaneously echoing Washington's dissatisfaction with its NATO allies.

Speaking to journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden, the top American diplomat noted that there has been "some slight progress" in negotiations. He also reiterated US President Donald Trump's "disappointment" regarding the current stance of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Elaborating on the diplomatic efforts during a press interaction in Helsingborg, the Secretary of State maintained a cautious tone regarding the breakthrough.

"There's been some slight progress. I don't want to exaggerate it," Rubio said at a press conference in Helsingborg. "There's been a little bit of movement, and that's good." (PTI)

Since @POTUS keeps parroting the same tired lie, we’ll keep repeating the truth:
There is no Iranian nuclear weapon. Never was. Never will be.
So if that’s all it takes to “end the war,” consider it mission accomplished.
But the rest? None of your business. we’ll never submit… pic.twitter.com/aQKUMyS3JJ

— IRAN EMBASSY in KENYA (@IRANinKENYA) May 21, 2026

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Friday for the second time within 24 hours to review proposals aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran.

Naqvi landed in Tehran on Wednesday on an unannounced visit, his second in less than a week, aiming to reduce the differences between Tehran and Washington.

He has already met the top Iranian leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran's interior minister, and other senior officials.

Foreign Minister Araghchi met Naqvi on Thursday morning to discuss the indirect Iran-US negotiations.

On Friday, Pakistan's Interior Minister again met with Araghchi to review proposals for resolving disputes, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News agency reported.

Shutting down Hormuz traffic - possible because Iran exerts geographic control over the 21-km wide waterway - has removed an estimated 14 million barrels of oil from global markets every day, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol said this week.

The US and Iran have just a "50-50" chance of reaching an agreement that would free up the Strait of Hormuz, a senior UAE official said on Friday.

Presidential adviser Anwar Gargash urged Tehran not to overplay its hand in the stop-start negotiations during the Middle East war's fragile ceasefire.

Iranian officials "have missed a lot of chances over the years because there's a tendency to overestimate their cards", Gargash told the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague.

"I hope they don't do that this time."

Al Arabiya on Friday reported that a final draft of a possible agreement between the United States and Iran could be announced within hours. Al Arabiya cited sources aware of the matter.

According to the Al Arabiya sources, the proposed agreement includes an immediate, comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire across land, sea and air domains.

Founded in 1979 to protect the Islamic revolution and its leader, the Guards promoted some of these commanders to the rank of general while they were still in their late 20s or early 30s. 

The West's support for Iraq in the war convinced Tehran that Iran had to forge its own way, no matter the cost. After the war with Iraq was over, these commanders went on to control intelligence or security services. 

Now, some of these men, who had some personal connection with Mojtaba Khamenei from the long years that he directed his father's office, are running Iran.

"These men are among the hardest-line figures in the country - militants not only in terms of perpetuating the Islamic revolution, but also in the harsh methods they have championed while running the main organs of government repression," the NYT report said. 

A small, elite band of men in senior positions, most of whom are current or former senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders, are guiding decision-making in Iran, according to a New York Times (NYT) report. 

"Senior Iranian officials maintain that all key matters are run by the 56-year-old heir. Decision making, however, extends beyond one man," the report said, adding that a "hardened band of brothers" whose "seminal experience was the brutal, eight-year war between Iran and Iraq that began in 1980."

Iran is discussing with Oman how to set up some form of a permanent toll system that will formalize its control of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

"Iran and Oman must mobilize all their resources both to provide security services and to manage navigation in the most appropriate manner," the Iranian ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin-Nejad, said in an interview with Bloomberg in Paris on Wednesday.

After the Iran war disrupted supplies of conventional nitrogen fertilizers, the English farmer began scouring the Yorkshire countryside for substitutes to keep his crops growing. That led Mills to the poultry shed of a relative's friend, whose chicken manure is suddenly so sought after that he now has a long list of buyers.

"Everyone is doing the same, looking for alternatives," said Mills, who harvests wheat, barley and oats on a farm dotted with sheep.

Farmers worldwide are under pressure. About a third of traded urea, a widely used nitrogen fertilizer, comes from the Gulf region. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut, prices have jumped to multi-year highs. That's forcing growers to improvise ahead of the fall planting season or risk lower yields, profit losses and disruptions to global food supply.

Some are turning to age-old solutions like manure. Others are experimenting with newer technologies. These range from waste-based inputs, including materials like ground almond shells, to microbial products designed to boost plant growth and reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers.

