Iran, Bessent: 'US is stifling Tehran, it's economic blockade'. 62% of Americans reject Trump

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the United States is suffocating the Iranian regime through the "economic blockade" established in parallel with the military offensive launched with Israel against Iran at the end of February. "I can tell you that we are suffocating the regime, which is no longer able to pay its soldiers," said Scott Bessent, adding that "this is a real economic blockade". Pointing out that the US Navy plays a predominant role by preventing ships bound for Iran or departing from the country from passing through, the secretary recalled that 'no ships pass through'. The US, he further said, "has increased pressure on anyone who sends money to Iran to help" the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution, described as a "corrupt body". "They have been stealing from the Iranian people for years. They have money abroad, which we have located. We will continue to track it down and preserve these assets for the Iranian people when the conflict ends."

The United States intends to take a step back on the deployment of long-range missiles in Germany. This is confirmed by the Financial Times pointing out that Washington wants to cancel it following the clash between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Donald Trump over Iran. The Tomahawk deployment plan, conceived during the Biden administration and planned to be deployed in Germany later this year, aimed to strengthen Nato's deterrence capability against Russia, while six European nations worked on developing their own systems. The decision to place US long-range weapons in Germany for the first time since the end of the Cold War was taken with extreme caution by the government of Olaf Scholz. Berlin has officially requested the US to purchase Tomahawk missiles and Typhon launch systems, but the delivery time is long. The German Defence Ministry has not been able to confirm whether a contract has ever been signed.

Iran has reportedly offered a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the lifting of the US naval blockade. This was reported by sources quoted by Al Arabiya, according to which Tehran would also revoke the demand for the withdrawal of US troops from the region. In the new proposal, according to the same sources, Iran would now only demand an end to the US military build-up around its borders. The plan would also include a demand for international guarantees against any future attacks against the territory of the Islamic Republic.

A cake with decorations depicting guns and a noose, a controversial symbol of support for the measure of the reintroduction of the death penalty in Israel applicable to Palestinians considered terrorists is among the presents received for the 50th birthday of Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. This was reported by the Times of Israel, according to which videos and photos of the cake in question were posted on the official social networks of his party, Otzmá Yehudit, a far-right political formation. Also included on the noose cake was a map with the flag of Israel over an area including the territories of Gaza and the West Bank. In addition, Ben-Gvir's wife presented the minister with another cake, also with a noose as well as the inscription 'Congratulations to Minister Ben-Gvir. Sometimes dreams come true'.

Dal profilo Instagram del partito di estrema destra Otzmá Yehudit, uno dei regali ricevuti per il 50esimo compleanno dal ministro della Sicurezza Nazionale israeliana, Itamar Ben-Gvir: una torta con decorazioni raffiguranti delle pistole e un cappio, simbolo controverso di appoggio alla misura della reintroduzione della pena di morte in Israele applicabile a palestinesi considerati terroristi, 3 maggio 2026 Sulla torta con il cappio è anche stata inclusa una mappa con la bandiera di Israele su un'area comprendente i territori di Gaza e della Cisgiordania. Instagram / Otzmá_Yehudit

Pope Leo XIV will reportedly receive US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Thursday 7 May, although the meeting is not yet on the Pontiff's official agenda. According to the same sources, Rubio will also meet Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on the same day.

These encounters are very significant in light of the recent tensions between President Donald Trump and the Pope with Trump launching harsh attacks on the Pontiff: "Weak and lousy on foreign policy", "he doesn't understand anything", "he doesn't know what's going on". And with the Pope sparing no retort: "I am not afraid of him". Then, from Cameroon, Leo XIV delivered a speech on the "world devastated by a handful of tyrants", adding: "Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political interests".

"Donald Trump's nonsense and over-the-top behaviour cannot obscure the real geopolitical dynamics". This was stated in a post on X Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in a tough stance against the US president. According to Velayati, the withdrawal of US troops from Germany, the weakening of NATO and the repeated technical problems of US warships are 'signs of the collapse of the White House's illusions'. Velayati then accused Trump of recently threatening the Islamic Republic with famine, "despite the fact that the world's food security and chemical fertiliser supply chain is under Iran's control in the Strait of Hormuz", an element that he believes demonstrates "the lack of awareness of the global economic and political situation". "Mr. Trump, the world of politics is not the domain of movies like Jack Sparrow," Velayati continued, adding that "those who play with the world's vital arteries will end up putting themselves in a stalemate."

