War, latest news. Ft, 'Riyadh proposes a non-aggression pact between the region and Tehran'

China has agreed with the US not to supply military equipment to Iran. This was told by Chinese President Xi Jinping to US President Donald Trump in an interview with Fox News. "He said he will not give military equipment. That's a strong statement," Trump explained to Fox News reporter Sean Hannity. "He said it strongly but at the same time he said (the Chinese) buy a lot of their oil from there (Iran) and they would like to continue to buy it." The US had criticised those purchases, seen as a way to finance Tehran.The US leader added that Xi "would like to see a deal" between the US and Iran and offered to help.

The last visit of Donald Trump to China, as the guest of Xi Jinping, was in 2017, during his first term. By contrast, the last meeting between the two leaders was in South Korea on 30 October 2025: in that case, the aim was to try to reduce the tension triggered by the trade war with US tariffs on Chinese products, and to avoid Beijing's counter-move, which threatened to strangle the global supply of rare earths. Much has changed since nine years ago, but much has also changed since last autumn. Trump is weakened by the war against Iran that has ended in limbo, by polls that see him always less popular at home, and also by US judges who have blocked his global strategy based on tariffs. The American president arrives in Beijing at a disadvantage and it is not surprising that under these conditions he aims first and foremost to reaffirm himself and his beliefs.

Indeed, in recent days the package of demands that the US shipping brings to its Chinese counterpart has been circulating, what analysts have called the 'Five Bs': Boeing, Beef, Board of Investment and Board of Trade. The "5 Bs" thus sum up Chinese purchases of Boeing aircraft, US beef and soybeans, as well as the creation of a Board of Investment and a Board of Trade, these two bodies would define areas of economic exchange between the US and China that would not raise national security concerns. In particular, the Board of Trade would become a forum for discussion aimed at moving beyond blanket tariffs and using a different approach for non-strategic goods, with tariff reductions on trade worth tens of billions of dollars. More broadly, the '5 Bs' represent a US negotiating strategy that aims to rebalance trade with China outside the WTO dispute settlement system: it would allow Washington and Beijing to take advantage of WTO sluggishness to directly negotiate imports and exports and sector-by-sector terms.

Gas prices closed higher as the US-Iranian standoff and the still-closed Strait of Hormuz are watched. In Amsterdam, quotations gained 1.5 per cent to EUR 47.64 per megawatt-hour.

The top US commander in the Middle East has indicated that although he believes Iran's military capabilities are 'drastically reduced', the Islamic republic is still able to influence maritime traffic with rhetoric alone.

"Their voice is very loud and the threats are clearly felt by the shipping and insurance industry," Admiral Brad Cooper told parliamentarians.

Saudi Arabia has discussed with Western allies a possible non-aggression pact between the Gulf countries and Iran to manage tensions in the region also with a view to a reduction of the US presence once the war against Teheran is over. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing diplomatic sources. An Arab official also said that a non-aggression pact, along the lines of the Helsinki Accords, would be welcomed by most Arab and Muslim states, as well as Iran, which believes the region should be free of Western interference.

RNIn the first three days of this week some 18 ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a higher number than the previous week. This is according to MarineTraffic data cited by the 'Wall Street Journal'. Before the US-Israeli war against Iran, around 130 ships crossed the Strait every day, transporting around 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supplies. "Shipowners are preparing for a long-term disruption and some are reassessing their risk appetite," according to Lloyd's List of Intelligence analysts on the tanker situation. "Others may attempt to cross the Strait as the prospects for a resolution appear increasingly remote."- The number of ships with a clear connection to Iran - calling at Iranian ports or carrying Iranian goods - transiting the Strait has decreased significantly, according to Lloyd's.

Israel has no concerns about US President Donald Trump's insistence on continuing to seek a diplomatic solution to the Iranian conflict, the Times of Israel reports, citing Israeli government sources. The president knows that Iran always lies and stalls. 'We should not underestimate President Trump's determination to achieve his goal of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,' the sources continued.

Israel has 'considerably weakened the regime, Iran. We have eliminated most of the first- and second-tier leadership. Now they have what you could call the B team. And I don't think the Iranian people want to replace one Ayatollah with another, the Senior Ayatollah replaced by the Junior Ayatollah. But the decision is theirs,' they concluded.

Further reading

US-Iran, if the two belligerents declare victory

10 May 2026

We publish the speech by Mario Draghi, delivered at the ceremony for the International Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen.

