War latest news. US authorises arms sales to Gulf countries and Israel for $8.6bn. Trump: 'After Iran, I will take Cuba'

"I just had another telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi to take stock of the conflict in Iran and the situation in the Middle East. I wanted to highlight Italy'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 also to avert negative consequences on food security and stability in Africa". This was made known by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in a post on X.

"I clearly confirmed," Tajani continued, "that for Italia the development of an Iranian nuclear programme for military purposes represents a red line, with the concrete risk of triggering a dangerous nuclear arms race in the region. "Iran," Tajani goes on to write, "must exert its influence on Hezbollah to stop attacks against Israel and to achieve peace in Lebanon through negotiation. "Italia is increasingly committed to supporting every international effort for peace, keeping the channels of dialogue open with all partners and promoting stability in the Middle East," the Farnesina titular concluded.

Iran has announced that it has prepared draft legislation to regulate transit through the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by the deputy speaker of the Iranian Parliament Hamidreza Haji-Babaei, quoted by Al Jazeera, according to whom the measure would specifically prohibit the passage of Israeli ships along the strategic sea route. Haji-Babaei further explained that the proposal would prohibit ships from countries considered 'enemies' from passing through, unless they pay any war reparations. Other vessels, he added, will only be allowed to cross the strait with the permission and approval of the Iranian authorities. "Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what it was before the war," the deputy speaker said.

Iran has outlined to foreign ambassadors in Tehran its ultimate proposal to end the US-led war, saying the plan has been presented to Pakistan as a mediator and that Washington must now choose between diplomacy and confrontation. This was reported by Iran International, reporting that Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, met with Tehran-based foreign ambassadors today to discuss what he called Iran's proposal to end the "war and aggression" by the US and Israel. Gharibabadi said Iran is fully prepared to react to any attack against the country and its people, adding, however, that Tehran still believes in diplomacy based on national interests.

The Iranian mission to the United Nations has accused the United States of non-compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), calling Washington's behaviour 'hypocritical'. "For 56 years, the United States - the holder of thousands of nuclear warheads and the main proliferator of such weapons - has been in clear violation of its non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament obligations under Articles I and VI of the Treaty," reads a statement published on X by the diplomatic mission. The note goes on to state that 'the United States should not receive any cover for its outrageous and hypocritical behaviour'. According to the Iranian mission, moreover, legally 'there is no restriction on the level of uranium enrichment, as long as it takes place under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as is the case with Iran'.

Two prominent Republicans in the US Congress expressed concern over the Pentagon's decision to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany, an allied country in NATO. 'We are very concerned about the decision to withdraw a US brigade from Germany,' Senator Roger Wicker and Congressman Mike Rogers said in a joint memo. The two parliamentarians, who head the Senate and House Armed Services Committees respectively, stressed that any significant changes to the US military presence in Europe should be 'reviewed and coordinated with Congress and US allies'. They also warned that a premature reduction in troops "risks weakening deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin", adding that even with an increase in defence spending by NATO countries to 5% of GDP, building autonomous capabilities will take time. The Pentagon's decision envisages the completion of the withdrawal within six to twelve months. Political tensions remain in the background, even after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's statements criticising the US handling of the military operation against Iran NATO has meanwhile made it known that it is in contact with Washington to clarify the details of the plan to redeploy forces in Germany.

The US Army Central Command (Centcom) reported that '48 ships have been redeployed to ensure compliance with the naval blockade' imposed by the US against Iranian ports. The figure, calculated from the entry into force on 13 April, marks an increase of four vessels compared to the 44 previously reported.

Between 2 March and 2 May, Israeli attacks across Lebanon left 2,659 dead and 8,183 injured. This was announced by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, publishing the latest figures on the death toll since the Israeli attacks on Lebanon began exactly two months ago. The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health added that in the Israeli raids, in the last 24 hours, 41 people were killed and 11 others were wounded.

The head of the Nobel Peace Prize committee told Reuters that the Iranian authorities have a duty to release Narges Mohammadi, entrusting her to her dedicated medical team so she can receive the urgent care she needs. The health of Mohammadi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign for human rights in Iran in 2023, has seriously deteriorated, according to his family and his lawyer.