Pakistan's prime minister, foreign minister and army chief continue to push for negotiations and encourage the US and Iran to talk directly. This was reported by two Pakistani officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Pakistan has hosted previous negotiations between Iran and the US and on Thursday it was through a Pakistani intermediary that Tehran sent a new proposal to the US. The new 14-point Iranian proposal, according to Iranian media close to the government, calls for an end to the war rather than a simple extension of the truce. According to the semi-official Nour News agency, which has close ties to the country's security organisations, the proposal submitted through Pakistan, a retort to the US 9-point plan, also calls for the US to lift sanctions against Iran, end the naval blockade, withdraw forces from the region, and cease all hostilities, including Israel's operations in Lebanon.

The Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Nikzad, said today that Iran "will not backtrack on its position regarding the Strait of Hormuz, and will not return to pre-war conditions". Ali Nikzad, who has no decision-making power in Parliament, made these statements during a visit to port facilities on the strategic island of Larak, located near the narrowest part of the Strait. "The Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said, adding that the country is working to compensate businesses and property damaged during the war and that Trump's naval blockade plan is doomed to fail. Nikzad reiterated Iran's position that any ship not associated with the US or Israel will be allowed to pass after paying a toll. The US has warned shipping companies that they could face sanctions if they pay Iran in any form, including cryptocurrency, to pass safely.

"Trump must choose between an impossible operation and a bad deal with Iran". The Guardians of the Revolution intelligence organisation says this, in a statement reported by the Iranian Tasnim news agency, close to the Pasdaran. "The decision-making space for America is limited," says the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. "Iran's deadline against blocking the Pentagon. The change in tone of China, Russia and Europe towards Washington. Trump's passive letter to Congress. Iran's acceptance of negotiating conditions. It no longer makes sense; Trump must choose between 'an impossible operation or a bad deal with Iran'. The decision-making space for America is limited,' reads the statement reported by Tasnim. Furthermore, the head of Iran's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, stated in a post on X: 'We do not wish the war to continue, but we do not fear it; if our dignity is threatened, we will fight to defend it'.

An Israeli air raid on the town of Arab Salim, in the district of Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, has left at least one person dead and three wounded, including a child. This is according to a statement by the Lebanese Ministry of Health, taken by the state-run National News Agency.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he had a telephone conversation with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul to discuss regional and international developments. This was reported by Iranian state TV. According to Araghchi himself, during the conversation, he told the German minister about Tehran's diplomatic positions and initiatives, including what he described as Iran's efforts to end the war led by the US and Israel.

Six months before the mid-term elections, Donald Trump is struggling in the polls. According to Washington Post-Abc-Ipsos surveys, 66% of Americans do not approve of his handling of Iran compared to 33% who promote him. On the economy, only 34% of respondents promote him, down seven points. On inflation, he has only 27% approval and on his handling of the cost of living, 23% against 76% who reject him. Overall, the president's approval rate is at 37% compared to 39% in February, with the disapproval rate at 62%, the highest level of his two terms in office.

US military air traffic has seen a notable increase, consisting mainly of transport and in-flight refuelling aircraft. Flightradar24, a flight-tracking application, writes Al Jazeera, noted an unusual increase in the number of US military aircraft travelling from Europe to Middle Eastern countries on Saturday.

Most of the aircraft sent to the region were C-17A Globemaster III military freighters, each capable of carrying about 77 tonnes of equipment and about 100 people. At least 12 transport planes were en route to the Middle East, some of them departing from Germany. Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker planes were also among those heading to the region, and at least four in-flight refuelling planes were observed operating near Israel and neighbouring areas.

"The United States is the only pirate in the world with aircraft carriers. Our ability to deal with pirates is no less than our ability to sink warships. Prepare to face a graveyard of your aircraft carriers and forces, just as the remains of your aircraft were left behind in Isfahan'. This was stated in X Mohsen Rezaei, advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamanei.

