US-Iran war news highlights: US forces conducted ‘self-defense strikes’, says CENTCOM after explosions in southern Iran
US-Iran war news highlights: Explosions were heard in Iran's Bandar Abbas city and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz. Tasnim said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, while Fars said similar sounds were heard close to Sirik and Jask near the strategic waterway.
US-Iran war news highlights: After reports of explosions in Iran, US CENTCOM said the American forces had conducted “self-defense strikes” in the country. The strikes targeted missile launch boats and Iranian boats seeking to lay mines, CENTCOM added. The CENTCOM further said that the American military would defend their forces “while urging restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”...Read More
Explosions were heard in Iran's Bandar Abbas city and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters news agency cited Iranian media as reporting. Tasnim said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, while Fars said similar sounds were heard close to Sirik and Jask near the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a deal with Iran would either be "great and meaningful" or there would be "no deal."
"The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal," he wrote on Truth Social.
Top Iranian top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi are reportedly in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential US-Iran deal to end the conflict, Reuters reported , quoting an official.
Iran's central bank governor is part of the delegation to Doha to discuss potential release of frozen assets as part of an eventual final Iran-US deal, Reuters reported, citing an official.
The peace proposal is awaiting Tehran’s response and the delay is due to an internal decision-making process, US' state secretary Marco Rubio has said.
He added that there was a “pretty solid thing on the table” for a time-limited negotiation on Iran’s nuclear issue. A deal may be announced today, the diplomat said.
US-Iran peace deal stuck
Inches from a historic peace deal between the United States and Iran, the world watched diplomacy collapse back into gridlock due to renewed uncertainty from Washington. US President Donald Trump said the outlines of an agreement with Iran remain unfinished and a deal has not been “fully negotiated yet.” Only hours before, officials hinted an accord was practically signed, sealed, and delivered. Now, the finish line has vanished.
Both sides say progress has been made towards ending the war, but key details are still being negotiated. Trump said a deal is close, though the US naval blockade on Iranian ports will remain during talks.
US media says that a final pen-to-paper moment could take days. This comes after persistent gaps between the two sides on core issues.
How the deal would work
The proposed framework would give negotiators 60 days to reach an overall agreement. The Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme remain major sticking points. Even if a deal is reached, easing the global energy crisis and lowering prices will take time.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Tehran's willingness to provide assurances that its nuclear activities remain strictly peaceful. “We are ready to assure the world that we are not seeking nuclear weapons and are not seeking unrest in the region,” he said.
Netanyahu wants Iran's ‘nuclear threat’ ended
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that any final agreement must “eliminate the nuclear threat entirely.” This, according to him, includes the dismantling of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities and the removal of enriched material from its territory.
Trump, for his part, has said there was “no rush” to conclude a deal. He said “time was on our side,” even as he confirmed instructing his diplomatic team to proceed deliberately.
Marco Rubio on the war
US secretary of state Marco Rubio, on a visit to India, said the US has made “significant progress” in outlining a path to resolve the war over the past 48 hours. He said discussions also covered tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and warned that attempts to impose “illegal tolls” or target ships in international waterways would be unacceptable.
Rubio held high-level meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar during his multi-day diplomatic visit.
Israel-Lebanon updates
Israel has bombed Lebanon again. The strikes have killed at least two people and injured ten in the southern town of Arab Salim, according to local reports.
Iran shoots down Israeli drone
Iran said it shot down an Israeli surveillance drone in Hormozgan province.
Gaza flotilla detainees say Israel raped, abused them
Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say activists freed after being detained by Israeli forces have alleged severe abuse, including rape and sexual violence, during detention.
According to the group, at least 15 cases of sexual assault have been documented, including reports of rape, alongside claims of beatings, humiliation, strip searches, groping, and forced nudity.
Some detainees said they were thrown into makeshift prison containers, beaten with batons, and denied basic rights such as water, rest, legal access, and medical care, with reports of fractures, taser injuries, and untreated conditions.
The organisers also said some activists were held in overcrowded conditions, moved between detention sites to prevent sleep, and subjected to further humiliation upon arrival on land, including being forced to kneel for hours.
Israel’s prison service has denied all allegations, calling them “false and entirely without factual basis.”
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- 26 May 2026, 06:58:11 AM IST
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- 26 May 2026, 06:18:11 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: US benchmark WTI sees 5% fall in oil prices despite strikes on Iran
US-Iran war news LIVE: The price of main US benchmark West Texas Intermediate went down 5.46 percent at $91.33 a barrel, despite fresh US strikes on missile sites in southern Iran.
