War breaking news. Hormuz, new Iranian agency for tolls. Wsj: US considers restarting Project Freedom

The Fars News agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that residents ofBandar Abbas in southern Iran heard severalexplosion-like noises near the port city, adding that the source and exact location remain unknown. This was reported by Iran International.

Iran will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz and no oil tankers will be allowed to cross without Tehran's permission. This was stated by Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran's Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy, reiterating the Islamic Republic's hard line on control of the strategic Gulf sea route. "They will not be able to pass even a litre of oil through the Strait of Hormuz without the permission of the Islamic Republic," Rezaei said, adding that if the Americans see even the slightest concession or retreat on our part, they will surely become even bolder.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced today that Israeli raids have killed 12 people in Lebanon in the last 24 hours. According to the ministry, since the start of the war with Hezbollah on 2 March, Israeli shelling has killed 2,727 people in Lebanon, including 187 people aged 18 and under. The attacks also wounded another 8,438 people. The ministry further stated that the victims included 103 health workers, most of them paramedics. The Israeli attacks damaged 16 hospitals, forcing three to close, the ministry added, pointing out that the attack damaged 26 emergency room facilities and 123 ambulances.

The United States urged Iran to immediately releaseNobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, after her supporters raised the alarm over her health condition, claiming that the dissident risks dying in prison. 'We call on the Iranian regime to release her immediately and ensure she gets the medical treatment she needs. The world is watching,' US Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights Riley Barnes wrote on X. The Iranian human rights activist, 54, has been incarcerated several times over the past 25 years for her efforts against the death penalty and against the compulsory veiling of Iranian women. Arrested last December after criticising the religious authorities, she was convicted in February to several years in prison on charges that include attacking national security. According to her supporters, Mohammadi is reportedly "between life and death" after an emergency hospitalisation over the weekend. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, the dissident had also criticised the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran, arguing that the bombings mainly affect the civilian population and end up strengthening the power of the Islamic Republic.

"We are willing to send ships" to Hormuz, "we have minesweepers and other ships. We believe that there should be an international mission, it could also be an Aspides with different rules of engagement", but "it is importantthat it is an international mission: it can be of the United Nations, the European Union or the result of an international agreement, but always to guarantee a defence mission, to de-mining Hormuz and guarantee freedom of navigation together with other countries. We are ready to do our part, but first the war must end'. This was stated by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at a press point in Wiesbaden.

The Iranian news agency Fars published a video showing the ships MSC Francesca and Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz. The two ships were attacked on 22 April by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and taken into Iranian territorial waters.

The US is considering restarting Operation Project Freedom to guide commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz possibly as early as this week. The Wall Street Journal reports this, citing sources that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the use of their bases and airspace, imposed when the operation was launched.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the use of their bases and airspace by US forces, introduced following the launch of the US Project Freedom operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, reporting that according to US and Saudi officials consulted by the newspaper, this step removes an obstacle that had hindered the military operation aimed at allowing merchant ships to transit through the Strait. According to US sources cited by the WSJ, the Trump administration is now considering restarting the operation to escort commercial ships, with naval and air support, which had been suspended after only 36 hours earlier this week. It is not yet clear when the operation may resume, although Pentagon officials have indicated a timeline that could see it resume as early as this week. Operation Project Freedom, writes the WSJ, had sparked a serious row in military relations between Saudi Arabia and the US, triggering a series of high-level phone calls between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with the risk of a security pact rupture between Washington and Riyadh.

Ensuring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a "shared international responsibility". This was stated by theQatari Ambassador to the United Nations, Alya Ahmed Saif al-Thani, speaking on the draft resolution dedicated to the security of the strategic passage, described as being of "great importance" both regionally and globally. According to the diplomat, the current situation in the strait 'not only jeopardises global economic stability and energy security, but also aggravates humanitarian crises and undermines regional stability'. The opening of the strait, she added, is a "requirement under UN conventions" and represents a "shared responsibility of the international community". Qatar, the ambassador concluded, 'looks forward to continuing to work intensively with member states to ensure support for this timely security resolution'.

Iran is imposing new rules for transit through the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt to strengthen its control over the strategic sea route and consolidate its alleged advantages. According to a document viewed by CNN, Tehran has introduced a protocol that obliges commercial vessels to comply with new authorisation procedures, under penalty of attack. The form, entitled 'Vessel Information Declaration', is issued by the new Iranian Persian Gulf Strait Authority and must be filled out by all vessels in transit to ensure safe passage.

