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US Iran war highlights: Trump notes ‘positive development’ in Iran talks, says ‘good chance’ of nuclear deal
US Iran news highlights: The updates to this live blog have ended. Donald Trump's move to delay strikes on triggered oil prices to swing. Get LIVE updates here
- 6:12 AM IST, May 19The updates to this live blog have ended.
- 5:36 AM IST, May 19Trump likely to meet top national security team today, says report
- 4:58 AM IST, May 18Oil prices fall after Trump calls off Iran strike
- 3:57 AM IST, May 18Trump says 'good chance' of Iran nuclear deal after delaying attack
- 3:55 AM IST, May 18Trump says 'very positive development' in peace talks
- 3:29 AM IST, May 18Have vessels been moving through Hormuz? What has traffic been like?
- 2:56 AM IST, May 18Oil rises as investors track Iran war developments after Trump holds off attack
- 2:01 AM IST, May 18Tehran working with Oman on new mechanism to manage Hormuz
- 1:16 AM IST, May 18No nuclear weapons for Iran, reiterates Trump
- 12:56 AM IST, May 18Trump says holding off attacks on Iran as serious talks now taking place
- 12:16 AM IST, May 18Tehran's new offer is insufficient, says senior US official in report
- 10:43 PM IST, May 18What is happening in US-Iran war?
- 9:45 PM IST, May 18Trump attacks US media over Iran war coverage, says media has ‘gone absolutely crazy'
- 9:24 PM IST, May 18Hormuz traffic dwindles as only Iran-linked vessels continue transits
- 8:06 PM IST, May 18Iraq says it is investigating drones attack against Saudi Arabia
- 7:49 PM IST, May 18Gold rises as weaker dollar offsets pressure from higher bond yields
- 7:18 PM IST, May 18US agrees to phased release of 25% of Iranian funds as Tehran pushes for full unfreeze
- 7:16 PM IST, May 18Iran to discuss nuclear issue at later stage, says senior Iranian source
- 6:50 PM IST, May 18Pakistan hands US revised Iranian proposal to end Middle East war
- 6:21 PM IST, May 18Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vows to do ‘impossible’ to stop war with Israel
- 5:28 PM IST, May 18Iran Guards say they struck groups linked to US, Israel in western Kurdistan province
- 4:45 PM IST, May 18Pakistan deploys troops, fighter jets to Saudi Arabia amid Iran conflict
- 4:36 PM IST, May 18Pakistan conveys revised Iranian proposal to US as Middle East peace talks remain stalled
- 4:34 PM IST, May 18Oil prices climb as Middle East tensions deepen after UAE nuclear plant attack
- 3:33 PM IST, May 18Trump says Xi agrees Iran must not get nuclear weapons, backs reopening of Hormuz Strait
- 3:22 PM IST, May 18Iran announces new body to oversee Strait of Hormuz
- 2:57 PM IST, May 18Israel arrests 100 activists after intercepting Gaza-bound flotilla
- 2:56 PM IST, May 18Iran squad travels to Turkiye to apply for US visas ahead of 2026 World Cup
- 2:55 PM IST, May 186 killed, 40 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza in 24 hours
- 2:10 PM IST, May 18US and Iran peace talks continue, with Pakistan mediation
- 1:50 PM IST, May 18Oil prices jump after Trump's ‘ticking clock’ warning for Iran
- 1:31 PM IST, May 18Pakistan was mediator in Iran-US talks on Sunday night
- 1:29 PM IST, May 18Iran says Pakistan mediating ongoing talks with US
- 1:28 PM IST, May 18Iran, Oman discuss framework for safe Hormuz transit
- 1:22 PM IST, May 18Iran demands release of frozen funds, lifting of sanctions in US talks
- 1:18 PM IST, May 18Iran says it has ‘no enmity’ with UAE or regional countries
- 1:17 PM IST, May 18Israel accused of targeting Palestinians with death penalty law
- 12:49 PM IST, May 18Israel hits Lebanon again amid ceasefire
- 12:04 PM IST, May 18Oman condemns UAE nuclear plant drone attack
- 11:53 AM IST, May 18Kuwait, Qatar condemn drone attacks on Saudi Arabia
- 11:39 AM IST, May 18Trump shares war threat posts featuring Iran maps, strike imagery
- 11:34 AM IST, May 18Protests in Lebanon after Israeli strike kills Palestinian leader and daughter
- 11:18 AM IST, May 18Iran ramps up public gun training amid rising US tensions
- 11:06 AM IST, May 18‘End this war, it’s stupid', says ex-MAGA lawmaker
- 10:53 AM IST, May 18Dozen US ammunition flights land in Israel amid fears of bombing Iran
- 10:37 AM IST, May 18US' Lindsey Graham calls for strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure
- 10:21 AM IST, May 18Israel operated second covert military site in Iraq, claims report
- 9:44 AM IST, May 18‘Hands off the Gaza flotilla’, says UN expert to Israel
- 9:38 AM IST, May 18Israel military on alert, may join US strikes on Iran: Reports