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- 26 May 2026, 04:44:56 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: US forces conducted ‘self-defense strikes’ in Iran, says report after explosions heard near Bandar Abbas
US-Iran war news LIVE: After reports of explosions near Iran's Bandar Abbas city and coastal areas close to Strait of Hormuz, US CENTCOM said the American forces had conducted “self-defense strikes” there.
The strikes targeted missile launch boats and Iranian boats seeking to lay mines, CENTCOM added. The CENTCOM further said that the American military would defend their forces “while urging restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
- 26 May 2026, 03:27:20 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: 'Iran's enriched uranium will either be turned over to US or completely destroyed,' says Trump
US-Iran war news LIVE: US President Donald Trump has said that Iran's enriched uranium would either need to be turned over to the United States or completely destroyed.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” the US President said in a post on X.
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- 26 May 2026, 03:07:15 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Bandar Abbas situation under control, blasts heard east of city, reports Mehr
US-Iran war news LIVE: After reports of explosions in the coast areas in Iran near Strait of Hormuz, Mehr news agency reported that the situation in Bandar Abbas was under control, according to Reuters news agency.
The explosions were heard east of the city and there was no cause for concern, Mehr news agency reported. The cause of the explosions remains unknown.
- 26 May 2026, 02:32:23 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Explosions heard in Iran's Bandar Abbas, coastal areas near Hormuz
US-Iran war news LIVE: Explosions were heard in Iran's Bandar Abbas city and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters news agency cited Iranian media as reporting. However, the cause of the explosions remained unknown.
Tasnim said three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, while Fars said similar sounds were heard close to Sirik and Jask near the strategic waterway.
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- 26 May 2026, 02:02:32 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Qatari mediation leads to US-Iran understanding on Tehran's frozen assets, says report
US-Iran war news LIVE: Qatari mediation has led to an understanding with the US on Tehran’s frozen financial assets, Al Jazeera reported citing high-level Iranian delegation and officials in Doha.
The source further claimed that given the agreement on the issue, there is a strong likelihood of a deal between US and Iran being announced tomorrow, according to Al Jazeera.
- 26 May 2026, 01:53:00 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran President orders restoring of internet access, local media reports
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the restoration of international internet access in Iran, which had been suspended since the US and Israel began strikes against the country, AFP reported citing local media.
“The decree aimed at restoring internet access to its pre-January state was communicated to the Ministry of Communications by the president,” Iranian agencies Tasnim and Fars reported.
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- 26 May 2026, 01:48:53 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Israel steps up strikes on Lebanon as Netanyahu signals escalation in offensive
US-Iran war news LIVE: The Israeli army stepped up strikes in southern Lebanon Monday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to escalate its offensive in an effort to "crush" Hezbollah, AFP reported.
"I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations," Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on his Telegram channel.
- 26 May 2026, 01:47:33 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Rocket attack hits Iranian opposition camp north of Iraq's Erbilm wounds two
US-Iran war news LIVE: A rocket attack hit the Iranian opposition camp north of Iraq's Erbil, wounding two fighters, Reuters news agency reported citing security sources.
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- 26 May 2026, 12:20:18 AM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top envoys discussing potential peace deal with Qatar PM, says official
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the US to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday, Reuters news agency reported.
The official briefed on the Iranians' Doha visit told Reuters the discussions focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
- 25 May 2026, 10:59:07 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran would open Strait of Hormuz 30 days after deal with US to end fighting, Nikkei reports citing source
US-Iran war news LIVE: The US and Iran are discussing a plan to open the Strait of Hormuz about 30 days after the two countries reach a deal to end hostilities, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday citing a Middle East diplomatic source.
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- 25 May 2026, 09:47:23 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump links normalising ties with Israel to Iran peace deal
US-Iran war news LIVE: US President Donald Trump on Monday said Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations must normalize ties with Israel as part of efforts to reach a deal with Iran, adding fresh uncertainty into protracted peace negotiations.
Progress on a deal to end the conflict that broke out in late February has slowed as both sides talked down the prospect of an imminent agreement, with Tehran saying they were not close to signing and Trump warning he was in no hurry.
In another hurdle for any deal, the US leader said it should be mandatory for Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan to sign up to the Abraham Accords, a set of agreements brokered in 2020 with nations historically hostile to Israel.
