Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
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A state of relative calm prevailed around the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, after days of sporadic flare-ups, as the United States waited for Iran's response to its latest proposals to end more than two months of fighting and begin peace talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington expected a response within hours. But a day later, there was no sign of movement from Tehran on the proposal, which would formally end the war before talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.
A Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was sailing toward the strait on Saturday en route to Pakistan, according to LSEG shipping data, in a move sources said was approved by Iran to build confidence with Qatar and with Pakistan, a mediator in the war.
If completed, it would mark the first transit of a Qatari LNG vessel through the strait since the conflict started.
With U.S. President Donald Trump due to begin a visit to China next week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has thrown energy markets into turmoil and posed a growing threat to the world economy.
Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the strait since a ceasefire began a month ago, and the United Arab Emirates came under renewed attack on Friday.
Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the strait since the war began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes across Iran on 28 February. Before the war, one-fifth of the world's oil supply passed through the narrow waterway.
On Friday, there were sporadic clashes between Iranian forces and U.S. vessels in the strait, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported. The Tasnim news agency later cited an Iranian military source saying the situation had calmed but warning more clashes were possible.
The U.S. military said it struck two Iran-linked vessels attempting to enter an Iranian port, with a U.S. fighter jet hitting their smokestacks and forcing them to turn back.
The U.S. imposed a blockade on Iranian vessels last month. But a CIA assessment indicated 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, raising questions about Trump's leverage over Tehran in a conflict that has been unpopular with voters and U.S. allies.
A senior intelligence official characterised as false the "claims" about the CIA analysis, which was first reported by the Washington Post.
Clashes extended beyond the waterway. The UAE said its air defences engaged with two ballistic missiles and three drones from Iran on Friday, with three people sustaining moderate injuries.
Iran has repeatedly targeted the UAE and other Gulf states that host U.S. military bases. In what the UAE called a major escalation, Iran stepped up attacks this week in response to Trump's announcement of "Project Freedom" to escort ships in the strait, which he paused after 48 hours.
Trump said on Thursday the ceasefire, announced on 7 April, was holding despite the flare-ups, while Iran accused the U.S. of breaching it.
"Every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure," Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Friday.
The U.S. has found little international support in the conflict. After meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Rubio questioned why Italy and other allies were not backing Washington's efforts to reopen the strait, warning of a dangerous precedent if Tehran were allowed to control an international waterway.
Speaking in Stockholm, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said European countries shared the aim of stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons and said they were working to bridge differences with Washington.
Britain, which has been working with France on a proposal to ensure safe transit through the strait once the situation stabilises, said on Saturday it was deploying a warship to the Middle East in preparation for such a multinational mission.
While pursuing diplomacy, the U.S. also ratcheted up sanctions to pressure Iran.
Days before Trump travels to China to meet President Xi Jinping, 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.
Qatari LNG tanker Al Kharaitiyat was sailing towards the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after departing 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.
Britain said on Saturday it was deploying its warship HMS Dragon to the Middle East in preparation for a potential multinational effort to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow.
HMS Dragon, an air defence destroyer, was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean in March, shortly after the start of the Iran war, to help defend Cyprus.
Its relocation to the Middle East follows a move by France to deploy its carrier strike group to the southern Red Sea, as the two countries work together on a defensive plan aimed at restoring confidence in the trade route.
"The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait, when conditions allow," a spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defence said.
As the U.S. and Iran inch toward a potential off-ramp from their 10-week war, France and Britain have been working on a proposal to lay the groundwork for safe transit through the Strait once the situation stabilises.
The plan would need coordination with Iran and a dozen countries have indicated a willingness to take part.
Britain's ability to participate in any protective mission will be limited by the stretched Royal Navy, which is much smaller now than in the past and which has had to retire some ships before replacements have become available.
Iran has confirmed that its men’s national team will take part in the FIFA World Cup 2026, while insisting that the joint hosts, the United States, Mexico and Canada meet a set of conditions amidst rising political tensions linked to the conflict in Western Asia.
The announcement from the Iran Football Federation comes after weeks of uncertainty over Iran’s participation. The situation was further complicated after Canada refused entry to the federation’s president ahead of the FIFA Congress, citing alleged links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which it has designated as a terrorist organisation.
Iran’s presence at the tournament, scheduled from 11 June to 19 July, has also been affected by wider regional instability following strikes involving the United States and Israel earlier this year.
“We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the hosts must take our concerns into account,” the federation said, adding that it expects guarantees on visas, respect for its national symbols, and security arrangements at airports, hotels and stadium routes. Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj said the country has outlined around ten conditions, including assurances that players with past service in the IRGC should not face entry restrictions.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Iranian players would generally be welcome, though individuals with ties to sanctioned entities could still face scrutiny. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran’s fixtures in the United States will go ahead as scheduled.
Iran, drawn in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, is expected to be based in Tucson, Arizona, and will open its campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June. The federation insists its place at the tournament is secured on sporting merit, saying “no external power can deprive Iran of its participation.”