Read full story here

The Israeli military carried out an airstrike in south Lebanon, killing two people it said on Friday were armed and "moving in a suspicious manner" in an area where it is fighting Hezbollah.

Israel and the Iran-backed group have been regularly trading fire in the country's south despite a ceasefire, which was extended by Israeli and Lebanese authorities last week.

"A short while ago, IDF surveillance identified two armed individuals moving in a suspicious manner hundreds of meters from Israeli territory, in southern Lebanon," the Israeli military posted on Telegram.

"Following their identification and continuous monitoring by the IDF, the armed individuals were struck and eliminated in an aerial strike," the post said.

Donald Trump Jr, 48, is set to tie the knot for the second time this weekend, marrying Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas, US media reported. But his father, US President Donald Trump, might not attend it because of the Iran war.

"He'd like me to go. It's going to be just a small little private affair and I'm going to try and make it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would attend his son's wedding.

"I said, 'This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.'"

President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday that the United States will eventually recover Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium despite comments from Iran that it will not hand over the material.

"We will get it. We don't need it, we don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Oil market risks 'red zone' by summer, IEA chief warns

Sources told CNN that Iran is restoring lost military strength by repairing and replacing missile positions, launch equipment, and the production lines for essential weapons systems damaged in the conflict.

Amid highly volatile and fragile diplomatic engagements between Tehran and Washington, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered that the stockpile of enriched uranium 'should not leave the country," rejecting the US President Donald Trump's key demand in ongoing peace talks, Reuters reported, quoting two Iranian sources.

President Trump had previously provided assurances to Israel that Iran's inventory of highly enriched uranium, the essential component required for the assembly of a nuclear weapon, would be completely extracted from the Islamic Republic, according to Israeli officials who spoke to Reuters.

Concurrently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained a rigid stance, asserting that he will not contemplate an end to hostilities until the enriched uranium is entirely removed from Iranian custody, Tehran completely terminates its financial and material sponsorship of regional proxy militias, and the country's ballistic missile infrastructure is entirely dismantled.

(ANI)

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected US Central Command's assertion that the school hit in February missile strikes in Minab was part of a missile launch facility, calling the claim a "baseless fabrication" aimed at concealing what it described as the killing of more than 170 school children and teachers.

In a post on X, the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei slammed the US claims as baseless fabrication and called it an "appalling lie".

"This shameless distortion is a clear attempt to obscure the severe reality of the 28 February missile attacks, which resulted in the tragic slaughtering of over 170 school children and their teachers", he said.

He added, "Targeting an active educational institution during school hours constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and is a clear war crime. The civilian nature of the site cannot be obscured by technical misrepresentations."

(ANI)

Independent filmmakers in Iran face a fresh wave of repression and extreme economic hardship because of the war, risking choking off a mainstay of world cinema, industry insiders say. 

Despite heavy censorship and regular prosecutions, acclaimed directors from Asghar Farhadi, Jafar Panahi to Mohammad Rasoulof have been winning Oscars and heaps of awards at top European festivals for years with their movies about life in the Islamic republic.

Pegah Ahangarani, an actor-director who fled the country in 2022, is one of several Iranian filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival, which has championed Iranian cinema for decades and awarded its top prize to Panahi last year. 

Ahangarani worries that the small pocket of freedom which made it possible to produce independent films in Iran appears to be closing.

(AFP)

Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday and discussed the issues related to the US-Iran peace talks, amid reports about the possible visit of Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to Tehran.

Naqvi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday on his second trip in less than a week to bridge the gap between the US and Iran, as Pakistan intensified efforts to arrange a deal between the two warring sides and end the war in the region.

Foreign Minister Araghchi met Naqvi in Tehran on Thursday morning to discuss the indirect Iran-US negotiations, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

(PTI)

Pakistan's army chief was due in Iran Thursday, Iranian media reported, with Islamabad mediating as the Islamic republic examines a new US proposal to end the Middle East war.

The expected visit by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan's foreign relations, comes a day after US President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the "borderline" between a deal and renewed strikes.

A ceasefire on April 8 halted the war launched weeks earlier by the US and Israel, but negotiation efforts have so far failed to yield a lasting peace agreement.

(AFP)

Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz has said its claimed area of control extends to waters south of the United Arab Emirates' port of Fujairah, which hosts oil infrastructure designed to bypass the strategic waterway. 