"After all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords," he wrote in a lengthy social media post.
- 25 May 2026, 09:25:43 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Oil slips to two-week low as US and Iran seen moving closer to deal
US-Iran war news LIVE: Oil prices fell about 5% to two-week lows on Monday as optimism grew that the United States and Iran were moving closer to a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even though Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
Brent crude futures were down $4.97, or 4.8%, at $98.57 a barrel at 11:19 a.m. ET (1519 GMT) and U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down $4.85, or 5%, at $91.75. Both contracts traded at their lowest since May 7. Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the U.S. to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said Monday. Both sides said they have made progress on a memorandum of understanding that would halt the war and give negotiators 60 days to reach a final deal.
via Reuters
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- 25 May 2026, 07:52:41 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump calls on Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey and other nations to join Abraham Accords
US-Iran war news LIVE:US President Donald Trump has a new request for Arab nations. In another long Truth Social post, the US president has called on countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan and more to join the Abraham Accords as part of a larger deal with Iran. Taking to his social media platform, Trump noted he was “mandatorily requesting that all Countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords," referring to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, and Jordan.
The UAE and Bahrain, which were also mentioned in the US president's list, were among the first to sign the normalisation pact with Israel.
- 25 May 2026, 07:51:34 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Dollar drifts lower as oil falls on Hormuz deal optimism
US-Iran war news LIVE: The dollar dropped against major currencies on Monday as hopes of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices below $100 per barrel, even as the US and Iran played down the chances of reaching an agreement soon.
Many markets - including in the US, Hong Kong, Britain and much of the rest of Europe - were closed for public holidays, reducing liquidity.
Against the yen, the dollar was down 0.2% at 158.91 yen.
Japan will build up an extra $19 billion in reserves to subsidise fuel costs and help tackle cost-of-living pressures, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, while looking to assuage bond market concerns by promising no extra borrowing overall. The supplementary budget was first reported earlier this month.
The euro rose 0.33% to $1.1641 and the British pound gained 0.55% to $1.3499. The Australian dollar advanced 0.58% to $0.717, while its kiwi counterpart tacked on 0.5% to $0.5874.
The US dollar index fell about 0.3% to 98.969.
via Reuters
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- 25 May 2026, 07:34:28 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top envoys ‘discussing potential peace deal’ with Qatar prime minister
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the U.S. to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday, after Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in New Delhi earlier that the US would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before considering whether to deal with Iran in "another way".
There was a "pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait, get the strait (of Hormuz) open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off," Rubio said.
via Reuters
- 25 May 2026, 07:28:21 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Israeli oppn leader says Trump’s emerging deal with Iran is `bad for the region’
US-Iran war news LIVE: The deal being discussed between the U.S. and Iran fails to achieve any of Israel’s goals for the war, Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Monday, as he accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to influence a better agreement.
Lapid, who is part of an alliance attempting to unseat Netanyahu in elections this year, said details of the emerging deal are “disturbing.”
“The deal is bad for Israel, bad for the region, bad for the citizens of Iran,” Lapid told reporters in Jerusalem.
via AP
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- 25 May 2026, 07:26:34 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Gold climbs as Middle East peace hopes push oil and dollar lower
US-Iran war news LIVE: Gold rose more than 1% on Monday as hopes of a peace deal to end the Iran war sent the dollar and oil prices lower, easing fears of inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates.
Spot gold was up 1.2% at $4,561.51 an ounce by 1319 GMT and U.S. gold futures for June delivery gained 0.9% to $4,563.60. U.S. markets were closed for Memorial Day.
The market remained optimistic despite the U.S. and Iran playing down the chances of an imminent deal after U.S. President Donald Trump had said on Saturday that the two countries had largely negotiated a memorandum of understanding on an agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
via Reuters
- 25 May 2026, 07:23:36 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran minister dials India's foreign secy
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's deputy foreign minister Majid Takht Ravanchi on Monday dialed India's foreign secretary Vikram Misri and discussed recent developments in the region and a review of bilateral cooperation, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
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- 25 May 2026, 07:05:21 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says it shot down ‘hostile’ drone over gulf using new Air Defence System
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran said the military brought down a “hostile” drone over the Gulf with the help of a newly introduced air defence system
- 25 May 2026, 06:49:12 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran navy claims 32 vessels crossed Strait of Hormuz under IRGC clearance
US-Iran war news LIVE: The Iranian navy has announced that a fleet of 32 vessels successfully crossed the strategic Strait of Hormuz after "obtaining permission with the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy", according to a report published by the semi-state Tasnim news agency.
