War breaking news. Iran, Trump: 'They've been playing us for 47 years, now they won't laugh'. Netanyahu: 'It's not over, there's uranium to take away'

TheUS Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, said Washington is willing to suspend the federal gasoline tax as long as prices remain high. "The Trump administration supports all measures that can be taken to lower prices and reduce costs for American citizens," ,said Wright, speaking today on Nbc's "Meet the Press" programme. in response to a question about the possibility of a temporary stop to the tax. "We are constantly looking for new ideas," he added. Included in the price displayed at fuel stations is a federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel. Individual states also levy fuel taxes. The average price of a gallon of ordinary gasoline has risen over the course of the conflict with Iran from $2.80 pre-war to the current $4.52, according to today's figures from the American Automobile Assiciation (Aaa).

Mark Kelly, Arizona's Democratic senator, called the state of ammunition stockpiles in the context of the US-Iran war "shocking", citing Pentagon briefings detailing specific ammunition levels, according to CBS reports. "I think it's fair to say that it's shocking how deeply we have drawn from these stockpiles, because this president has dragged our country" into the armed conflict "without a strategic objective, without a plan, without a timeline," Kelly said during an interview on the US broadcaster's 'Face the Nation' programme.

"Because of this, we have used up a lot of ammunition, and this means that the American people are less safe," he added, pointing out that the stockpiles are depleted "whether it is a conflict in the Western Pacific with China or elsewhere in the world" and that it will take "years" to replenish the stocks.

Wars usually end in two ways: with a winner and a loser, or without a winner. It is when the two enemies, unable to prevail, reach a compromise between initial ambitions and realism. The conflict between the US and Iran is an exception, a middle ground between the two natural options: both declare themselves victors. For more than a month they have been living in a shaky cease-fire, with no balance between war and peace. To both the Americans and the Iranians, the economic cost of war and subsequent uncertainty is clear. For the Pentagon alone, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has acknowledged a $25 billion expenditure. But according to the Federal Reserve there will be another $200 billion in present and future economic costs.

Iran's coffers are empty and a month of bombing has destroyed the most important infrastructure. The cost of the war for the rest of the world can be summed up in one figure: over 10 million barrels of crude oil per day for 50 days, which never reached the global market.

"We will never bow down before the enemy, and if there is talk of dialogue or negotiation, this does not mean surrender or retreat". This was stated via social media by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, referring to the ongoing dialogues with the United States. "Rather, the goal is to defend the rights of the Iranian nation and protect national interests with firm determination," he added.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country had 'never considered' a 'deployment' of naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz, but rather a security mission 'in concert with Iran'.

During a press conference in Nairobi, Macron reiterated that he remained firm on 'this position', in response to Iran's warning on Sunday of a 'decisive and immediate response' if French and British ships were deployed in the Strait of Hormuz.

Tariqul Islam lost all his savings about a year and a half ago, following some difficulties in his clothing business, and to make ends meet he started working as a motorbike taxi driver. Until recently, he spent hours queuing at petrol stations, while supply disruptions related to the war in Iran also affected Bangladesh.

The Islam family's economic woes reflect a broader crisis in Bangladesh, a country heavily dependent on fuel imports, where energy shortages have disrupted daily life, slowed industrial production, and raised concerns about economic growth as global tensions drive up costs and strain supplies.

Pakistan confirmed that it had received Iran's response to the US proposal. Pakistan hosted talks between the US and Iran last month and now continues to act as a broker. In a rare public statement, Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, said that Islamabad remains committed to helping resolve the conflict. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a telephone conversation with his Qatari counterpart.

War in Iran and the Middle East, 10 May.

Iran says it will react with an 'immediate response' to the deployment of French and British ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced a "decisive and immediate response" by the armed forces should France and Britain deploy ships in the Strait of Hormuz, following Paris and London's announcement of the deployment of warships in the region.

