The comment follows Trump's recent statement on Sunday that "the clock is ticking" for Iran to accept a peace deal with the United States and "there won't be anything left of them" if Tehran's leaders don't "get moving, FAST".

Iranian authorities say millions of people, including top figures such as speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian, have put their names forward.

Vice President JD Vance reassured Americans on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's war with Iran will not become a "forever war," using a White House briefing to defend his boss's policies as speculation about his potential successor builds.

Standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, Vance fielded questions from journalists for nearly an hour in a mostly measured manner, a contrast to Trump's more confrontational style.

An Iranian citizen who holds permanent residency in the United States has been released from prison in Iran and has returned to the US, a rights group said Tuesday.

"Shahab Dalili, an Iranian citizen and US permanent resident who had been imprisoned in Evin Prison, was released after serving 10 years in prison. Following his release, he returned to the United States," the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said, in a statement.

It said the man, who was sentenced for allegedly "cooperating with a hostile government", travelled from Iran to the Armenian capital Yerevan before returning to Washington "where he is now safe and reunited with his family", without specifying the date of his return.

The US Senate advanced a war powers resolution on Tuesday that would end the Iran war unless President Donald Trump obtains Congress' authorization, a rare rebuke of the Republican leader although the measure remains several steps from going into effect.

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed at least 19 people, including four women and three children, Lebanon's Health Ministry said, the latest in near-daily attacks from both sides that have not stopped despite the fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war.

Israel's military did not immediately comment on the casualties or specific incidents, but said that between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon, it had targeted more than 25 sites of Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

JD Vance warned that diplomacy will not come at the cost of Trump's key demand that Iran never obtain a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that the United States may strike Iran again, a day after he said he had held off a major assault in hope of a deal to end the war -- but Tehran's army threatened to open "new fronts" if he went ahead.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he had been just "an hour away" from relaunching Washington's attacks on Iran before postponing the order, after weeks of a fragile ceasefire and talks to end the war that began on February 28.

"You know how it is to negotiate with a country where you're beating them badly. They come to the table, they're begging to make a deal," he said.

"I hope we don't have to do the war, but we may have to give them another big hit. I'm not sure yet."

The comment follows Trump's recent statement on Sunday that "the clock is ticking" for Iran to accept a peace deal with the United States and "there won't be anything left of them" if Tehran's leaders don't "get moving, FAST".

Iran's army warned on Tuesday it would "open new fronts" against the United States if it resumes attacks, after President Donald Trump said he had held off launching a planned new offensive in the hope of striking a deal.

The warning came with a shaky ceasefire in place since April 8 and after Washington and Tehran exchanged talks proposals through intermediaries in an effort to end the Middle East war, which began with US strikes on February 28. 

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Gulf leaders had asked him "to hold off on our planned Military attack of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was scheduled for tomorrow, in that serious negotiations are now taking place". 

(AFP)

 The price shock has reached your daily bread basket. Days after milk became costlier, bread makers have increased prices by up to Rs 5 per pack in Mumbai and nearby areas. The increase in the price comes amid the Rs 3.9 hike in petrol and diesel prices within a week due to the ongoing Iran war.

Bakers say the reason is simple: everything that goes into making and delivering bread now costs more. Hence, the increase. On May 16, Modern Bread revised prices of its basic variants. Trade observers say other large brands such as Britannia and Wibs may follow suit.

For a product (like bread or milk) bought almost daily, even a small jump is quickly felt in monthly household budgets.

A New York court case has revealed how Iran is allegedly using technology and criminal networks to recruit "disposable" operatives for attacks in Western countries who may not even be ideological supporters of the regime.

The case centres on 32-year-old Iraqi national Mohammed Saad Baqer al-Saadi, who US authorities say is a senior commander in the Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah. He is accused of being linked to multiple attacks and plots targeting Jewish community sites in the US and Europe.

The alleged attacks include firebombings of synagogues and community centres in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, as well as a stabbing attack in Golders Green, London, last month that injured two Jewish men, according to The Guardian.