Mayor Dr. Ziemons, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Mitsotakis, President Laschet, President Lagarde, Distinguished Laureates from previous years, Eminences and Excellencies, Dear Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

"At sea, we have destroyed 161 total naval units from 16 different classes of warships, effectively undermining the operational capability of the Iranian regime". Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Centcom, reported that US forces had eliminated 'over 90% of what was a massive naval mine arsenal of over 8,000 ordnance through over 700 targeted airstrikes'. In summary, Cooper added in a Congressional hearing, 'the Iranian Navy can no longer claim maritime power status and is unable to project its force into the Gulf of Oman or the Indian Ocean'.

"Tehran must commit to negotiating in good faith and with flexibility a constructive solution and resume cooperation with the IAEA and re-establish relations with the Gulf countries". This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, replying to a Question Time at the Senate to a question from Senator Marco Lombardo (Az) on measures to support Iranian dissidents.

The third round of talks between Israel and Lebanon has begun in Washington. This was reported by an Israeli official quoted by the media. The talks, scheduled for today and tomorrow, are hosted by the US State Department and involve the ambassadors of the two countries.

Further reading

Israel and Lebanon, first meeting with promise of new talks

15 April 2026

In 2025, an average of 35,000 children a day were forced to flee their homes due to conflict or violence, the highest number ever recorded. These are the dramatic figures released today by Save the Children, the organisation that has been fighting for more than 100 years to save girls and boys at risk and ensure their future. The new data available indicate that for the first time last year, conflict overtook climate-related causes as the main factor behind global displacement.

Save the Children estimates that a record number of about 13 million internally displaced children were displaced as a result of conflict and violence in 2025, up 46% from about 9 million in 2024. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Iran and the Occupied Palestinian Territory are among the countries where violence and conflict caused the highest number of displaced children last year.

The words of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"Iran has suffered extremely hard blows over the past year, but our mission is not yet over. We have to complete the objectives of the campaign. As I have already said, we are prepared for the possibility that we may have to intervene again in close quarters to ensure that we achieve these goals and ensure that Iran no longer poses a threat to the existence of Israel, the United States and the free world, for generations to come''. This was said by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz during a speech at the ceremony for the fallen of the Six Day War. ''Just as the Six Day War brought with it historical opportunities, similarly today we have historical opportunities to change the regional reality,'' Katz added.

The words of Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

India has called the attack that sank an Indian-flagged ship transiting Oman's territorial waters 'unacceptable', saying that attacks on commercial vessels, in the context of the US-Israeli war against Iran, must be avoided.

The attack on the dhow - a wooden vessel - in the early hours of yesterday while sailing from Somalia to the United Arab Emirates resulted in a fire on board and subsequent sinking, New Delhi explained. All 14 crew members, writes Reuters, were rescued by the Omani coast guard and transferred to the port of Diba.

New Iranian protocols for the transit of Chinese ships through Hormuz. This was announced by the Fars news agency, reported by Reuters on its website. An official of the Pasdaran navy announced that since yesterday, thirty vessels have been passing through Hormuz and that the new arrangement follows the requests of the foreign minister and the Chinese ambassador to Iran. It is currently unclear what the changes were, Reuters recalls, considering 'that Iran had already indicated during the war that neutral ships, particularly those linked to Beijing, could transit in coordination with Tehran'.

Since last night, 30 ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz with the permission of the Islamic Republic. This was reported by the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, quoted by Iran International.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is in China's interest and Beijing could work behind the scenes with Tehran to facilitate a solution. This was said by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to Cnbc from Beijing during US President Donald Trump's visit.

"I think they will do what they can," Bessent said. "I think they will work behind the scenes to the extent that someone has some influence on the Iranian leadership."

The Iranian authorities have authorised 'a number of Chinese ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with the Iranian protocol for managing the strait'. This was reported today by the Fars news agency, citing an informed source.

The news comes on the day that US President Donald Trump is visiting Beijing.

Draghi, 'with new shocks the EU needs 1.2 billion investments a year'

"In the 2020s, external shocks followed one after the other, aggravating each other and increasingly reducing the room for hesitation. We are still absorbing tariffs imposed by our main trading partner at levels not seen in a century. Now the war in the Middle East has brought inflation back into our economies and anxiety back into our families. Even when the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, the shocks inflicted on supply chains could linger for months or years," Mario Draghi said at the Charlemagne Prize ceremony in Aachen's town hall. "These shocks would be difficult to manage under any circumstances. But they come at a time when Europe's investment needs have become immense. What was already estimated at around EUR 800 billion a year in additional strategic spending has risen, with the defence commitments of recent years, to almost EUR 1.2 trillion a year on average," he noted

The Pentagon has cancelled the deployment of more than 4,000 troops of an armoured brigade in Poloni, reports the Wall Street Journal after the announcement, also this month, of the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. The decision was sudden: equipment from the brigade was already on its way to Europe and a farewell ceremony had already been held in early May for the deployment of the military to Europe at the Fort Hood base in Texas.