"We remind them that, in times of war as in times of peace, only the Islamic Republic of Iran can guarantee security in this strait and that it will not allow any country to interfere in this matter," Gharibabadi said.

Regarding the response sent by Tehran to the latest US proposal, via Pakistan, Iranian state TV reports that Iran seeks an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Tehran also, according to Iranian state media, wants the negotiations to focus on the final conclusion of the conflict. Washington's latest proposal concerned an agreement to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and scale back Iran's nuclear programme, an issue Tehran would prefer to discuss at a later date.

US President Donald Trump stated that theUnited States is guarding Iran's remaining stockpiles of enriched uranium and that it would 'get it at some point', in an interview with independent journalist Sharyl Attkisson recorded last week and released today. During the interview, Trump downplayed the idea that the country still holds a significant amount of enriched uranium near weapons-useful levels, which international inspectors say is likely buried at the nuclear sites targeted last summer. This is despite the fact that the president claimed that the war was aimed at ensuring that Tehran could never possess a nuclear weapon, and repeatedly talked about how the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites last summer, as the New York Times points out. In April, Trump had said he was 'not really worried' about enriched uranium because it was so deep. In the interview today, he reiterated that the US was monitoring a site and warned that 'if anybody came near the site, we would know about it, and we would blow it up'.

More than 20 US warships are implementing the naval blockade against Iran. This is what Centcom, the US military command that covers the Middle East, reports, pointing out that surveillance activities have led to the 'redirection of 61 commercial ships' and the 'immobilization of four to ensure compliance' with the blockade. The post on X also includes a photo showing in the Arabian Sea the USS John Finn (DDG 113) sailing at the rear of the USS Milius (DDG 69), the Usns Carl Brashear (T-AKE-7) and the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

The stockpiles of enriched uranium in Iran's possession must be "removed" before the end of the US and Israeli war against Tehran. This was said by Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu in an interview with CBS. The war "is not over, because there is still nuclear material, enriched uranium, that must be brought out of Iran. There are still enrichment sites that have to be dismantled," Netanyahu added in an interview excerpt from the "60 Minutes" programme. "You intervene and take it away," the Israeli leader recoiled, responding to a question about how the uranium could be removed.

US PresidentDonald Trump said in an interview aired today that it would take only two weeks to hit 'every single target' in Iran, adding that the Islamic republic is 'militarily defeated'. During the conversation with independent journalist Sharyl Attkisson, recorded last week, he also called the NATO a "paper tiger" and accused Washington's allies of failing to assist in the campaign against Tehran. "They are militarily defeated. In their minds, they may not know it. But I think they know it," Trump said in the interview, before adding, "That doesn't mean they're done." He suggested that the US military could 'intervene for two more weeks and hit every single target. We have certain targets that we wanted, and we hit probably 70 per cent of them, but we have other targets that we could potentially hit." "But even if we didn't, you know, it would just be the finishing touches," he added.

The South Korean cargo ship hit on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz was targeted by unidentified aircraft. This was stated by the Seoul Foreign Ministry today, just days after the fire-damaged Hmn Namu arrived in Dubai. US President Donald Trump had claimed that Iran had "fired some shots" at the Panamanian-flagged vessel and urged South Korea to join US operations to restore navigation across the waterway. "... two unidentified aircraft hit the outer plate of the ballast tank on the port side aft of the Hmn Namu at intervals of about a minute, causing flames and smoke," Foreign Ministry spokesman Park Il said in a press briefing on Monday's attack. He did not specify what type of aircraft it was, saying that "they were captured by CCTV footage, but there are limitations in identifying the exact type, the origin of the launch and the physical size of the objects". Tehran has denied any responsibility for the attack, with its embassy in Seoul posting a statement on its website in which it "strongly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement" of its forces. The Iranian ambassador to South Korea has been summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain Tehran's position on the findings, Park said, refraining from speculating on how the Seoul government might respond should Iran be found responsible for the attack.