The Israeli army has announced that thedefensive guidelines of the Home Front Command will remain unchanged until Sunday evening. Currently, there are no restrictions in the country, with the exception of the areas on the northern border, where there is a limit to gatherings. Since the ceasefire with Iran, the guidelines have been extended periodically, without any updates so far.

Forty-five minutes of conversation in which "the common commitment to cultivate good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was renewed" and in which "the need to work tirelessly in favour of peace" was expressed. This, as reported by the Holy See, was the outcome of the long-awaited face-to-face meeting between Pope Leo XIV and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, held Thursday morning at the Vatican. The Holy See's comment came only in the afternoon, more than two hours after Rubio left Vatican territory, in a 7-line communiqué. A text in which the talks that took place were described as 'cordial'. Rubio first met the Pope and then the Holy See's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

A direct contact that came after US President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked the Pontiff in recent weeks, who for his part responded calmly but firmly.

The Trump Administration announced a series of sanctions against 'individuals and entities exploiting Iraq's oil wealth to finance Iranian regime terrorism in the region'. Among those sanctioned, reports a State Department memo, is Ali Maarij al-Bahadly, Iraq's Deputy Oil Minister, "who abused his government position to divert Iraqi oil to support the Iranian regime and its affiliated terrorist groups. As part of a plan to evade sanctions, Iranian oil was fraudulently blended with Iraqi oil and sold for Iran's benefit'. The US intervention also targets senior officials of Iranian-aligned terrorist militias, Kata'ib Sayyid Al-Shuhada and Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq, as well as oil companies that support these militias.

There is an air of return to normalcy in the United Arab Emirates, where full air transport operations have been restored after months of disruption caused by the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran, marking an important step towards the resumption of regional travel and key hubs, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Flag carrier Emirates has resumed nearly 80 per cent of its operations from Dubai, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24. The Dubai-based carrier reported a record full-year net profit and said its strong cash reserves will help it weather the crisis. Air Arabia and Etihad's volumes are around 60 per cent of February levels, while Qatar Airways and flydubai are at 51 per cent.

For travellers in transit from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, this is a return to smoother travel and a crucial transition for the entire regional aviation sector. These international airports had been operating under severe restrictions since February, when the conflict escalated and hundreds of flights were cancelled due to the closure of airspace. However, the recovery is likely to be fragile and suffered a setback last Monday, when drone attacks forced flights bound for the United Arab Emirates to divert to Muscat, Oman, or Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Iran has set up a new government agency to authorise transit and collect tolls from ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime data company Lloyd's List Intelligence. The move has raised concerns about the erosion of freedom of navigation, on which global trade depends.

The agency, called thePersian Gulf Straits Authority, "is positioning itself as the only legitimate authority to grant transit permission to ships," Lloyd's reported in an online briefing followed by the Associated Press. Lloyd's said the authority had emailed an application form for ships wishing to cross the strait.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, told the Irna news agency that Iran was examining the messages with the mediation of Pakistan and that 'Iran has not yet come to a conclusion and has not provided any response to the American side' on the 14-point memorandum proposed by the US.

Donald Trump entered the Iranian war like a gambler who, after a night of losing, decides to bet even the house in order to convince the table that he is still in control. The problem is that the table, this time, is the world. And the world has begun to realise that the great illusionist of Mar-a-Lago bluffs badly and rules worse.

The attack on Tehran was supposed to be the usual decisive 'Trumpata': a few missiles, lots of geopolitical testosterone and then the return of the cowboy to the White House with oil, deterrence and electoral consensus in hand. Instead, the bank jumped. And now the American president finds himself hostage to the same roulette wheel he thought he was rigging. Because wars born without strategy have a cruel characteristic: they do not end when the person who starts them decides to. They end when the political cost becomes unbearable. And the cost, today, is biting fiercely at the ankles of Trumpian America: Hormuz under threat, jittery oil, rising petrol, inflation rearing its head. Translated into election language: pure nightmare. The president who promised bread, cheap petrol and national pride is in danger of delivering exactly the opposite to the voters.

Lebanon and Israel will hold a new round of talks on 14 and 15 May in Washington. "Talks will be held between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday and Friday next week in Washington," said a State Department official quoted by the Guardian.

Some 1,500 ships are still stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, with a total of20,000 crew, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, Arsenio Dominguez, announced.

"These are innocent people who do their daily work for the benefit of the rest of the country" and who "find themselves trapped by geopolitical situations beyond their control," he concluded.

According to a CIA analysis delivered to Donald Trump's administration this week, Iran can withstand the US naval blockade for at least three to four months before facing more serious economic difficulties.

Donald Trump relies on a new diplomatic escalation to resolve the war with Iran, albeit always accompanied by threats of a devastating resumption of hostilities if dialogue fails. He has submitted a proposal to Tehran that would immediately end the conflict by restarting a phase of negotiations. A plan that, amid reservations, the Iranian regime is examining. The coming hours and days could prove decisive for whether or not the impasse will be broken: the parties, American sources assured, have never been so close to a compromise.

"I think there is a very good chance that it will end" the war, Trump told public network Pbs, suggesting that a compromise may be within reach ahead of his trip to China for a summit with Xi Jinping next week. "If it doesn't end, we will have to return to carpet bombing," he added, however. He later said that Washington is in contact with Iranian representatives who want an understanding. That the talks are "good" and Tehran would agree not to have atomic weapons.

The US military is not using kamikaze dolphins for mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz. A source in the Pentagon, consulted by Adnkronos, denied this. But this does not mean that Washington does not have any. The official's words follow those of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth who, this week, was forced to deny the claim - in the face of growing concerns - that Iran had trained such mammals to commit suicide attacks against US forces and merchant traffic in the important seaway. The possible use of dolphins in military operations raises complex questions, according to experts: not only whether countries like Iran have trained marine animals, but also whether they have developed the necessary skills to operate effectively with them.

"For humans, learning how to make the best use of dolphin capabilities is a challenge," Scott Savitz, a senior engineer at the think tank Rand Corporation and an expert on mine countermeasures, told Adnkronos. The question is not 'whether or not the Iranians can have physically present animals with some training, but whether the Iranians themselves have trained' to work with dolphins, the engineer argued. Savitz explained that, in the past, they were employed to detect mines, but after the conflicts had ended. They were never used as suicide bombers. "Hostilities had essentially ceased," he said. "You certainly don't try to lead the way by fighting with the help of dolphins." During a briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Pete Hegseth was asked about "reports of kamikaze dolphins" that had appeared in some media outlets, after Iran claimed it could deploy hitherto unused weapons in the two-month-long conflict. In 2000, the BBC had reported that Tehran had in the past purchaseddolphins trained for military operations. Hegseth then answered the question, which seemed to stem from an earlier Wall Street Journal article that Iran was looking for ways to break Trump's blockade of the strait and could use "dolphins armed with mines" to attack US warships. "I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm that they (Iran, ed.) do not have any," the Secretary said.

"We expect an agreement sooner rather than later". Speaking about the negotiations to end the war in Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi stated this today. "We hope that the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region, but also to international peace." The spokesman, however, did not give precise information on the timing, stressing that Pakistan would not disclose the details of the ongoing diplomatic efforts. "What I can tell you, and this is what I have said before, is that we remain positive, we remain optimistic and we hope that the agreement will be reached sooner rather than later."

According to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, the global shortage of fertiliser caused by the disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz will result in lower yields and a further contraction of food supplies in the second half of 2026 and during 2027. Speaking at the Ministerial Meeting of Med9+ Countries on 'Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilisers', the MD spoke of "a very difficult time. This is not just a geopolitical crisis, but a shock at the very heart of the global agri-food system". 'Agriculture responds to a crop calendar that cannot be postponed,' he explained, 'fertilisers must be distributed at precise times in the production cycle. If they don't arrive in time, crops suffer, regardless of what happens afterwards'. In practice, even a delay of just a few weeks forces farmers to reduce fertiliser use or give up fertilisation altogether. And the current impacts,' he says, 'are not limited to present prices, but are transmitted to future harvests. Import-dependent countries in Africa, Asia and parts of the Middle East are among the most exposed, but no country is safe from the crisis, warnsQu Dongyu. Three, for the FAO Director-General, are the priority areas for coordinated action. In the short term, the functioning of supply chains must be maintained by facilitating alternative trade routes, avoiding export restrictions, supporting farmers' access to productive inputs and protecting humanitarian supply chains. In the medium term, what is needed is strengthened regional coordination, diversification of fertiliser and energy sources, and targeted support for the most vulnerable economies.

The French Deputy Minister of Defence, Alice Rufo, confirmed in an interview with Bfmtv that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is in the Red Sea, having crossed the Suez Canal, calling the move a "strong signal" of France's readiness to "take action so that freedom of movement in the Strait of Hormuz can be resumed". "This is a prepositioning," he added. "We must assert our demands to the belligerent parties," Rufo said, taking the view that "we are not belligerent, but we suffer the consequences." Rufo pointed out that 'planning meetings' are underway to 'aggregate additional resources' from other European countries. "Everyone must be able to play their role; there are other countries that have the means, such as Spain, Italia and the Netherlands, with whom we are working hard to build this coalition that will enable action," he continued. After reiterating thatFrance is not a belligerent party in this conflict, the deputy minister said: 'I do not believe that taking a diplomatic stance is cowardly or weak. Instead, I believe that diplomacy must be equipped with credible means to credibly support a position'.

Donald Trump said that an agreement with Iran toend the war in the Middle East is "very possible" after the "very good talks" that have taken place.

The drop in oil prices intensified in the afternoon, again in the wake of hopes of a truce agreement between the US and Iran. The barrel of Brent, the benchmark North Sea crude, fell 3.72 percent to $97.50. In New York, the West Texas Intermediate lost over 4 percent to $91.25.

A rocket fell inside the Shama base, home of the Italian Unifil Sector West contingent this afternoon. No injuries were reported among Italian personnel, only slight damage to a military vehicle.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, we learn from the Ministry of Defence, is in contact with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Portolano, with the COVI Commander, General of the Army Corps Iannucci, and with the Commander of the Italian contingent to constantly follow the development of the situation.

Hezbollah has fired several rockets and explosive dronesat Israeli troops deployed in south Lebanon in recent hours. This was stated by the Jewish state army.

The rockets were shot down and some of the drones exploded near Jewish state forces.

The Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, has ordered the Civil Administration of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the Israeli governing body in the West Bank, to uproot 3,000 trees to 'destroy the idea' of a Palestinian state. Haaretz reports this, recalling that Smotrich has been in charge of most of the Civil Administration since February 2023.

The minister's party, Religious Zionism, declared that Israel had 'driven out Arabs who had taken over state land in Samaria', claiming that Palestinians had illegally planted trees on Israeli state-owned land in the West Bank. According to the party, Israel uprooted200 dunams (20 hectares) of trees at 'several points of squatting' in the area.

"Today a coalition is born that will take care of food security and fertilisers, so that through Hormuz, once the lasting ceasefire arrives, fundamental tools can arrive for so many populations, especially in Africa that are in difficulty, but also our agriculture needs fertilisers". This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaking on the sidelines of a meeting at the Farnesina. "With a strong commitment of the Med9 countries, which is the organisation of the European Union countries bordering the Mediterranean, plus the Balkan countries, plus the countries of the Gulf area, the countries of North Africa, and the Arab League as a whole, a permanent working group will be created that will follow minute by minute the evolution of the solution to give concrete answers and allow our agriculture and especially the different countries in the area to be able to have the necessary supplies through Hormuz."

Iran may respond today to the US proposal on ending the war. This was reported by CNN citing a source informed about the dossier.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in the night with US President Donald Trump at the end of the Political Security Council meeting. Ynet reports. The convening of the council of ministers and the talks between the two leaders took place against a backdrop of news of progress in negotiations between the US and Iran for an agreement to end the war.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking in a televised address, said that Islamabad remains in 'constant contact with Iran and the United States, day and night, to end the war and extend the ceasefire'.

Where war and geopolitical tensions do not reach, the European regulatory framework arrives. There is alarm in the fertiliser sector above all because of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz through which approximately one third of the world's fertiliser production passes. Their failure to reach the markets is setting prices on fire. Urea, one of the most widely used fertilisers (largely produced in the Middle East), saw prices jump 80% in April compared to April '24.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he recently met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. This was reported by the Tasnim news agency.

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Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, at the opening of the MED 9+ Ministerial Meeting "Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilisers" in Hormuz, said he would represent the position of the countries in the area to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at tomorrow's meeting at the Farnesina, emphasising that "a diplomatic solution is the only way to lasting peace".

'We are ready to play our part in Hormuz, in a defensive multilateral operation, when conditions allow,' Tajani further specified, noting that 'maritime safety and freedom of navigation are top priorities'.

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has crossed the Suez Canal and is now in the Red Sea. "This is a pre-positioning," said Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces, Alice Rufo, emphasising in an interview with broadcaster Bfmtv that it is intended to be a "very strong signal of our readiness to act so that freedom of navigation can be restored in the Strait of Hormuz".