In a post on X on Wednesday accompanied by a map, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said it had outlined "the regulatory jurisdiction for the management" of the strait.

It said this covered the area between the line extending from "Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to the south of Fujairah in the UAE... to the line connecting the tip of Qeshm island in Iran to Umm Al-Quwain in the UAE". 

It added that "transit through this area for the purpose of passing through the Hormuz Strait requires coordination with, and authorization from, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority". 

Stephen Miller, White House Deputy Chief of Staff, warned Iran of unprecedented US military response in case it refuses to agree with a "piece of paper that is satisfactory to the Washington."

"Iran has a choice to make: they can either agree to a piece of paper that is satisfactory to the United States, or they can face a punishment from our military the likes of which has not been seen in modern history. That's the choice they face," Miller said in an interview with Fox News.

Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, CNN reported on Thursday, citing two sources familiar with US intelligence assessments.

US intelligence indicates Iran's military is rebuilding much faster than initially estimated, the report added, citing four sources.

Iranian media reported that Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was due in Tehran on Thursday, with Islamabad mediating as Iran examines the latest US proposal to end the Middle East war.

Iran's ISNA news agency said Munir's visit was aimed at continuing "talks and consultations" with Iranian authorities, without providing details. Other Iranian media carried the same report.

(AFP)

Citing sources who were briefed on the call, Axios reported that the US leader told Netanyahu that the mediators Qatar and Pakistan were working on a "letter of intent" that both Washington and Tehran would sign to formally end the war. The signing will give way to a 30-day period of negotiations that will be used to discuss issues like Iran's nuclear programme and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

But Israeli sources told the American publication that Netanyahu disagreed with Trump's strategy. Sources told CNN that Netanyahu made his disappointment known, telling Trump that he believed delaying the expected attacks was a mistake and insisting the attacks should continue as planned.

"Bibi's hair was on fire after the call," a US official said on Netanyahu's reaction to Trump's plan.

At least 42 United States military aircraft, including fighter jets and drones, have been lost or damaged during the war in Iran, according to an official report. The losses may increase due to multiple factors, including classification, ongoing combat activity, and attribution, said the report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The aircraft losses and damages include four F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets, one F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft, one A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry airborne early warning-and-control system aircraft (AWACS), two MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft, one HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search-and-rescue helicopter, 24 MQ-9 Reaper medium-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft and one MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance uncrewed aircraft.

Earlier today in the Gulf of Oman, US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/T Celestial Sea, an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker suspected of attempting to violate the US blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port. American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship's crew to alter course.

Earlier today in the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/T Celestial Sea, an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker suspected of attempting to violate the U.S. blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port. American forces released the… pic.twitter.com/1AVT0MudKY

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 20, 2026

Oil prices rebounded on Thursday after two days of losses on outstanding supply concerns because of the uncertain outlook for an end to the Iran war and a U.S. inventory draw raised worries about the depletion of global stockpiles. 

Brent crude futures rose 81 cents, or 0.77%, to $105.83 a barrel by 0055 GMT, and US West Texas Intermediate futures were up 97 cents, or 0.99%, at $99.23.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran had "received the points of view of the American side" and was examining them. He repeated Iran's demands for the release of frozen assets and an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports.

US is in the "final stages" of negotiations with Iran, Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.

"We'll either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty. But hopefully that won't happen," Trump said. 

"I'm in no hurry. I just, ideally, I'd like to see few people killed, as opposed to a lot," he added.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly held a "prolonged and dramatic" phone conversation on Tuesday, with Israeli media claiming the two leaders were nearing a key decision on Iran.

"On the verge of a decision: Trump and Netanyahu held a phone call tonight that was defined as 'prolonged and dramatic'," Channel 12 reported.

The channel, however, did not reveal what specific decision concerning Iran was being discussed.

When asked about what he has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the attack, Trump said, "He's a very good man, he'll do whatever I want him to do. And he's a great guy... Don't forget he was a wartime prime minister."

He also claimed that Netanyahu is not "treated right" in Israel, according to him.

US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that he has 99 per cent popularity in Israel and suggested that he could run for prime minister there after his US presidency.

While speaking to reporters he said, "I'm right now at 99% in Israel. I could run for prime minister!"

Citing his exceptionally high approval ratings in the country, he said, "So maybe after I do this, I'll go to Israel, run for prime minister. I had a poll this morning. I'm 99%."