Iran has called Monday's U.S. strikes on it 'a gross violation' of their ceasefire. The U.S. military said it carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran after boats were seen laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. says a peace deal may require several more days.
We are wrapping up our live coverage for the evening. Here is a summary of today's key developments on the Middle East conflict:
Our main news desk produced a new investigative documentary -
Yerevan: An ex-ICC prosecutor, a shadow network and the alleged plot to interfere with Armenian elections.
Watch the full documentary :
Live coverage will resume tomorrow morning. Thank you for following along.
The UN Security Council has condemned the recent attack on the Barakah nuclear plant in the United Arab Emirates, calling it a violation of international law.
In a statement on Tuesday, the council did not assign blame for the incident.
The UAE said last week that six drones had been launched from Iraq, including one that caused a fire at the nuclear facility.
Iraq hosts several Iran-backed militia groups, some of which have claimed attacks on what they describe as “enemy bases” during the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran.
The United States and Thailand are in talks over a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply deal, with negotiations speeding up after Iran’s conflict disrupted production in major exporter Qatar.
The discussions centre on a potential long-term agreement between US supplier Venture Global and Thailand’s state energy company PTT, though details on volumes and duration have not been disclosed.
Thailand, the region’s largest LNG importer, is looking to diversify its energy sources as it shifts away from coal. The talks come as Qatar, the world’s second-largest LNG exporter, faces significant capacity losses, with repairs expected to take years.
The global supply disruption has also led to increased demand from Asian buyers, prompting U.S. producers to expand output to meet growing demand.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said a tanker reported an external explosion on its port side near the waterline about 60 nautical miles off Oman’s capital, Muscat.
UKMTO said the vessel, identified as the Olympic Life, and its crew were safe, although some bunker fuel had leaked into the sea. The cause of the incident remains unknown.
Shipping data from MarineTraffic shows the Greek-owned very large crude carrier was sailing past Muscat at around 0700 GMT, heading out of the Gulf of Oman and not carrying cargo.
The ship’s technical manager, Springfield Shipping, said the vessel had been struck by an unidentified object at around 0920 GMT but remained stable and operational.
The tanker is owned by Athens-based Olympic Shipping & Management, the successor to a company founded by shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
Israel says it targeted Hamas’ newly appointed armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, in a strike on Gaza, though it did not confirm whether he was killed.
Gaza health officials say at least three people, including a woman, were killed and more than 20 were wounded in the attack on a residential building in Gaza City.
The strike comes as Israel steps up military operations, including expanded ground activity in Lebanon, while ceasefire talks with Hamas remain stalled.
In a forceful statement, Donald Trump said that even in the event of a complete Iranian military collapse, sections of the media would still misrepresent the outcome.
He described a hypothetical scenario in which Iran “surrenders”, its naval forces are “resting at the bottom of the sea”, and its air force “is no longer with us”, while its remaining military lays down its weapons.
Trump added that even if Iranian leadership were to sign “all necessary ‘documents of surrender’” and admit defeat to “the great power and force of the magnificent USA”, coverage would not reflect that outcome.
“The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN, and all other members of the Fake News Media,” he said, “will headline that Iran had a Masterful and Brilliant Victory over the United States of America, it wasn’t even close.”
He also criticised political opponents and media organisations more broadly, saying: “The Dumacrats and Media have totally lost their way.”
“They have gone absolutely CRAZY!!!” he added.
Trump has frequently accused major news outlets of bias in their reporting, particularly on foreign policy and conflict-related issues.
Israel is “deepening its operations in Lebanon”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, as uncertainty remains over whether any potential ceasefire with Iran would halt fighting with Hezbollah.
Netanyahu said Israeli forces were operating with large numbers on the ground and taking control of key areas, adding that a “security strip” was being strengthened to protect communities in northern Israel.
Two sources told Reuters the Israeli military has expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon beyond a self-declared “Yellow Line”, several kilometres inside Lebanese territory. An Israeli military official said operations beyond the line were aimed at removing direct threats to Israeli citizens and troops.
Hezbollah said it had targeted advancing Israeli forces near Zawtar al-Sharqiya with drones, rockets and artillery. Israeli forces also struck multiple areas in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley and issued new evacuation warnings.