The fate of a shaky cease-fire between the United States and Iran is once again uncertain, even as President Donald Trump has halted fresh strikes on the Islamic Republic at the request of America's Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The US leader asserted that he agreed to pause the military action as serious discussions were underway with Tehran that could lead to an acceptable deal.

However, Axios reported, citing US officials, that Iran's updated proposal for a deal to end the war isn't a meaningful improvement and is insufficient. Trump himself told the New York Post that he's "not open" to any concessions for Tehran, claiming the Islamic regime knows "what's going to be happening soon."

Amid Trump's threats, Iranians are getting ready for a possible escalation, signalling that they will not fall short of extracting a heavy price from neighbours and the world economy if they are attacked.

Fuel prices in India have been hiked for the second time within a week amid the ongoing Iran war. Oil companies on Tuesday increased the prices of petrol and diesel by around 90 paise per litre. 

This comes just three days after the previous hike of Rs 3 per litre on Friday (May 15). Following the previous hike, petrol in Delhi went up from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel rose from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67 per litre. 

Now, with Tuesday's revision, petrol in the national capital has become costlier by another 87 paise and is being sold at Rs 98.64 per litre. Diesel in Delhi has also increased by 91 paise and has reached Rs 91.58 per litre.

Iran is reportedly discussing placing a $58 million bounty on US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ebrahim Azizi, the Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian Parliament, has announced that the body was preparing a bill titled "Counter-Action by the Military and Security Forces of the Islamic Republic" that would formalise payment of 50 million euros (approximately $58.23 million) to any individual or entity who would assassinate the United States and Israeli leaders, according to reports by Iran Wire and The Telegraph UK.

US President Donald Trump on Monday touted a "very positive development" in talks with Iran, which convinced him to postpone a planned military attack on the Islamic republic.

Trump said allies in the Middle East told him "they are getting very close to making a deal" that would leave Iran without nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump said he would "hold off" an attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders. 

Trump said on his Truth Social network on Monday that "serious negotiations" were now underway with Iran and that Gulf states believed "a deal will be made."

But he said Washington was ready for a "full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached." 

Three months after the United States and Israel staged an attack on Iran, a US blockade and Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz have created a deadlock, with neither side bending, economic pain deepening and the risk of renewed war rising.

A growing concern among policymakers is not whether a deal is near, but how long tensions can persist before a miscalculation by Washington or Tehran triggers renewed conflict.

Calls for a fresh strike are growing louder in the US and Israel, with some officials arguing that increased pressure could weaken Tehran's leverage and force Iran back to the negotiating table.

"There is one major problem with this theory: We have already tested it, repeatedly, and Iran did not capitulate," said Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher on Iran at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies and former head of the Iran branch in Israeli Defense Intelligence.

"We're in a war of attrition with the prospect of a new US-Israeli attack growing by the day," said one regional official.

- Reuters

The White House has released an official fact sheet charting the significant outcomes of US President Donald Trump's high-stakes recent State visit to China. The detailed document highlights major breakthroughs regarding bilateral trade, cross-border investments and the security gridlock in Iran, but noticeably leaves out any reference to Taiwan, despite the self-governed island heavily dominating the extensive discussions between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to the newly released fact sheet, the two global economic powerhouses have agreed to create fresh institutional platforms, specifically the "US-China Board of Trade" and "US-China Board of Investment," to systematically govern and streamline bilateral economic and investment issues.

On international security, the factsheet detailed that Trump and Xi found common ground on the ongoing Middle East tensions, concurring that Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon". To protect international shipping lanes, both heads of state called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and firmly agreed that "no country or organisation can be allowed to charge tolls".

Further boosting diplomatic engagement, the White House announced that Trump is slated to host Xi in Washington later this year, with both administrations promising mutual backing for each other's roles as hosts for upcoming G20 and APEC summits.

- ANI

Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defence system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact, ramping up military cooperation with Riyadh even as Islamabad serves as the main mediator in the Iran war.

The deployment, the full scale of which is reported here for the first time, was confirmed by three security officials and two government sources, all of whom described it as a substantial, combat-capable force intended to support Saudi Arabia's military if the kingdom comes under further attack.

Iranian Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi has returned to her home in Tehran after being discharged from hospital in the wake of her release on bail, her family and supporters said Monday.

They warned of the risk of any return to prison for the 2023 laureate, who suffers from a heart condition and whose health deteriorated drastically following her most recent arrest in December.

Mohammadi was sent home on Sunday after 18 days of hospitalisation in Zanjan, where she had been in prison, and then in Tehran, her foundation said in a statement.

Tests in hospital confirmed that heart and blood pressure disorders are directly linked to "prolonged, severe psychological pressure, chronic anxiety, and intense environmental stress", it said, adding she must not return to prison "under any circumstances".

"Her recovery demands strict medical supervision outside prison walls," her daughter Kiana Rahmani said. "Returning her to detention is a death sentence." 

"We must ensure she remains free, all baseless charges against her are permanently dropped, and the persecution ends," she added.

- AFP

Iran's top security body announced on Monday the formation of a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse.  

On its official X account, the Supreme National Security Council shared a post for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) saying it would provide "real-time updates on the #Hormuz_Strait operations and latest developments." 

The account of the Revolutionary Guards navy shared the same post. 

- AFP

In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric, United States President Donald Trump launched a massive social media blitz, deploying an array of artificial intelligence-generated images and videos depicting American military strikes against Iran.

The digital barrage followed a stern warning from the US President, who cautioned Tehran that time was running out to secure a ceasefire agreement.

Taking to his platform, Truth Social, the US President issued a blunt ultimatum regarding the deadlocked negotiations. "For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! President DJT," he stated.

Immediately after the post, Trump published two videos, apparently fabricated using AI, portraying US aircraft carriers neutralising Iranian drones under his direct command. The simulated footage was overlaid with an audio clip of the US President describing a military operation.

The social media blitz quickly expanded into more surreal territory, with Trump sharing numerous AI-generated graphics. One image positioned him against a backdrop of American flags and eagles, while another depicted the US President commanding a sci-fi outer space conflict zone, complete with simulated global explosions.

He also uploaded an image featuring himself flanked by a futuristic robotic army, complete with an emblem overhead reading 'United States Space Force'.

- ANI

Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair reported Monday a sharply higher annual profit but warned that the Middle East war has clouded its outlook for the year ahead.

Profit after tax jumped 35 per cent to 2.17 billion euros ($2.52 billion) in the 12 months to the end of March compared to the period a year earlier. 

Chief executive Michael O'Leary said it was "far too early" to provide meaningful full-year profit guidance because of "significant fuel price/potential supply volatility".

"The conflict in the Middle East has created economic uncertainty and we still don't know when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen," he said in an earnings statement. 

Oil prices have soared since the start of the US-Iran war in late February, resulting in much higher jet fuel costs.

Ryanair said it had hedged 80 per cent of its fuel costs at $67 a barrel through to April 2027, which should help insulate its earnings amid "very volatile oil markets".

But its full-year outlook remains "heavily exposed to adverse external developments", including any escalation in the Middle East war. 

Ryanair's share price fell around three per cent in Dublin.

-AFP

Pakistan has shared with the US a revised proposal from Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East, a Pakistani source told Reuters on Monday, as peace talks appeared to remain stalled.

"We don't have much time," the source said, when asked if it would take time to close gaps, adding that both countries "keep changing their goalposts".

(Reuters)

Iran said Monday it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that exchanges were continuing despite Iranian media reports describing Washington's demands as excessive. 

"As we announced yesterday, our concerns were conveyed to the American side," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a press briefing.

He said exchanges were "continuing through the Pakistani mediator", without providing details. 

(AFP)

United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that he would call on G7 finance ministers to follow a sanctions regime in order to keep financing away from what Bessent described as Iran's "war machine".