The Chinese government announced that it will not comply with US sanctions against five Chinese companies accused of buying Iranian oil. In recent months, in an attempt to disrupt Iran's revenues, Washington has tightened sanctions against Chinese oil refineries that purchase discounted crude oil from the Islamic Republic. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce had already stated about other sanctions that 'they should not be recognised, implemented or complied with'. In a note, it added that these sanctions 'prohibit or unduly restrict normal economic, trade and related activities of Chinese companies with third countries and violate international law and the fundamental norms governing international relations', emphasising that 'the Chinese government has always opposed unilateral sanctions that lack UN authorisation and a basis in international law'.

An end to the war with a guarantee that Israel and the US will not attack again; reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by the Iranians; revocation of the US blockade; talks on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for revocation of US sanctions; and Washington's recognition of Iran's right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, with Iran agreeing to suspend the process. These are the five elements on the table at the heart of the Iranian proposal reported by a senior Iranian official and reported by Reuters on its website. "Within this framework, negotiations on the more complex nuclear issue have been moved to the final stage to create a more favourable climate," the official said.

Donald Trump should 'get the job done' in Iran and resume military strikes if Tehran continues with 'provocations'. This is stated by Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator allied to Trump, in an interview with the Financial Times. A hawk for Iran, Graham is one of the allies who most pushed the president to launch the Iran campaign. According to the senator, the US must 'open the strait' to break the impasse and this will require military action. "Between the blockade and letting Iran know that Kharg Island is in our sights, we hope we have generated some deterrent effect. If not, we will simply have to stand up to Iran, preventing them from getting away with blackmailing the whole world,' Graham pointed out.

The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions if they make payments to Iran to safely transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The warning issued Friday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel started the war on 28 February. It then began offering safe passage to some ships, diverting them via alternative routes closer to its coast, sometimes charging a fee for the service. This 'toll' is at the heart of the US sanctions warning. Requests for payment could include transfers not only in cash, but also "digital assets, offsets, informal exchanges or other payments in kind," including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC explained, warning of the sanctions risks of making such payments to Iran or requiring safe passage guarantees. "These risks exist regardless of the method of payment," the warning read. The US has responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade since 13 April, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of the oil revenue it needs to support its struggling economy. The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been instructed to turn back since the blockade began.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot had a telephone conversation with Iranian diplomatic chief Abbas Araghchi this morning. This was announced by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Telegram. The Iranian news agency Irna explained that the two ministers "discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, as well as diplomatic issues and initiatives aimed at ending the war initiated by the US and Israel on 28 February".

Two suspicious ships were sighted off the southern coast of Yemen, 84 nautical miles southwest of the port of Mukalla. This was reported by the Ukmto, UK Maritime Trade Operations. According to the British maritime safety agency, a bulk carrier reported that a small boat and a fishing vessel approached it, less than 500 metres away. Since the launch of Israel and the US war against Iran, the Ukmto has recorded 41 incidents between 1 March and 27 April, most of which were attacks that damaged ships, injured crews or caused collateral damage. "The most distressing calls are from ships under attack," said Commander Jo Black, Ukmto operations manager.

"We should prepare for the worst so that we are not caught off guard". This was stated in a Telegram post reported by Iran International, Yousef Pezeshkian, son and advisor to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. "Iran has suffered economic damage due to the damage to its infrastructure and damage to its management capacity due to the loss of its best forces, but in terms of credibility and global standing it has benefited so far," he added.

The US is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely cross the Strait of Hormuz. The Associated Press writes this on its website. The alert, issued yesterday by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac), adds another layer of pressure to the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has begun offering some ships safe passage by diverting them to alternative routes closer to its coast, sometimes charging a toll for the service. This 'tolling' practice is at the heart of the US sanctions warning. The payment requests could include transfers not only in cash, but also "digital assets, offsets, informal exchanges or other payments in kind", including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies, Ofac said. "Ofac is issuing this notice to warn US and non-US citizens of the risks of sanctions from making such payments to the Iranian regime or requiring assurances from the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of the method of payment."

"Spain is a totally reliable ally of Nato and we have right now a historical deployment of military and aircraft that help, for example, the security of the skies over the Baltic countries". This was stated today by the Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, in replying to US President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw US troops from Germany, Italia and Spain. In an interview with Catalunya Radio, Albares reiterated that Madrid's 'commitment' 'is beyond doubt'. "I honestly dedicate myself to making and not commenting on comments," signalled the Spanish diplomacy chief, when questioned about Trump's expressed intention. Albares said he did not know "the exact number" of US military personnel currently present at the Moron air and naval bases in Rota, Andalusia, "of joint use". But he reiterated that these 'operate with complete normality' and, 'based on the Hispanic-North American agreement' that governs them, 'the channels of communication are of total fluidity'. Asked whether Madrid fears the reprisals repeatedly threatened by the occupant of the White House for his stance on the Iran conflict and opposition to raising defence spending from the current 2% to the 5% set by Nato commitments, the minister replied: 'It would be the world in reverse', since 'Spain has a coherent foreign policy that is always absolutely in agreement with international law. Its objective is to protect the interests of its citizens, of Spaniards and Spaniards, and at the same time seek peace, stability, international security'. "Our position on Iran has been clear, from the first moment, and will not change," Albares repeated. "The unilateral war in Iran must end. The firing of missiles by Iran on all Middle Eastern countries must stop. Lebanon must be part of the permanent ceasefire and peace. The Strait of Hormuz must return to guaranteeing, as it did before the unilateral action' of the US and Israel against Theeran, 'the safe and indiscriminate passage of ships and without charging any fees, and Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons'. "These are the parameters on which we are moving," the Madrid executive pointed out, stressing that Spain supports Pakistani mediation for peace negotiations

- "We are working with the United States to understand the details of their decision regarding the military presence in Germany: this adjustment underlines the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defence and take a greater share of responsibility for our common security." This was stated by the NATO spokeswoman. "We remain confident in our ability to ensure our deterrence and defence as this move towards a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO continues," she adds.

The planned withdrawal of US troops from Germany should prompt Europeans to further strengthen their defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, following Washington's latest attack on transatlantic ties.

The Pentagon announced Friday that the US will withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany, its largest European base, as tensions over the war with Iran and tariffs further strain US-European relations.

The economy in Britain 'will not return to normal' with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, said PM Keir Starmer in an interview with the BBC in which he anticipates a spike in inflation at a time when there is a war on two fronts. The country 'has to take a different path' for its future and not go 'back to the status quo' as had been done after other systemic crises, such as 2008 or after the covid pandemic. "Many voters, many people across the country, are frustrated because they have not seen the changes they demanded for this country. We have stood still for most of the last 20 years. Whenever we are hit by a crisis like we have been in recent weeks, whether it's the 2008 financial crisis, the Brexit or the covid, the government of the moment wants nothing more than a return to the status quo as soon as possible,' he added, anticipating the need to make Britain 'more resilient', with closer ties to Europe and a transition to clean energy. "But the status quo was not working. So we cannot repeat this mistake. We have to take a different path in response to this crisis." "We have to bring countries together to get to the opening of the Strait, which is what I am doing in the coalition I am leading together with French President Emmanuel Macron, which I have been working on very hard in the last few weeks, because we have to get back to the opening of the Strait as soon as possible. But I don't want anyone to think that when that happens, everything will go back to normal, it won't. There is also the war in Ukraine and all the indicators tell us that there will be more volatility, not less, in the world'.

The death sentences handed down to two people accused of espionage on behalf of Israel have been carried out in Iran. "Yaghoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekrzadeh were hanged for the crimes of cooperation with intelligence and espionage on behalf of" Israel, Mizan Online, the website of the Islamic Republic's judiciary, reported. It is unclear when the arrests of the two men took place. According to Mizan, Karimpour was convicted of 'filming and photographing military and security sites and sending the material to a Mossad agent' during the 12-day war last June. Bekrzadeh, on the other hand, was accused of collaborating with Mossad by sending information about 'religious people and prominent provincial figures' and 'important centres such as the Natanz area', where a nuclear site is located. It is not clear when the events took place.