Lebanon’s health ministry says more than 3,200 people have been killed and over 9,700 wounded since early March, while the World Health Organisation reports at least 608 deaths since the April 16 ceasefire. The Israeli military says that Hezbollah attacks since the truce have killed at least 11 Israeli soldiers.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Ankara will continue to support efforts towards peace talks, during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the Turkish presidency said.
Erdogan added that ongoing conflicts had cast a shadow over the Muslim Eid holiday period, but said he believed the Iranian people would overcome current challenges.
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has returned to Iran after consultations with Qatari officials in Doha, Iranian state TV reported.
Israeli media reported that the army has expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon beyond the so-called “Yellow Line,” an Israeli-defined boundary near the border. Details on the extent of the advance were not provided.
The reported move comes amid continued cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah, with fighting intensifying despite a ceasefire announced several weeks ago.
NetBlocks said live data showed a partial restoration of internet connectivity across Iran on Tuesday, following months of severe restrictions.
Iranian state media reported a day earlier that President Masoud Pezeshkian had ordered the reopening of international internet access after a near 90-day blackout imposed during the U.S.-Israeli conflict involving Iran.
A tanker sailing around 60 nautical miles off the coast of Muscat reported an external explosion near the vessel’s port side close to the waterline, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.
UKMTO said the crew were safe and the vessel remained operational, although some bunker fuel was discharged into the sea following the incident. No further details on the cause of the explosion were immediately released.
Iranian Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire after U.S. strikes in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, saying Washington would bear responsibility for the consequences of what it described as “aggressive and unjustified actions”.
The U.S. military said the strikes targeted missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines near the Strait of Hormuz.
Elon Musk's SpaceX increased the price of connection costs to Starlink, its satellite internet network, by fivefold during the Iran war. Kamikaze drones used against Iran in the conflict by the U.S. relied on Starlink to guide them.
According to Retuers, Pentagon officials complained to SpaceX that they had been paying a higher rate, citing two sources familair with the matter and U.S. Department of Defence documents.
The ongoing disputes, which have not previously been reported, underscore how the Pentagon’s growing reliance on SpaceX is handing Musk greater leverage over a critical layer of U.S. national security – at a time when SpaceX is seeking to boost revenue ahead of a stock market listing next month that could be among the biggest in history.
Israel's military on Tuesday warned residents of the southern Lebanese town of Nabatieh to leave ahead of possible air attacks.
It comes after the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel will escalate strikes against Iran-backed militia group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
A U.S. official said that Hezbollah had ignored warnings to halt firing at Israel.
Iran is demanding that $24 billion in frozen assets be released in a potential peace deal with the U.S., Iran's IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency has reported, citing an unnamed member of Tehran's negotiating team.
Tehran wants $12 billion of the total to be made available by the time the peace agreement is announced, according to the official.
Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, visited Qatar to discuss how to implement Iran's demands regarding the funds, the negotiator told Tasnim.
Ghalibaf's trip was "overall good" and led to progress in talks with the U.S., according to the news agency.
A U.S. drone which violated airspace in the Persian Gulf and targeted an F-35 fighter jet has been shot down, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said in a statement.
The premier branch of Iran's armed forces said the U.S. MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was detected and shot down as a result of intelligence and tracking activities carried out by Iranian air defence.
"The Revolutionary Guard Corps warns against any ceasefire violation that may come from the aggressive American military, and absolutely recognises its right to respond," the IRGC said in a statement.
A snippet of a live map showing ship movements by MarineTraffic, an online maritime vessel-tracking platform, shows traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday morning, as peace talks between the U.S. and Iran continue.
Iran’s Supreme Leader has visited all Islamic countries to pursue “friendship and cooperation” in a message carried by state media on Tuesday.
The remarks, attributed to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, framed regional states as sharing “vast potential and common interests” that could help resolve disputes and drive development through closer coordination.
Iran has executed an individual accused of cooperating with Israeli intelligence, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Tasnim reported that the person, known as Gholamreza Khani Shekarab, was put to death on charges related to “intelligence cooperation” with Israel, amid an ongoing crackdown on alleged espionage cases.
The report did not provide further details on the identity of the individual or the timing of the execution. Iranian authorities regularly accuse detainees of links to Israel’s Mossad intelligence service in national security cases.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps says it reserves the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against any U.S. ceasefire violations, according to state media.