The minister explained that the deployment was decided 'in support of the coalition proposed by the president (Emmanuel Macron) for freedom of navigation at sea', pointing out that there are 'around 50 countries involved'. Rufo then referred to 'ongoing planning meetings' to 'pool additional resources' from other European countries, citing, for example, Germany's expressed willingness to deploy a frigate specialised in mine clearance.

The son of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya died of wounds sustained in an Israeli attack yesterday, the Al-Shifa hospital reported, as reported by Haaretz. Al-Hayya, head of the Hamas political bureau, had told Al Jazeera that his son was in critical condition after being seriously injured in an Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip.

It is ''out of the question'' for France to lift the sanctions imposed on Iran if it does not allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This was stated by French Foreign Minister Jean Noel Barrot, telling RTL that "there is no question that sanctions can be lifted as long as a strait like the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked". Barrot said that 'in the short term, it is essential that the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened', adding that 'the strait is a common heritage of humanity' and 'cannot be blocked, subjected to tolls or used as an instrument of pressure'.

Diplomatic exchanges aimed at the gradual opening of the Strait of Hormuz are underway, Saudi Arabian television station Al Arabiya reported. The broadcaster said that news about the ships blocked in the channel is expected in the coming hours. A Pakistani source told Al Arabiya that Iran is expected to respond today to the US proposal for a nuclear deal, confirming an earlier CNN report.

Iran 'strongly' denied any involvement of its armed forces in the damage suffered by a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, after US President Donald Trump attributed the incident to an Iranian attack.

"The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces in the incident that caused damage to a Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz," the Iranian Embassy in Seoul said in a note.

Azzam Khalil Al-Hayya, son of Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Khalil Al-Hayya, died of serious injuries sustained in an attack launched yesterday by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza City. Palestinian media reported this. In the interview with Al Jazeera in which he reported his son's serious condition, the Hamas leader said the attack was "an unequivocal political message from Israel to the Hamas negotiators: either the negotiator surrenders and the Palestinian leader submits, or this is what awaits him, his son and the children of his people".

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry commented on the contacts between the US and Iran, refusing to provide details on the deal that is apparently emerging between the parties. "We welcome the news of a possible agreement, but as mediators, we will not risk the trust of the parties by revealing details," reads a ministerial statement. "It is impossible to know how close or far the two sides are from signing an agreement, but we are optimistic."

US President Donald Trump suspended the Project Freedom mission, launched to facilitate the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, after Saudi Arabia informed the US that it would not allow American forces to use the Prince Sultan airbase, located southeast of Riyadh, or to fly over Saudi airspace in support of the operation. This was reported by two American officials to NBC, emphasising that Riyadh, like the other Gulf countries, had not been consulted or informed before the mission was launched.

According to the two sources, not even a phone call from Trump to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was able to resolve the issue, forcing the president to suspend Project Freedom in order to restore US forces' access to the airspace.

The Port and Maritime Organisation of Iran (Pmo) has issued a formal notice to ship captains declaring the country's readiness to provide public maritime services, technical support, and medical and health care to commercial traffic in the waterway and adjacent waters. This was reported by the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr. The message, the agency explained, was broadcast via maritime VHF radio three times a day for three consecutive days, calling on captains and ship owners to request supplies, fuel, medical assistance or authorised repair items. Pmo said the measure was 'part of Iran's sovereign responsibility for navigation safety and port services in one of the world's most strategic transit corridors'.

The United States is asking Iran for a 20-year moratorium on uranium enrichment and the abandonment of existing nuclear stockpiles as part of a possible peace deal. The Wall Street Journal reported this, citing senior US officials.

Washington also demands that Tehran dismantle the nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, ban underground nuclear activities and accept inspections.

Iran has begun restoring oil and gas facilities damaged during the conflict with the US and Israel, Iranian officials reported. "During the 40-day war, oil facilities were damaged and affected. The priority is to restore them as quickly as possible and the process is proceeding properly so far,' Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told the state broadcaster.

Iran today denied any involvement in Monday's explosion aboard a South Korean merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran "firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the Islamic Republic's armed forces in the incident that caused damage to a Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz," the Iranian embassy in Seoul said in a statement.

Iran is expected to respond to the US draft agreement today. This was reported by informed sources to CNN. In recent hours there has been talk of Tehran responding in the next two days or at least before Donald Trump's trip to China on 14-15 May. (ANSA).

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