- 9:20 AM IST, May 18Israel prepares to intercept Gaza-bound aid flotilla: Reports
- 8:59 AM IST, May 18End blockade before 'Sea of Oman becomes your graveyard’: Iran warns US
- 8:52 AM IST, May 18Strait of Hormuz now under extended IRGC control: Report
- 8:35 AM IST, May 18Oil rises to $111 a barrel after drone attack on UAE nuclear plant
- 8:32 AM IST, May 18Trump seeks ‘victory narrative’ in Iran talks, says analyst
- 8:22 AM IST, May 18What the US wants from Iran
- 8:12 AM IST, May 18Israeli strike in Gaza soup kitchen kills 3 Palestinians
- 7:58 AM IST, May 18When Netanyahu said Iran would collapse at the ‘first attack’
- 7:56 AM IST, May 18About the Barakah nuclear plant, struck by drones
- 7:44 AM IST, May 18Yemen’s Houthis restate support for Palestine amid Israeli onslaught
- 7:42 AM IST, May 18French left leader slams ‘European complicity’ in US-Israeli war on Iran
- 7:28 AM IST, May 18Iran official shares ‘The Apprentice’ clip in apparent jab at Trump
- 7:13 AM IST, May 18Trump ‘seriously considering’ more military action against Iran: Expert
- 6:43 AM IST, May 18Activists sailing to Gaza report military ship near aid flotilla
US Iran news highlights: The updates to this live blog have ended. US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he is holding off the scheduled attacks on Iran at the request of the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. However, he said that he has instructed the US military to remain prepared for a full-scale attack on Iran if a deal is not reached....Read More
Earlier, a US official reportedly said that Iran's new revised proposal to the United States was insufficient for a deal and could risk a resumption of the war. Tehran had sent a new peace offer to Washington via Pakistani mediators.
The United States has reportedly shown flexibility in ongoing discussions with Iran, including on potential limits to Tehran’s nuclear activities as negotiations continue. Iran’s revised proposal calls for permanent end to war, sanctions relief and reopening of Strait of Hormuz.
Iran-US talks and mediation
Indirect talks between the US and Iran continue through Pakistani mediation, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has said. Both sides are exchanging comments and amendments on recent proposals. He said that Iran’s right to enrich uranium under international agreements is “nonnegotiable” and warned countries including the UAE against closer ties with Israel.
Top Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei has warned the US to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. He said the “Sea of Oman could become your graveyard” if tensions rise further. Israeli military is preparing for possible renewed conflict with Iran, reports say. Energy infrastructure could be targeted. Pakistan mediated US-Iran peace talks on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump has renewed threats against Iran as a ceasefire between the two nations hangs in the balance. The US President warned that the “clock was ticking” for Iran to agree to a peace deal with Washington, threatening that “there won’t be anything left of them” if Iranian leaders fail to move quickly towards negotiations.
The latest US response to the Islamic Republic’s proposed negotiating framework offered no meaningful concessions, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported earlier.
Drone attacks in UAE
Regional tensions escalated further after a drone strike in the UAE’s Al Dhafra region sparked a fire in an electrical generator at the Barakah nuclear power plant. This is the Arab world’s only operational nuclear facility. Authorities said there was no radiological leak and reactors continued operating normally.
Israel-Lebanon updates
The security situation is also deteriorating on Israel’s northern front. Israel said it hit 100 targets in southern Lebanon over the past two days, despite negotiators agreeing to a 45-day extension of the supposed ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. The truce is rapidly losing ground as both.
A tense Strait of Hormuz
Iran announced it will soon put forward a new plan to regulate maritime traffic and impose shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption there could send palpitations through international energy markets already rattled by the war.
Israeli war on Gaza
The humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to climb. Six people were killed and 40 wounded by continued Israeli strikes over the last 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry said. Rescue workers also recovered four bodies from beneath the rubble.