The IRGC also claimed its air defences shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone and fired on a fighter jet that entered Iranian airspace.
The U.S. has not commented. The claims could not be independently verified.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said on Tuesday that the United States would “no longer have a safe haven” in the Middle East, warning Gulf states they could no longer shield American military bases.
Writing on his Telegram channel, Khamenei’s remarks came as Tehran and Washington continue talks on a framework aimed at ending their three-month-old war.
The U.S. has not yet responded publicly.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a strategic diplomatic and security forum consisting of the U.S., India, Australia and Japan, has condemned attacks on commercial ships. In a statement, the group also said it opposed measures that were inconsistent with the UN treaties, such as the imposition of tolls.
Iran has repeatedly said it controls shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and reserves the right to charge fees for services. The Iranian government has mostly prevented vessels from passing through the sea passage since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran conflict and Tehran's navy has fired at vessels trying to break the blockade.
The European Central Bank (ECB) should raise interest rates in June, even if ongoing peace talks with Iran yield a deal, Board Member Isabel Schnabel has said.
Schnabel said the conflict had been far longer than projected and high energy prices are spilling into the broader economy.
The ECB has kept rates on hold for the past year, but it debated a hike last month as sharply higher energy costs pushed inflation well above its 2% target, and numerous policymakers have signalled a need for action.
"Given the size and the persistence of the current shock, looking through is no longer an option in my view," Schnabel told Reuters in an interview. "From today's perspective, I think a rate hike in June will be needed."
While the U.S. has signalled progress in peace talks with Iran, Schnabel, a potential successor to ECB President Christine Lagarde next year, said the ECB may be past a point of no return because energy infrastructure has been damaged and high energy prices are feeding through to the broader economy.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued an order to reopen international internet access, Iranian state media reported on Monday, citing the head of public relations at Iran's Communications Ministry.
Read more:
Most Iranians have been unable to access the worldwide web for 87 days according to the internet observatory NetBlocks, with only a few citizens having access to expensive and advanced VPNs that circumvent the restrictions.
Finalising the wording of the Tehran-Washington peace agreement could still "take a few days," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned.
Speaking late on Monday local time, Rubio said there had been talks in Qatar throughout the day. He reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz must reopen, saying that this would be ensured "one way of the other."
Earlier on Monday, the U.S. military said it had carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran against boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes were designed "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."
Explosions were heard in the southern coastal city of Bandar Abbas and areas near the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported.
As Britain's sanctions on three Georgia-registered companies made headlines on 26 May, the Georgian side of the story was already complicated. The Nat...
The U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces may be committing unlawful killings near the military armistice line in Gaza, after data showed that ...
Israeli forces carried out more than 120 airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday (26 May), killing at least 31 people in one of the ...
Hamas has confirmed the death of its armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli milit...
Spanish police visited the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid on Wednesday as part of a widening High Court investigation int...
Israeli forces carried out more than 120 airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday (26 May), killing at least 31 people in one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks, according to Lebanese security and health officials.
Hamas has confirmed the death of its armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli military and Gaza health officials.
Spanish police visited the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid on Wednesday as part of a widening High Court investigation into alleged attempts to interfere with judicial proceedings involving party and government figures.
Tajikistan is hosting the Fourth International Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” from 25 to 28 May in Dushanbe, bringing together thousands of participants from governments, international organisations and financial institutions.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iran has called Monday's U.S. strikes on it 'a gross violation' of their ceasefire. The U.S. military said it carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran after boats were seen laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. says a peace deal may require several more days.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, straining a fragile ceasefire agreed between the countries in April. The attacks came as Iran accused the U.S. of violating a separate ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces may be committing unlawful killings near the military armistice line in Gaza, after data showed that roughly a third of verified Palestinian deaths since the October truce occurred close to the boundary area.
Hamas has confirmed the death of its armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli military and Gaza health officials.
Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, straining a fragile ceasefire agreed between the countries in April. The attacks came as Iran accused the U.S. of violating a separate ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 31 people were killed and 40 injured in Israeli air attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon, Beirut's government said on Wednesday, in one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's army was stepping up operations in Lebanon.
Iran is restoring global Internet access after President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the repeal of restrictions that have been in place for almost three months.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment