Israel and Arab States have urged the U.S. to delay any potential military action against Iran, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing protests inside the country, according to NBC News.
The U.S. broadcaster reported that Israeli officials conveyed their concerns to President Donald Trump’s administration, saying that the U.S. should wait until the Iranian regime is “even more strained”.
According to NBC News, Israel told the White House it supports regime change in Iran and backs U.S. efforts aimed at facilitating it. However, Israeli officials reportedly believe that military action by Washington could shift focus away from domestic discontent and instead allow Iranian authorities to frame unrest as the result of foreign aggression.
Israeli officials were said to have argued that protests inside Iran have created a rare opportunity for internal pressure to build without direct foreign involvement.
Israel has suggested alternative approaches to increase pressure on Tehran. NBC News said these included improving internet access to help protesters communicate and organise, and also tightening economic sanctions.
President Trump has said he has not yet decided what course of action the U.S. will take. He said the White House was still weighing its options and had not made a final decision on whether to pursue military measures against Iran.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday, Trump said Iran was "on my mind" and that he expected an update on the situation soon.
“When I see the kind of death that is happening over there. We think. So, we're going to get some accurate numbers. I'll have them in about 20 minutes, we'll get some accurate numbers as to what's happening with regard to the killing. The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain. I'll know within 20 minutes, so… And we’ll act accordingly.”
Trump said that helping Iranian protesters involved economic actions, among other steps. He added that he would cancel all meetings with Iranian officials until bloodshed during the protests comes to an end.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera on Monday that he had continued to communicate with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during the protests and Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington.
However, direct communications between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Witkoff have been suspended, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump's threats to intervene amid nationwide protests in Iran.
The senior official added that U.S. threats undermine diplomatic efforts and that potential meetings between the two officials to find a diplomatic solution to a decades-long nuclear dispute have been cancelled.
More than 2,571 people have now been killed during the violent crackdown by security forces on protests in Iran, a human rights group has said.
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Israel has intercepted aid ships for Gaza in international waters near Greece, flotilla organisers said on Thursday (30 April), decrying the move as an "escalation of Israel's impunity".
The Iron Dome has long symbolised Israeli security, reshaping modern warfare with its reported “90% success rate”. But as regional tensions surge in April 2026, questions are growing over whether the world’s most battle-tested air defence system can remain sustainable.
Five people have been killed in Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon, including three emergency responders who rushed to help victims of an earlier blast, according to Lebanese officials.
Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying as Israeli strikes push deeper into the Bekaa Valley, fuelling fears of wider escalation despite a fragile U.S.- and UN-brokered ceasefire.
A report published by Minval Politika has raised new questions over alleged efforts by Luis Moreno Ocampo to shape international pressure against Azerbaijan and influence political dynamics around Armenia.
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
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Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
China has passed a new law aimed at ensuring its most vulnerable citizens are not left without support.
China has warned the U.S. that Taiwan will dominate next month’s summit in Beijing, raising pressure on Washington and concern in Taipei over any shift in long-standing American policy.
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From Thursday, 1 May, goods from every African country with diplomatic ties to China will be able to enter the Chinese market without paying import duties.
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