War, breaking news. Iran, Trump: 'Planned attack suspended. Serious negotiations underway"

The US is considering a new waiver on Russian oil because of the war in Iran and its effect on supplies. This was reported by the Bloomberg news agency citing sources who said that the new waiver could be 30 days or more.

Iran's Revolutionary Guardians are threatening to charge for the use of submarine cables that cross the Strait of Hormuz, pointing out that any disruption would cause losses of up to 'hundreds of millions of dollars a day' to the world economy. In a message on Telegram, the Pasdaran said that, in the name of Iran's 'absolute sovereignty' over its territorial waters, the country 'could declare that all fibre-optic cables crossing the sea route are subject to permits, surveillance and tolls'.

Further reading

Hormuz, not just oil: danger rises over tlc submarine cables

15 April 2026

Indian conglomerate Adani has agreed to pay $275 million to settle a US investigation into its purchases of liquefied petroleum gas of Iranian origin. The company was suspected of violating US sanctions by purchasing LPG from Iran on 32 different occasions between November 2023 and June 2025.

The White House considers Iran's new proposal to be 'insufficient': it does not represent a significant improvement in reaching an agreement. Axios reports this, citing a US official, according to whom the risk is that of a resumption of the war,

Reportedly, 9 Italians were intercepted in the IDF operation against the Flotilla, out of 35 compatriots on 21 boats of the humanitarian initiative for Gaza.

Iran has agreed to a long-term freeze on its nuclear activities instead of a complete dismantlement. This is according to leaked details of the Islamic republic's revised proposal, which Arab satellite TV al Arabiya announced it had viewed.

The proposal, again according to al Arabiya, would include the conditional transfer of enriched uranium to Russia instead of the US.

The US would be willing to allow Iran to maintainlimited peaceful nuclear activities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Reuters reports, citing government sources in Tehran.

Sources confirmed that the new proposal covers the end of the war, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of maritime sanctions. The most contentious issues, relating to Iran's nuclear programme and uranium enrichment, which remain the most difficult points of the negotiations, were postponed to the following rounds of talks.

The Knesset's Education, Culture and Sports Committee meets today to prepare a controversial bill that aims to extend Israeli civilian control over archaeological sites in the West Bank, ahead of the second and third readings that would enshrine it as law. According to many, the proposal would lead to an unprecedented change in thestatus of the West Bank and would amount to a de facto annexation.

Two more committee meetings are scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow the bill to be passed before the planned Knesset dissolution procedure begins. The bill passed its first reading last week.

Israeli authorities allegedly blared the song "Oops! I Did It Again" by Britney Spears from the loudspeakers of at least one of the Global Sumud Flotilla boats intercepted today on their way to Gaza. The Times of Israel reports this, attaching a video released on X and verified by an Israeli official. In the footage, an activist on board accuses the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) of "interfering with our communication channel with music" and "trying to impede us from launching distress calls".

"They are attacking a humanitarian flotilla, this is a real violation of international law and also a war crime. We are civilians and they are blocking our emergency channels. Free Palestine!" the activist adds in the video.

Despite the changes made in Washington's latest draft, significant differences remain between the Iranian and US negotiating texts: this was reported by the Tasnim news agency, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, citing an informed source close to the Tehran negotiating team, who accused the US of "excessive demands" and "lack of realism".

Some rumours, reported by Al Arabiya, claim that Tehran, in its 14-point response to the US, called for a long and multi-phased ceasefire, a phased and safe opening of Hormuz with a guaranteed role for Pakistan and Oman in case of friction. It would then be prepared to accept a long freeze of its nuclear programme instead of a complete dismantling, provided the highly enriched uranium, estimated at 400 kg, is transferred to Russia instead of the US. As far as compensation is concerned, Iran has reportedly backed down, asking instead for economic concessions, writes the Arab media. (ANSA).

The Venice4Palestine collective launches an appeal to boycott the13th Festival of Italian Cinema in Israel (scheduled from 20 May to 8 June) and reiterates once again the position of Italian cinema against the 'normalisation of Genocide'.

"The Italian Cultural Institutes of Tel Aviv and Haifa, in collaboration with the Israeli film archives and the Adama association, are preparing to show the Israeli public the best of Italia cinema from the past season. An articulated programme that will find space, as mentioned, in four film archives in the country. As if nothing had happened', writes the V4P collective in a statement.