"Thiago Avila and Saif Abukeshek were kidnapped while sailing on Italian-flagged vessels. The political and legal responsibility lies with our government. We call on the Italia government to work for the immediate release of the activists and all Palestinian political prisoners'. This is the request of the Italian delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has called for a presidium at 9am in front of the Farnesina open to all citizens, also calling for an end to relations with Israel, sanctions and the embargo. At 12 noon there will be a press conference attended by Maria Elena Delia, spokesperson for Global Sumud Italia. Among other things, they will discuss the urgent complaint filed by the legal team with the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office and the legal actions taken at national and international level, the situation in Crete, the conditions of the hospitalised participants, and updates on repatriation.

General Mohammed Jafar Asadi, a senior officer of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, quoted by the Fars news agency today as saying that 'a resumption of clashes between Iran and the United States is likely'. "The facts show that the US is not fulfilling any commitment," he insisted.

"The actions and statements of the Americans are mainly the result of media manipulation, aimed firstly at preventing a drop in oil prices and then to pull themselves out of the difficult situation they themselves have created," the senior military officer said, adding that the Iranian armed forces are "fully prepared to face any new adventures or mistakes by the Americans"

Democrats are up in arms against Donald Trump for writing to Congress that hostilities in Iran are 'over' and therefore no authorisation is needed for the conflict. "What he stated does not reflect the reality for tens of thousands of troops in the region. Trump entered this war with no strategy and no legal authorisation and what he told Congress changes neither," said Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. 'This is an illegal war and the Republicans are complicit,' highlighted Senate liberal leader Chuck Schumer.

The US might be 'better off' if no deal with Iran is reached. Donald Trump's word. "Frankly, we might be better off if a deal is not made," he said in statements relayed by CNN, "You want to know the truth? Because we can't let this situation go on like this." "It's been going on for too long," he argued from Florida after he had told the US network a few hours earlier that he was not satisfied with Tehran's latest proposal, and after he had said even earlier from the White House that the options on Iran come down to a choice between a major military escalation and reaching an agreement

For Donald Trump it is 'an act of betrayal' for anyone to say that the US is 'not winning' in the conflict against Iran. The president, reports CNN, was speaking at an event in Florida after the Trump administration's notification to Congress that the 'hostilities' with Iran, which began with operations launched by the US and Israel on 28 February, are 'over'. According to a letter obtained by the American Network, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President pro tempore Chuck Grassley, the tycoon states that 'I ordered a two-week ceasefire on 7 April 2026' and 'it has since been extended and there has been no exchange of fire between US forces and Iran since 7 April'. Thus the president avoids having to ask Congress for authorisation to continue the war, at the end of the 60 days during which it was not necessary. Trump also called the relevant law 'completely unconstitutional'.

After announcing a tightening of US sanctions, Donald Trump has returned to the subject of Cuba in recent hours, and - in a joking tone, as reported by CNN - evoked the possibility of the US 'taking control' of it. 'He's from a place called Cuba, a place we're going to take control of almost immediately,' the US president said, addressing a person in the crowd listening to him at an event in Florida. In his speech, Trump linked everything to what is happening in the Middle East. "The sooner we finish one, I'd like to get the job done," he said, referring to Iran. "On the way back from Iran, we're going to have one of our big units, maybe the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the largest in the world, come up, stay about 100 metres off the coast and they're going to say 'thank you very much, we surrender'," he added, alluding to what he thought might be a response from the Cuban authorities, as the audience laughed. Cuba has already called the new sanctions announced by the US 'illegal' and 'abusive'.

US President Donald Trump said he considers it "treason" to say that the US is not "winning" the war with Iran, despite having already warned Congress that hostilities were "over". Trump spoke on Friday night in front of the Forum Club in Palm Beaches.

The Pentagon plans to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany. Cbs reports this, citing officials who say the move is a sign of Donald Trump's discontent with the level of assistance offered by European allies on Iran.