Donald Trump, piqued by the failure of NATO's European allies to participate in operations in the Strait of Hormuz and criticising the start of the war against Iran, also anticipated that the reduction of American forces in Europe would go further.

"We need to be vigilant about the development and application of artificial intelligence in the military and civil spheres, so that they do not de-emphasise human choices and worsen the tragic nature of conflicts". This was emphasised by the Pope in his speech at La Sapienza University in Rome. "What is happening in Ukraine, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, in Iran - Leone denounced in no uncertain terms - describes the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation".

"I am very appreciative that the Diocese of Rome and Sapienza University have signed an agreement to open a University Humanitarian Corridor from the Gaza Strip". Pope Leo added.

A drone attack by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement injured several civilians in northern Israel. This was announced by the Israeli army,a few hours before the resumption of talks in Washington between representatives of Israel and Lebanon.

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping expressed, during their summit in Beijing, their agreement that the Strait of Hormuz should "remain open," the White House said, "to ensure the free flow of energy products.

Simest, the Cdp group's company for the internationalisation of companies, is launching a new EUR 800 million strategic intervention to support Italian companies affected by the effects of the crisis in the Persian Gulf area and the continuing tensions on energy costs. In an international context marked by geopolitical instability, market volatility and pressures on supply chains, the initiative is part of the broader commitment of Sistema Italia, led by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to support the competitiveness of Italy's productive fabric, accompanying its projection onto global markets.

The resources - which come from Fund 394/81, managed by Simest in agreement with the Farnesina - are intended for exporting companies and direct suppliers of Italian exporting companies. At the heart of the package, activated as part of the 'Digital and Ecological Transition' tool, is the new 'Energy for International Competitiveness' line, designed to offer a targeted response to companies that have suffered a direct impact on energy costs and/or turnover as a result of the crisis in the Gulf, supporting their financial solidity and ability to continue to invest abroad.

Further reading

War in Iran, 64% of Italians consider changing energy supplier

25 April 2026

A vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz, was boarded by unidentified persons and is now heading towards Iranian territorial waters, the UK's Centre for Maritime Trade Operations reported. The vessel was 'boarded by unauthorised personnel while at anchor' 38 nautical miles northeast of Fujairah and is 'now heading towards Iranian territorial waters', according to the report.

'The United Arab Emirates denies reports circulating about an alleged visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Emirates, or of having received any Israeli military delegation'. This was written by the Emirati Foreign Ministry in a note.

JERUSALEM - Rather than a conference to renew the historic Palestinian party Fatah, the one that will open today, 14 May, in Ramallah resembles a battle over the succession to the presidency of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), over the set-up of the "after Abu Mazen".

The stakes are high. This is also evident from the number of participants in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the West Bank: 2,500 delegates, mostly arriving from the cities of the West Bank but also connected from the refugee camps of Lebanon, Egypt and, if possible, the Gaza Strip. The delegates are called upon to elect the 18 members of the Fatah Central Committee, the movement's most powerful body, along with dozens of members of the Revolutionary Council, the party's quasi-legislative body.

Putting the conflict with Tehran on hold for a few days, American 007s believe that the regime still has 'strong missile capabilities', in contrast to President Trump's public narrative

A confidential US intelligence analysis details how China is exploiting the Iran war to maximise its advantage over America in military, economic, diplomatic, and other areas. This was reported by the Washington Post, according to two US officials who read the report.

The assessment was drafted this week for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and has raised alarm within the Pentagon about the geopolitical costs of the tug-of-war between Washington and Tehran, just as President Donald Trump is starting high-risk talks in Beijing with his counterpart Xi Jinping.

China has every interest in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an interview with Fox News aboard Air Force One bound for Beijing for President Donald Trump's state visit, noted that 'the Chinese have ships stranded in the Persian Gulf. A Chinese cargo ship was hit over the weekend. I'm sure Iran didn't do it deliberately, but they did, it happened. And that's why these Chinese ships got stuck in there'. It is 'a huge source of instability. It threatens to destabilise Asia more than any other part of the world, as the latter is highly dependent on the straits for its energy supply'. Therefore, Rubio concluded, 'it is in their interest to resolve this issue. We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to desist from what it is doing now - and trying to do - in the Persian Gulf'.

The Iran and Middle East war news of 13 May