The media outlet further noted that the navy described the transiting fleet as a mix of oil tankers, container ships and various other commercial vessels.
This restricted movement comes against the backdrop of a strict shutdown, with Iranian authorities keeping the critical waterway closed to general maritime traffic. Amid the ongoing restrictions, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials have been meticulously vetting individual clearance requests in order to allow a handful of ships through the vital chokepoint.
As Tehran maintains this tight grip on the waterway, questions over the financial and regulatory conditions of these selectively approved transits have begun to surface.
Addressing these concerns, Iran on Monday said that it is "not seeking" to impose tolls on vessels passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The clarification follows widespread reports suggesting the Islamic Republic is allegedly collecting a fee from ships transiting through the strategic waterway. (ANI)
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- 25 May 2026, 06:40:34 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says ‘hostile’ drone shot down over gulf
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran on Monday said it shot down ‘hostile’ drone over gulf using new air defence system, Iranian media reported.
- 25 May 2026, 06:10:32 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump demands Saudi Arabia, Qatar sign Abraham Accords as part of Iran peace deal
US-Iran war news LIVE: US President Donald Trump has demanded Saudi Arabia, Qatar sign Abraham Accords as part of Iran peace deal.
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- 25 May 2026, 06:09:06 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Ghalibaf and team arrive in Qatar
US-Iran war news LIVE: iranian delegation led by chief negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, along with foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, has arrived in Qatar for talks over potential Iran-US deal, Iranian media reported.
- 25 May 2026, 06:06:46 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump says countries he spoke with would be honoured to have Iran join Abraham Accords
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump says countries he spoke with would be honoured to have Iran join Abraham Accords
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- 25 May 2026, 06:05:48 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump links Abraham Accords to Iran deal
US-Iran war news LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Monday negotiations with Iran were "proceeding nicely" and said he asked countries including the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt and Jordan to sign onto the Abraham Accords as part of US efforts to reach a deal with Iran.
Trump said those countries would be honored to have Iran as part of the accords, a set of agreements to normalize relations with Israel.
via Reuters
- 25 May 2026, 05:34:25 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's central bank governor part of delegation in Doha
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's central bank governor is part of the delegation, led by top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, to Doha to discuss potential release of frozen assets as part of an eventual final Iran-US deal, Reuters reported, citing an official.
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- 25 May 2026, 05:23:49 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran envoys in Doha for talks on possible US-Iran deal, official says
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iranian top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi are in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential US-Iran deal to end the conflict, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday.
The discussions are focused primarily on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the official told Reuters.
Iran's central bank governor is also part of the delegation to discuss the potential release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final agreement, according to the official.
via Reuters
- 25 May 2026, 05:21:25 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says 20 airports resume ops
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran has said that operations at 20 airports have resumed successfully, Press TV reported. Majid Akhavan, spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Organization (CAO), said 40 percent of airports across the country have reopened, the report added. Akhavan also said that Iran's third busiest international airport in Tabriz will begin operations within the next few days.
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- 25 May 2026, 05:14:44 PM IST
Middle East war news LIVE: Israeli strike kills 2, including 6-yr-old, in Gaza
Middle East war news LIVE: An Israeli airstrike on a tent in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday killed two people including a six-year-old girl and wounded 17 other people, including children, Palestinian health officials said.
Medics said the Israeli airstrike on a tent encampment of displaced families in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave, had killed six-year-old Mennatallah Abu Libda and a 31-year-old woman, Hanan Mahmoud.
The attack was carried out by two helicopters, witnesses said.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
via Reuters
- 25 May 2026, 05:06:52 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Russia's Putin, Bahraini King discuss need for swift end to Iran crisis
US-Iran war news LIVE: ussian President Vladimir Putin and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa discussed by phone the need to find a rapid diplomatic resolution to the Iran crisis, the Kremlin said on Monday.
via Reuters
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- 25 May 2026, 05:06:13 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Xi Thanks Pakistan’s Sharif for Mediating in Iran Conflict
US-Iran war news LIVE: Chinese leader Xi Jinping thanked visiting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Pakistan’s work in mediating talks between the US and Iran — underscoring Beijing’s push to end a war that poses a range of risks to the world’s second-biggest economy.