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said it arrested 41 people allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the state news agency BNA, amid an ongoing crackdown on individuals accused of ties to Tehran.
Authorities also announced that dozens of people had been stripped of their Bahraini citizenship for allegedly supporting Iranian attacks on the country and “colluding with foreign entities”.
A man was killed in a triple-tap Israeli drone attack in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The agency said the victims were travelling on a motorcycle near Al-Sabah High School when an initial drone strike hit, followed by two additional attacks. The man’s daughter was reported to be undergoing surgery in Nabatieh.
At least three people were killed in an Israeli air strike in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
The agency said the victims were travelling in a car near the Martyr Mohammed Saad High School between Burj Rahhal and al-Abbassieh when the attack took place.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks said Iran’s nationwide internet blackout has entered its 11th week after more than 1,680 hours of severe disruption, leaving much of the country largely cut off from the global internet.
NetBlocks said the censorship measures have created major barriers to communication and access to information for ordinary Iranians, with connectivity in some periods dropping to around 1% of normal levels.
Maritime charities have warned of worsening isolation and psychological strain among seafarers stranded in the Gulf for more than two months amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel war on Iran and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Aid groups say crews (including captains, engineers and cooks) have faced direct exposure to strikes, with at least 11 seafarers reported killed, according to the International Maritime Organization.
The Seafarers’ Charity said many are suffering from hypervigilance, burnout, fatigue, loneliness, depression and anxiety due to prolonged disruption and isolation.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to discuss regional tensions.
The call focused on the situation around the Strait of Hormuz and related UN deliberations, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
Moscow said Lavrov stressed the need to support ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations and warned that resuming hostilities would endanger civilians and infrastructure across the region.
Both sides agreed to remain in contact and coordinate efforts toward a long-term settlement.
The Israeli military said it struck 85 infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah across several areas in Lebanon, including weapons storage facilities, rocket launchers and buildings used for military purposes.
The army also claimed that Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon over the past day. The projectiles reportedly landed near troops but causing no reported injuries.
Russia has called on the United States and Bahrain to withdraw a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that demands Iran end its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Moscow “cannot support” the proposal.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alimov, the draft backed by several Gulf states is premature and lacks prospects for agreement. He urged co-authors to “not rush decisions”, while confirming Russia would oppose the text.
Moscow said it and China are instead advancing an alternative resolution calling for an end to hostilities, restraint in the use of force, and renewed negotiations between the parties.
The U.S.-Bahrain draft has reportedly gained support from Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Hassan Rasouli, a member of Iran’s Reformists’ Supreme Council for Policymaking, told state news agency IRNA that U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to create divisions within Iran’s leadership amount to “psychological warfare”.
Rasouli said he believes the U.S. and Israel are trying to “achieve victory without firing a single bullet” by sowing internal discord, but insisted Tehran has maintained a “coherent, united, and ready-to-defend image” despite external pressure.
He added that, in his view, Western and Israeli efforts have failed to achieve their objectives against Iran amid the ongoing conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said an Iranian response to a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war is expected “soon”, as Washington presses diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire framework with Tehran.
Rubio said earlier he was hopeful the response would help move talks forward, with the U.S. awaiting Tehran’s position on a draft deal that would pause the conflict.
Iran’s embassy in South Africa has mocked the United States after the Pentagon’s release of previously classified UFO files.
The release came after an order by U.S. President Donald Trump. The embassy suggested the move was aimed at distracting attention from the war against Iran.
In a post on X, the embassy said the timing of the disclosures appeared intended to “divert public attention away from the war against Iran.”
Hezbollah said it carried out 26 attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon since Thursday (7 May) afternoon.
The attacks reportedly included missile strikes on an Israeli tank near Deir Siryan, shelling near Haddatha and attacks targeting Israeli soldiers in Labbouneh.
The group claimed it inflicted casualties but gave no figures.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei mocked U.S. President Donald Trump over recent remarks threatening Iran with “one big glow” if the ceasefire collapses, calling the comments “a grotesque absurdity”.
In a post on X, Baghaei shared a clip from "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb", the Cold War satire about an accidental nuclear attack.
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The U.S. and Iran say they have reached a deal to end their conflict, with an immediate ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade. Talks will continue over the next 60 days to finalise the agreement
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had agreed on a framework to end their war, halt the U.S. blockade of Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Iran's nuclear program to further negotiations.
Details of a reported draft memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran offer the clearest picture yet of how both sides plan to end months of conflict and move towards a longer-term settlement.
The U.S. and Iran say they have reached a deal to end their conflict, with an immediate ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade. Talks will continue over the next 60 days to finalise the agreement
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that a draft memorandum with the U.S. covers issues including Iran’s nuclear programme, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. waivers on oil sanctions, with further negotiations expected within 60 days of an initial agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said a peace agreement with Iran is scheduled to be signed on Sunday in a post on social media, despite Tehran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei saying no deal would be approved this weekend.
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