The Iranian national football team has arrived in Turkey, where it will continue its preparation for the World Cup that is expected to take it to the United States, despite the climate of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. The team, consisting of 22 players and the technical staff, had left Tehran this morning, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

Iran will set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, where the team is expected to arrive on 5 June. That is 10 days before the opening match, on the 15th in Los Angeles against New Zealand. The team will then face Belgium on 21 June, before concluding the group stage against Egypt on the 26th in Seattle.

Iran says it has responded to the latest US proposal for a deal to end the war, adding that exchanges continue despite Iranian media reports describing Washington's demands as 'excessive'.

Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon early this afternoon, setting off sirens in the northern city ofKiryat Shmona and nearby border towns.

According to the IDF, some rockets crossed the border into Israeli territory and were intercepted or hit open areas, and caused no injuries.

Iran's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Narges Mohammadi, has been discharged from the Tehran hospital where she was hospitalised and has returned to her home, her foundation announced.

Doctors have confirmed that his condition is 'directly related to severe and prolonged psychological pressure, chronic anxiety and intense stress', reads the statement released by the Narges foundation.

The Israeli Armed Forces (IDF) claimed to have killed 'Wael Mahmoud Abd al-Halim, commander of the Beqaa region of Islamic Jihad in Lebanon, in an attack in the Baalbek area'.

"Al-Halim led the integration of Islamic Jihad terrorists into combat operations together with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, and in recent weeks had operated to promote terrorist attacks against IDF soldiers," the Israeli army reports on X.

Continuing direct negotiations with Israel is part of Joseph Aoun's duty to find a way to end IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) operations in Lebanon. This was stated by the country's president himself, speaking to local leaders of agricultural unions.

"The framework Lebanon has set for negotiations consists of Israeli withdrawal, ceasefire, deployment of the army along the borders, return of displaced persons and economic or financial assistance to Lebanon," he told the delegation, according to his office. "Anything else that is discussed is wrong."

The UN called on Israel to take measures to prevent acts of 'genocide' in Gaza and denounced reports of 'ethnic cleansing' in the Palestinian territories and the occupied West Bank. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called in a new report on Israel to ensure "with immediate effect that its armed forces do not engage in acts of genocide (and take) all measures to prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide".

The US has agreed tosuspend sanctions on Iranian oil during negotiations with Iran. This was reported by the Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing a source in the negotiating team.

The US accepted the provision of the new text, according to which a temporary exemption from sanctions for Iranian crude oil will be granted during the talks, the agency reported.

The Pope met with Aram I, Patriarch of the Armenian Church from Lebanon. "It reminds me of the beloved homeland from which he comes and which I had the joy of visiting last December. This land of Lebanon, so dear to my heart, which for so long has shown the whole world that it is possible for people of different cultures and religions to live together as one nation, continues to face difficult trials," said Pope Leo XIV, emphasising his "deep concern" for the Lebanese people, "at a time when the unity and integrity of the country are once again threatened" and for the Churches of the Middle East.

The situation in the Persian Gulf region, and particularly around Iran, is deeply alarming, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference following talks with Equatorial Guinea's Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono Angue. "The situation in the Persian Gulf region, around Iran, is obviously deeply alarming. And in this context, the issue that was once central to the international agenda - the Palestinian issue - has completely faded into the background," Lavro noted

The ground forces of the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that they had attacked 'anti-revolutionary and terrorist groups' stationed in northern Iraq. "The groups affiliated with the United States and the Zionist regime," the document quoted by Tasnim reads, "aimed to transfer a large shipment of new American weapons to Iran, but were stopped in Baneh, in the Iranian province of Kurdistan. "A large number of weapons were confiscated from the terrorists," the statement continues, warning, "All mercenaries and their supporters will be dealt with decisively and will receive a response they will regret."

A new New York Times/Siena poll confirms the aversion of most American voters to President Trump's decision to go to war with Iran. For most respondents, the war was not worth the costs, nor the negative effects on the economy. Barely 31% of respondents approve of Trump's handling of the conflict, with 65% disapproving. The president's approval rating, a few months before the midterm elections in November, similarly fell to a second-term low of 37%. Republicans, by and large, approve of Trump's actions and the war. But most other voters show serious scepticism towards his leadership on other crucial issues, including the economy and the cost of living. 64% of all voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy, which has always been a strength, and a majority express negative views on how he is handling the cost of living, immigration and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The poll was conducted between 11 and 15 May among a sample of 1,507 registered voters nationwide.

The new proposal handed over by Iran to the US via Pakistan is 14-point and focuses on ending the war, writes the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim citing a source close to the negotiations.

Iran has created a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by the Supreme National Security Council and the Revolutionary Guardians Navy. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, this is the name of the body, has also activated an official account on social channels (Pgsa) - according to international agencies - through which real-time updates on operations in the Strait of Hormuz will be provided.