“We appreciate the constructive role played by Pakistan, and I am willing to extend my warm greetings to the Pakistani people through Prime Minister Sharif,” Xi said when the two sides met at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday.
Xi also singled out Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, who has played a central role in the peace talks and was also in Beijing. “I know that you have just returned from Iran and made positive efforts for the current peace,” the Chinese leader said.
Xi indicated that ending the war that has led to the biggest energy crisis in decades was a top priority when Vladimir Putin visited Beijing last week, saying that restarting the fighting was “unacceptable.” The war presents challenges for China’s economy, pushing up shipping costs, hurting demand abroad and briefly causing an outflow of cash.
via Bloomberg
- 25 May 2026, 04:44:20 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says Hormuz, nuclear programme not part of talks
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday said the focus of indirect talks with the United States is to end aggression on all fronts and that the nuclear issue or the management of the Strait of Hormuz are not part of the negotiations, Press TV reported.
“The focus of the negotiations is on ending the war, and at this stage we are not discussing nuclear issues,” Baghaei was quoted as saying.
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- 25 May 2026, 04:39:37 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Trump says either 'great and meaningful' deal or 'no deal' with Iran
US-Iran war news LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a deal with Iran would either be "great and meaningful" or there would be "no deal."
"The deal with Iran will either be a great and meaningful one, or there will be no deal," he wrote on Truth Social.
- 25 May 2026, 04:09:23 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Crude oil tumbles over 4 pc in futures trade on hopes of Hormuz breakthrough
US-Iran war news LIVE: Crude oil prices fell more than 4 per cent in futures trade on Monday, tracking a sharp selloff in global markets amid growing optimism over a possible breakthrough between the US and Iran that could pave the way for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
On the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), crude oil for June delivery plunged by ₹412, or 4.49 per cent, to ₹8,756 per barrel in a business turnover of 13,313 lots.
Analysts said easing geopolitical concerns and expectations of restoration in oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz dragged crude prices.
According to reports, Iran and the United States have reached a broad framework to end their over two-month-long conflict, though a potential memorandum of understanding does not yet specify arrangements related to the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
via PTI
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- 25 May 2026, 04:05:48 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Saudi scoring billions as war rages in the region
US-Iran war news LIVE: At a time when the Iran war is upending energy flows and roiling economies across the world, Saudi Arabia is scoring billions in added oil revenue and building on ambitions to become a trading hub.
Even as the war has slowed economic growth and driven a jump in defense and logistics spending, surging oil prices combined with contingency planning have bolstered revenue. Simultaneously, the kingdom’s Red Sea coast has emerged as a vital corridor to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has been all but closed to commerce since the war began.
“Saudi Arabia has shown it is the indispensable Red Sea backstop,” said Hesham Alghannam, a Riyadh-based scholar at the Malcolm H Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
That’s turning the Gulf nation into a key transit route for supply chains across the peninsula, a potential boost for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s $1.3 trillion economy. Despite those gains, the kingdom faces rising competition. Alternative trading routes are also developing on the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates as well as in Oman. And both the UAE and Qatar have been ramping up their own energy flows.
via Bloomberg
- 25 May 2026, 03:20:21 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Ghalibaf re-elected as Iran parliament speaker
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been re-elected as the speaker of the Iran Parliament. Ghalibaf has been at the forefront of negotiations with the US being mediated by Pakistan.
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- 25 May 2026, 03:01:03 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says ceasefire talks underway, nuclear deal not imminent
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran’s foreign ministry said negotiations to end the war were ongoing but cautioned that no imminent agreement with the United States should be expected. Tehran added that nuclear discussions were not currently the focus of talks.
- 25 May 2026, 02:41:42 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Oil prices tumble 5% as markets bet on Iran peace breakthrough
US-Iran war news LIVE: Global oil prices fell nearly 5% to two-week lows after optimism grew around a possible US-Iran understanding that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease fears of prolonged supply disruptions.
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- 25 May 2026, 02:30:34 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Xi Jinping meets Pakistan PM as Iran war diplomacy intensifies
US-Iran war news LIVE: Chinese President Xi Jinping met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing amid global diplomatic efforts to formally end the Iran war. Sharif also held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang as regional powers pushed for stability in West Asia.
- 25 May 2026, 02:14:33 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: What Pak PM said on peace talks
US-Iran war news LIVE: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking in Beijing alongside army chief Asim Munir, said peace efforts are progressing in the right direction amid renewed diplomatic activity linked to the Iran conflict.