Further reading

How the Hormuz crisis drives energy crops and aggravates the food emergency

01 May 2026

During last night, "the Hezbollah terrorist organisation fired several rockets at the IDF forces", the Israeli army reported in a note, adding that "suspected air targets were identified" but that "no injuries were reported" among the soldiers. The IDF also reported that it had identified "two armed Hezbollah terrorists operating south of the forward defence line" in the occupation area in Lebanon and killed them.

At least six people died in raids attributed to Israel that took place between last night and this morning in southern Lebanon, the newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour reported. Last night, the same source adds, a drone hit a mosque in Samaïyé, a village located six kilometres southeast of Tyre, causing three casualties. This morning, on the other hand, 'two people died in an attack targeting a restaurant and a pharmacy in Arabsalim', while 'a drone attack on a scooter in Haris (Bint Jbeil) left one person dead'. Both L'Orient-Le Jour and the Nna news agency speak of ongoing raids in several locations and several injuries caused by some of them.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards say the US faces a choice between an 'impossible' military operation or a 'bad deal' with the Islamic Republic of Iran. In a statement broadcast on state television, the Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence says that "Trump must choose between 'an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of

Hezbollah is increasingly using quadcopter fibre-optic drones, loaded with explosives, to strike the Israeli armed forces with precision in Lebanon. Cnn writes this. This type of drone provides the operator with a sharp, first-person image of the target, and is at the same time very difficult to detect and thus to neutralise. Fibre optic drones, Cnn explains, are effective in their simplicity: instead of a wireless signal controlling the drone remotely, the fibre optic cable connects the drone directly to the operator. Because the fibre-optic cables are thin and light - virtually invisible to the naked eye - they can extend up to 15 kilometres or more, an Israeli military source told CNN, allowing the operator to remain at a safe distance while the drone provides him with a high-resolution image of the target. The IDF has relied on the technological advantage to counter drone warfare, jamming the signals and frequencies used by operators to control the devices in order to stop them before they reach Israeli soldiers. But without a signal they are unable to electronically interfere with the control of the fibre-optic drones and also face a greater challenge in detecting the incoming projectile. The fibre-optic drones first appeared in large numbers on the battlefield in Ukraine. Israel believes that Hezbollah imports civil drones from China or Iran and then equips them with a grenade or similar explosive device. China has previously denied supplying weapons to any party in the conflict and emphasised that it fulfils its international obligations. The IDF has countered the threat using nets and other physical barriers - as seen in Ukraine - but an Israeli official admitted that this is an imperfect solution to a technologically limited problem. (

An Iranian 'supertanker' with a cargo of 1.9 million barrels of crude oil reportedly managed to 'escape' the US Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz area and 'reach the Far East', the Anadolu news agency reported, citing the specialised website TankerTrackers. On X, this specialised tracker explained that the tanker, called Huge and flying the Iranian flag, 'was last sighted off Sri Lanka more than a week ago and is currently transiting the Lombok Strait in Indonesia, heading towards the Riau archipelago'. And he added that the value of the oil cargo on board would be 'nearly $200 million'. TankerTrackers says that, according to maritime tracking data, 'it has not transmitted Automatic Identification System (Ais) signals since 20 March'.

During a telephone conversation held last night between Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the latter stressed "the importance of a responsible role of European countries" in "diplomatic efforts to end the war imposed" on the US and Israel, according to a note published this morning on X by Tehran's embassy in Rome. "The Iranian Foreign Minister, expressing regret for the unconstructive and irresponsible approach of some European countries in repeating unfounded accusations regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, reiterated that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful," it reads. Araghchi further stated that these countries, whose names are not explicitly mentioned, 'instead of insisting on such an approach, should openly condemn the military aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, and call them to account for serious violations of international humanitarian law'. For his part, Tajani had last night made it known that he had expressed to his counterpart "Italia's strong concern over the increase in regional tensions", stressing "the need to avoid further escalation and to intensify work on a ceasefire agreement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz" and "clearly confirmed that for Italia the development of an Iranian nuclear programme for military purposes represents a red line".