At a press conference this morning, Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Minister, emphasised that Iran and Oman are in constant contact to arrive at a mechanism through which security can be guaranteed in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said today that Tehran should pursue dialogue "with dignity", rejecting slogans against negotiations with the US. "If you don't talk, do you want to fight forever?" said Pezeshkian during a meeting with government public relations officials. Pezeshkian also called for honest communication with the public, saying it is wrong to claim that enemies are collapsing while Iran prospers.

"They have problems, and we have problems too," the Iranian president explained, pointing out that "we are fighting and we have to accept the difficulties".

All the boats of the Gaza Flotilla have been intercepted by the Israeli armed forces. This was confirmed by Maria Elena Delia, Italian spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, adding that there are 29 Italian activists detained. With them also three people who are not Italian but live in Italia. "The last boat to be intercepted was the Karsi-i Sabadab, on which M5s MP Dario Carotenuto, journalist Alessandro Mantovani and activist Ruggero Zeni were travelling". The corvette on which the detained people were taken will arrive in the port of Ashdod in the evening. The Adalah legal team will be waiting for them.

"The Israeli navy ships are firing bullets, the type of which we don't know, we don't know if they are real or made of rubber". The Italian spokeswoman for the Global Sumud Flotilla had earlier said. "Six of the boats were hit. One of them, the Girolama, flies the Italian flag."

Iran has responded to the latest US proposal: this was announced by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The problem is that the issue is between the United States and Iran, and they do not accept any kind of mediation or help in this regard. So we don't have much influence on either of them. We are in constant contact and we say that we should at least agree on the first phase, which is to stop the attacks and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and then go from there to negotiate the more difficult issues. But it is very difficult, and in the end the US will have to come to an agreement with Iran'. So says EU High Representative Kaja Kallas arriving at the EU Development Council.

IDF soldiers took control of the Sumud Flotilla boats off the waters of Cyprus. This was reported by the Israeli media. A live stream, shown by the Times of Israel, shows Israeli Navy commandos boarding one of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels off the coast of Cyprus.

"Time is running out" for Iran. Reiterating this, speaking to Axios, was US President Donald Trump. If the Iranian regime does not make a better offer to reach a deal, he added during a telephone interview, it will 'suffer a much harder blow'. Trump then said he still believes Iran wants a deal and said he is waiting for a new Iranian proposal, which, he added, he hopes will be better than the last one presented a few days ago. "We want to reach an agreement. They are not yet where we would like them to be. They will have to get there, otherwise they will take a hard hit, and they don't want that," he said, stressing that the US will hit Iran "much harder than before" if Tehran does not present a better proposal. "Time is running out. They'd better get a move on, otherwise they'll be left with nothing," Trump stressed.

"Regarding the conflict in the Middle East and Iran, the key is to quickly end the conflict and open the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage of ships without tolls." This was said by European Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis on the sidelines of the G7 Finance Ministers' meeting.

Oil is trading sharply higher in the markets this morning on fears of a resumption of US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the extension of the Hormuz blockade. Brent crude is trading at $111.16, up 1.74 percent, while Wti is trading at $103.06 a barrel, up 2 percent.

In a series of posts on his Truth profile in recent hours, US President Donald Trump also shared a map of the Middle East, superimposed with an American flag, with a series of arrows pointing to Iran. In another image, titled 'Space Force', Trump is seen pushing a red button to initiate a series of attacks by the US Space Force.

The Israeli army is preparing for a possible resumption of hostilities with Iran, while Israel is reportedly ready to join any new US attacks and strike Iranian energy infrastructure. This was reported by Israeli media. Public broadcaster Kan quoted an unidentified security official as saying that Israel would participate in new US raids against Iran.

The report comes after a phone call lasting over half an hour yesterday between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Kan, the two leaders discussed the prospect of a resumption of fighting.

The Pentagon has prepared a list of targets in Iran in case US President Donald Trump orders the resumption of attacks against the country. This was reported by CNN, citing sources familiar with the dossier. "The Pentagon has prepared a series of attack plans against military targets in case Trump finally decides to proceed with more attacks," the broadcaster reported. According to CNN, possible targets being considered by the Pentagon include Iranian energy installations and infrastructure elements. Yesterday, Trump urged Iran to hurry to reach an agreement with the US, saying that time is of the essence.

Donald Trump summoned his top security advisers to his golf club in Virginia to discuss the Iran war. This was reported by CNN, pointing out that the meeting took place on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Other media outlets wrote yesterday that the meeting would take place on Tuesday.