Bessent added that last week's trip by a US delegation to China, led by President Donald Trump, was "very successful.

(Reuters)

#BREAKING | US President Donald Trump posts a map targeting Iran on Truth Social
Foreign Affairs Expert Daniel Block (@dblock94) shares more details pic.twitter.com/SJqxfP9IhE

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 18, 2026

#BREAKING | US President Donald Trump holds high-level meeting with National Security Officials to discuss Iran war's next phase: Reports
NDTV's @deepduttajourno joins @divyawadhwa with more details#donaldtrump #iranwar pic.twitter.com/kOAmlFJqSl

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 18, 2026

#BREAKING | 'UAE should not become entangled in Israel's plots': Iran
NDTV's @divyawadhwa speaks to Foreign Affairs Expert Daniel Block (@dblock94), to discuss this and more pic.twitter.com/a9mNX644n0

— NDTV (@ndtv) May 18, 2026

Rising fuel prices and growing economic anxiety linked to the Iran conflict are beginning to create political problems for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of the US midterm elections, according to media.

Senior administration officials and Republican allies defended Trump's handling of the Iran crisis, while Democrats accused the White House of triggering economic pain through a prolonged conflict in the Gulf region.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer acknowledged on CBS News on Sunday that that Americans were facing rising fuel costs as the war continued.

"Gas is at an average of $4.51 a gallon," CBS News said during the interview, citing data showing Americans had spent $45 billion more on fuel since the conflict began compared to a year earlier.

(IANS)

A drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the United Arab Emirates' sole nuclear power plant on Sunday in what authorities called an "unprovoked terrorist attack." No one was blamed, but it highlighted the risk of renewed war as the United States and Iran signaled they were ready to fight again.

There were no reported injuries or radiological release. The UAE, which has hosted air defenses and personnel from Israel, recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks. Tensions have risen over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway gripped by Iran, which is under a U.S. naval blockade.

"For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," US President Donald Trump posted on social media shortly after a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, whose attack on Iran with the U.S. sparked the war on Feb. 28.

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

"Our armed forces' fingers are on the trigger, while diplomacy is also continuing," Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, said on state television.

The ceasefire remains tenuous, with diplomatic efforts for a more durable peace having faltered. And fighting has heated up between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon despite a nominal ceasefire there.

(AP)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday declared that the international arena is "at the cusp of a new order," asserting that the traditional dominance of Western powers is rapidly eroding.

Citing Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision of historic global transformations, Ghalibaf stated that Iran's ongoing resistance has accelerated this geopolitical shift, adding that "the future belongs to the Global South."

In a post on X, he emphasised that Iran's recent "70-day resistance" against US and Israeli military and economic pressures has acted as a primary catalyst, shortening the timeline for this global paradigm shift.

"The world stands at the cusp of a new order. As President Xi said 'The transformation unseen in a century is accelerating across the globe,' and I emphasise that the Iranian nation's 70-day resistance has accelerated this transformation. The future belongs to the Global South," Ghalibaf posted.

After Tehran's lukewarm response to the US' five-point list for Iran talks, Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning. The US president warned that there won't be anything left of Iran unless it agrees to a deal

"For Iran, the Clock is ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE," US President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Sunday and urged Tehran to clarify its stance on a recent attack involving a vessel operated by his country in the Strait of Hormuz, the Foreign Ministry said.

During the talks, Cho said that the South Korean government is conducting an additional investigation into the attack on the HMM Namu, a Panama-flagged cargo ship operated by South Korean shipping firm HMM Co., and asked the Iranian side to clarify its position on the facts surrounding the incident, according to the ministry, Yonhap news agency reported.

Cho also stressed the need to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation for all vessels, including South Korean ships, in the conflict-hit strait.

"The Ministry of Defense announced that, on May 17, 2026, UAE air defenses intercepted three drones that entered the country from the western border. Two of the drones were successfully neutralised, while the third struck an electrical generator located outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra region," the UAE Ministry Of Defence said in a post on X.