Further reading

All Europe's cards in response to Trump

03 May 2026

Israel will purchase two more squadrons of F-35I and F-15IA fighter jets from the US, the Ministry of Defence announced today, international media reported. Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the recent war in Iran "demonstrated once again the power of the Israeli Air Force and its decisive role in protecting Israel. The lessons learned from that campaign require us to continue to make progress in strengthening our forces to ensure air superiority for decades to come." Over the weekend, a defence procurement committee of senior ministers therefore approved a Defence Ministry plan to acquire a fourth squadron of F-35Is from Lockheed Martin and a second squadron of F-15IAs from Boeing, in deals worth tens of billions of shekels, the ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the aircraft "will be a key element in the long-term development of the Israeli armed forces, addressing evolving regional threats and preserving Israel's strategic air superiority". With these aircraft, the Israeli Air Force's fleet of F-35Is will reach 100, while that of F-15IAs - the Israeli variant of the advanced F-15EX - will grow to 50 in the coming years. Currently, Israel has 48 F-35I fighters, following an initial order of 50. A further 25 F-35s were ordered in 2023 and are scheduled for delivery starting in 2028. Israel ordered 25 F-15IA fighter jets in 2024 and delivery of the first units is scheduled to start in 2031.

The Iranian authorities carried out the death sentence of a man believed to be involved in the killing of a security agent. This was reported by the Mizan judicial agency, stating that the sentence had been upheld by the Supreme Court at the end of 2025. The man, identified as Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, had been named as one of the main perpetrators of the death of officer Abbas Fatemiyeh, who was killed in 2022 during protests that broke out across the country after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. According to Mizan, the accused confessed to the attack. However, the human rights organisation Hrana reports, citing an informed source, that Abdollahzadeh was allegedly subjected to torture to obtain forced confessions.

Tehran's proposal consists of 14 points and envisages a one-month deadline for negotiations on an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, to put an end to the US blockade and the war in Iran and Lebanon. This was reported by Axios citing sources, who said that only after an agreement was reached would negotiations begin in an attempt to reach a nuclear agreement.

The new Iranian proposal to end the conflict envisages an initial one-month period dedicated to negotiations to reach an agreement that would allow the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the end of the US naval blockade, and the definitive cessation of hostilities in Iran and Lebanon. This was reported to Axios by two informed sources, who said that only after this first agreement was reached would a second phase of negotiations begin, lasting a further month, with the aim of reaching an agreement on the nuclear programme. The Iranian media had earlier reported a 14-point response - via a Pakistani mediator - to a US proposal to end the war. While Washington had suggested a two-month ceasefire, Tehran aims to resolve everything within 30 days and insists on a complete end to the conflict, rather than a temporary truce. The Iranian proposal - according to Tasnim - includes security guarantees against future attacks, the withdrawal of US forces from neighbouring areas, the lifting of naval restrictions, the release of frozen Iranian funds, reparations, the lifting of sanctions, and the cessation of fighting on all fronts, as well as new rules for the Strait of Hormuz.

The Israeli army has issued an urgent warning to the population of 11 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, urging people to immediately evacuate their homes and move at least 1,000 metres away to open areas. According to Israeli forces, operations are underway against Hezbollah following what is described as a 'ceasefire violation', with the warning that anyone near the group's fighters or facilities could be at risk. Despite the ceasefire in place, Israel continues to conduct raids in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah - backed by Iran - continues with drone and rocket attacks against Israeli troops and northern Israel.

There is a 'possibility' that attacks against Iran will resume. Donald Trump said this, according to Bloomberg news agency. The president, however, would not comment on the timing of any attacks.

The troop reduction in Germany will be much larger than 5,000. Donald Trump said this while emphasising that the troop level in Germany will drop significantly, according to Bloomberg news agency.

"I will shortly review the plan that Iran has just sent us, but I cannot imagine that it will be acceptable." Donald Trump said this on his social Truth. "I cannot imagine it being acceptable, since they have not yet paid a high enough price for what they have done to humanity and the world over the last 47 years," Trump highlighted.