“The world is passing through a critical moment,” he said.
“Things are moving in the right direction. I would like to thank China’s support to promote peace,” he added.
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- 25 May 2026, 01:47:14 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: ‘Zionist party may undermine peace talks,’ Iran on Israeli interference
US-Iran war news LIVE: Israel may “undermine” ongoing US-Iran talks, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has said. He commented on negotiations and a recent Trump-Netanyahu phone call.
“The Zionist entity are doing their best to undermine the agreement and we do expect some actions by Israel,” he said.
“Nothing is ruled out; however, those countries calling for war and hostilities, the Zionist entity included, are widely felt in the media, and they may have a bearing on US officials,” he added.
- 25 May 2026, 01:43:27 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Ships passing through Hormuz may now be charged for ‘navigational services’
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says ships may be charged for “navigational services” in Strait of Hormuz amid tightening control. (AFP)
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- 25 May 2026, 01:41:59 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran FM to miss UNSC due to visa issues
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran's FM Abbas Araghchi will not travel to New York for a UN Security Council meeting due to “overall circumstances” and a US visa-related issue, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said.
- 25 May 2026, 01:28:57 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: ‘Israel can offer Trump absolutely nothing of use’, says political commentator
US-Iran war news LIVE: Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg said he believes Trump will prioritise US interests over Israel amid reports of Netanyahu's efforts to undermine a Washington–Tehran deal.
He wrote on X that “Israel can offer him absolutely nothing of use” and added, “Israel is as weak as it has ever been, and it has not yet even begun to pay the costs of its genocide” in Gaza.
In another post, he said, “Israel and the US were never fully synched on Iran.” He added, “Trump harped on the nuclear program. Israel wanted nominal regime change but mostly death and destruction.”
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- 25 May 2026, 01:12:12 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran says there's ‘no guarantee’ US will honour deal
US-Iran war news LIVE: Esmaeil Baghaei said there were “no guarantees” the US will honour its commitments in any potential deal. He added that Tehran was not concerned about “threats”.
He said, “The changes in recent weeks have been caused by mediation from Pakistan and other countries,” and said that discussions also included a clause to end the ongoing Israeli war on Lebanon.
- 25 May 2026, 01:10:36 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Over 1.25 lakh skin infection cases in Gaza, says UN agency
US-Iran war news LIVE: Thousands of people in Gaza are suffering from skin infections. UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) said its teams are treating cases linked to rodents and insects, with more than 125,000 infections reported across the enclave.
The agency said its sanitation teams are spraying “safe pesticides in areas where huge numbers of displaced people still live in overcrowded makeshift settlements.”
It warned that shortages are worsening conditions, saying, “Acute shortages of fuel, pesticides, tents and medications are limiting the response to the crisis. Unrestricted flows of sanitation and medical supplies are urgently needed in Gaza.”
UNRWA added that displaced families living in tents continue to struggle with access to clean water and rising exposure to disease-carrying animals amid limited reconstruction efforts.
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- 25 May 2026, 01:01:40 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: Agreement not close, talks focused on ending war not nukes, says Iran
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said “we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the discussion topics this is correct but this does not mean that the signing of an agreement is imminent,” while stressing that a US-Iran deal is not close.
He said the talks are currently focused on ending the war and not on detailed nuclear issues, adding that Iran is working on safeguarding its national interests.
“The focus of the negotiations is on ending the war, and at this stage we are not discussing the details of the nuclear issue. Threats, pressures, depictions, and publishing caricatures are well part of politics in that part of the world. We pursue our work in the field of action. We see the facts, regardless of the perceptions and depictions of the opposing side.”
He also said Iran will respond when necessary: “We are focused on designing and advancing the best methods to safeguard Iran’s national interests. Wherever necessary, we respond. We have our own style, and we are not going to copy the enemy’s style and approach.
As a civilised, stylish, and powerful nation, wherever we deem necessary, in whatever way is appropriate, we will respond to the enemy, as we have already done so.”
- 25 May 2026, 12:59:40 PM IST
US-Iran war news LIVE: No nuclear talks with US at the moment, says Iran
US-Iran war news LIVE: Iran is not discussing the nuclear issue in current negotiations and is focused on ending the war, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has said.
He said Tehran is working to find “the best solution for the country” and will respond to the “enemy” at a time of its choosing, as it has done before.
“At this stage, we are not talking about the nuclear issue and our focus is on ending the war.”
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