تعاملت الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع 3 طائرات مسيّرة.
أعلنت وزارة الدفاع أنه في 17 مايو 2026 تعاملت الدفاعات الجوية الإماراتية مع 3 طائرات مسيّرة دخلت الدولة من جهة الحدود الغربية، حيث تم التعامل بنجاح مع اثنتين فيما أصابت الثالثة مولد كهربائي خارج المحيط الداخلي لمحطة براكة… pic.twitter.com/18LCO95sRF

— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) May 17, 2026

A drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, officials in Abu Dhabi said on Sunday, at a time when progress appears to have stalled in efforts to end the US-Israeli war with Iran and restart shipping in the Gulf.

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's previously unannounced visit to Tehran was linked by Pakistani and Iranian media to Islamabad's continuing efforts to revive the stalled Iran-US peace process amid persistent tensions in West Asia.

Dawn newspaper, quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, reported on Sunday that Naqvi's two-day visit came after US President Donald Trump rejected Tehran's latest response to American proposals.

It also said that Pakistan was continuing shuttle diplomacy aimed at preventing the negotiations from collapsing entirely after momentum generated by earlier rounds of talks in Islamabad slowed sharply.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency also described Naqvi's trip as part of Pakistan's "ongoing efforts to facilitate dialogue and promote regional peace". (PTI)

Iranian media said Sunday that the United States had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran's proposed agenda for negotiations to end the war.

Iranian media said Sunday that the United States had failed to make any concrete concessions in its latest response to Iran's proposed agenda for negotiations to end the war.

The Fars news agency said Washington had presented a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States.

The US also refused to release "even 25 per cent" of Iran's frozen assets abroad or pay any reparations for the damage inflicted on Iran during the war which broke out on February 28, according to Fars. (AFP)

The United States has reportedly placed five major conditions before Iran during ongoing negotiations.

Washington has refused to pay any compensation to Iran for losses caused by earlier sanctions and policy decisions, according to a report by Iran's Fars News Agency.

A vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) arrived at Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla in Gujarat after crossing the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia crisis, officials said on Sunday.

The Marshall Islands-flagged MV SYMI started its journey from Qatar and docked at the port in Kandla around 11.30 pm on Saturday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on May 13, they added.

Iran chief negotiator Mohammed Ghalibaf appointed to oversee ties with China, local media reported.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that the international arena is "at the cusp of a new order," asserting that the traditional dominance of Western powers is rapidly eroding.

Citing Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision of historic global transformations, Ghalibaf stated that Iran's ongoing resistance has accelerated this geopolitical shift, adding that "the future belongs to the Global South."

The world stands at the cusp of a new order.
As President Xi said “The transformation unseen in a century is accelerating across the globe,” and I emphasize that the Iranian nation’s 70-day resistance has accelerated this transformation.
The future belongs to the Global South.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) May 16, 2026

US President Donald Trump issued a veiled threat, calling the lack of military action in the Middle East "calm before the storm", amid reports of discussions with his top aides on resuming air strikes on Iran.

In an AI-generated image shared on his social media, Trump can be seen wearing a Make America Great Again hat, with a US Navy Admiral standing by his side. The image shows the two in the middle of choppy waters and lightning, while on board a US Navy ship with Iranian ships in the background.

"It was the calm before the storm" - the message shared with the image can be seen as a warning to Iran as the New York Times claimed Trump is about to take a critical decision on Iran, with his top aides making plans to resume air strikes if he chooses to break the diplomatic deadlock through military force.

Israel launched a massive series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon, despite an extension of the truce between the two countries.

Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah but the strikes were preceded by an evacuation warning covering nine villages.

And the continuing bombardment has only increased scepticism about the truce among the many thousands of Lebanese driven from their homes in the south.

Iran has set up a new mechanism to manage the transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Press TV reported.

Iran has warned the US Navy to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz and that commercial vessels will need to coordinate any passage with its military. It also issued a new map of the strait with an expanded Iranian area of control.