The Islamic Republic of Iran today sent the Pakistani mediator its response to the latest US proposal to end the war. This was reported by the Irna news agency.

Further reading

Multilateral expedition to Hormuz, time knot for Italian minesweepers

09 May 2026

Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, indicated during a meeting with Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military command Khatam al-Anbiya, "new measures and directives" to deal with "enemies". This was reported by the Iranian Fars news agency after reports of the meeting between the two. No date was specified. Abdollahi assured, according to Fars, that Iranian forces, including the Pasdaran and Basij, are ready to "counter hostile actions of the enemies", the US and Israel, and stated that "in the event of a strategic error" Iran will respond with "speed, intensity and power".

Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, met with one of the top army officials, General Abdollahi, Iranian state television reported.

Telephone conversation between Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Al-Thani, according to the Doha Foreign Ministry, confirmed 'full support for Pakistan's mediation efforts to end the crisis by peaceful means' and reiterated the 'need for all parties to respond to these efforts in order to create the conditions for progress in the negotiations' and to arrive at a 'comprehensive agreement' and a 'sustainable peace in the region'. The news of the talks comes on the heels of al-Thani's meeting with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump's envoy. At the centre of the talks, Doha reports, was the cooperation between Qatar and Pakistan and 'ways to support and strengthen it'. On X Sharif points out that the contact took place at al-Thani's initiative and was an opportunity to 'reaffirm our joint commitment to support all efforts to promote lasting peace, stability and constructive dialogue in the region'. "I conveyed," he added, "my gratitude to Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for Qatar's wise leadership and continued support for Pakistan's work to promote peace and stability in the region through dialogue and diplomacy.

In the Iranian port city of Chabahar in the province of Sistan-Baluchistan, the sound of a loud explosion was heard. According to the Mehr Agency, the detonation was attributable to unexploded ordnance from the Iran-US war. Chabahar is located on the Gulf coast of Oman.

"Iran will never bow down to the enemy," said President Masoud Pezeshkian, stressing that "if we talk about starting talks, it does not mean that we give up or withdraw, but rather that we aim to realise Iran's rights and strongly defend its national interests. According to the Irna news agency, the president called on the people to unity in the face of the 'current situation and difficulties'.

According to ship tracking data reported by the website MarineTraffic, the Qatari ship Al Kharaitiyat loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) has crossed the Strait of Hormuz bound for Pakistan. It is the first Qatari-owned and operated tanker to have crossed the strait since the start of the Iran-US conflict on 28February, according to maritime analysts quoted by CNN. At 4am local time on Sunday, Al Kharaitiyat was in the Gulf of Oman. Its route shows that it crossed the Strait of Hormuz using the northern route approved by Iran, near the island of Qeshm. The Al Kharaitiyat, which can transport over 200,000 cubic metres of liquefied gas, picked up its cargo at the Ras Laffan export hub in Qatar earlier this month. Qatar normally supplies almost 20% of the world's LNG, but its production was interrupted and its main plant damaged during the conflict.

The Iranian Navy has deployed domestically produced light submarines, known as 'Persian Gulf dolphins', in the Strait of Hormuz to counter enemy ships. This was stated by the commander, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, quoted by the Tasnim news agency, pointing out that the fleet of light submarines is being expanded and positioned on the seabed in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz according to existing threats, capabilities and operational needs. Irani added that the submarines are able to remain on the seabed for long periods in the strategic waters of the Strait of Hormuz, intercepting and destroying enemy ships.

"From now on, countries that follow the United States in implementing sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran will certainly have problems with transit through the Strait of Hormuz." This was stated by Brigadier General Amir Akraminia, spokesman for the Iranian Army, according to statements released by the Iranian media and relayed by CNN.

China's GDP growth rate in the first quarter of 2026 was 5 per cent, year-on-year. This seems to indicate that the economic slowdown and deflationary tendencies that were evident in the Chinese economy during the past year seem to have been overcome for the time being. The interesting issue is to see which component of aggregate demand has supported this growth. Basically, as early as 2022, China's macroeconomic policy had posed the problem of how to rebalance support for aggregate demand, which was too unbalanced on the side of investment and exports, and as of 2024 had increasingly focused on supporting consumption with a wide range of instruments, especially last year. However, the growth in this first quarter of the year seems to be due to a jump in infrastructure investment of 8.9 per cent in annual terms. Is there, then, a return to growth supported by infrastructure investment?

Certainly there is still plenty of room in China for infrastructure investments, just think of those needed to support the energy transition, and green investments more generally. But what is interesting to consider here is how macroeconomic stabilisation policy, to be effective, must act in a targeted manner on both components of aggregate demand, consumption and investment. Of course, acting on consumption is more complex because it depends on the free choices of households, which may not react to stimuli on current disposable income, as income expectations, wealth and precautionary and uncertainty elements come into play, affecting the desired level of savings. So much so that China's consumption support policy seems to have difficulties as a demand support lever. Infrastructure investments can, on the contrary, be better calibrated, i.e. increased in phases of stagnation or potential recession and slowed down in phases of overheating of the economy. Moreover, investment multipliers are the most effective in restarting consumption as well.

"After the failure in the military war, the enemy is trying to transfer the war to the economic terrain". This was claimed by the Iranian president, Massoud Pezeshkian, during a meeting reported by Tehran regime television. 'The people must bring down this plot as well, with their participation and cooperation,' he added.

"I have just arrived in Athens. Thousands of Palestinian prisoners children, women and men remain behind. I am sure that the treatment I have suffered cannot compare to the suffering they endure, the testimonies we have of their torture, of the violence every day'. This is the video message posted on X by Hispanic-Palestinian activist Saif Abukeshek, immediately after his release and arrival at the airport in Athens, before boarding a flight to Spain. "We must continue to mobilise, we cannot forget the Palestinian prisoners," is the activist's appeal, in thanking "all those who mobilised, the Adalah legal team, my family, my wife and children, my colleagues in the movement, the 180 brave people" members of the Global Flotilla. "I listened to your voice," while in prison, "it gave me strength, but we have not finished the job yet. We have to keep going, we have to keep mobilising until Palestine is free", is Saif Abukeshek's exhortation, as he remembers "the people at sea who are doing their part", in relation to the other boats of the humanitarian expedition, which aim to reach Gaza. The activist appeals to "rise up in every corner of the world" "on land and at sea for a free Palestine".

Further reading

West Bank, economy heading for default: how Israel blocks PNA finances

08 May 2026

If even in 1945 the United States, at the height of its power, needed to win friends and influence people to build the American order, according to historian Harold James America today should certainly do the same.

Instead, Donald Trump has transformed the United States from the 'insurer' of the world into a 'lace collector' - in the words of Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute - thereby dispersing a wealth of alliances built up over decades.

The British maritime safety agency Ukmto has reported receiving a report of an incident 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha, Qatar. The captain of a merchant vessel, the note says, 'reported that the vessel was hit by an unidentified projectile. A small fire developed, which was later extinguished, and no casualties were reported. No environmental impact was reported'.

The Marine Command of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (Irgc) issued a new warning against any act of aggression against Iranian oil tankers and commercial vessels. This was reported by the Irna news agency. The Irgc Navy Command, it says, emphasised in a message that 'any aggression against Iranian oil tankers and commercial ships will result in a heavy attack against one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships'.

The Israeli government confirms the expulsion of Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila, activists who were taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative that was headed towards the Gaza Strip but who were apprehended in international waters at the end of April. "Upon completion of the investigation, the two professional provocateurs Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila of the provocation flotilla were expelled from Israel today," the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced via X. Israel reiterates that it 'will not allow violations of the legitimate naval blockade imposed on Gaza'.