President Donald Trump has warned that a US-Iran ceasefire is now “on life support” as negotiations between the countries appear to have hit a deadlock.
The US leader said on Monday the agreement is now “unbelievably weak”, adding that it’s “the weakest right now after reading a piece of garbage they sent us.”
He added that he “didn’t even finish reading” Tehran’s proposal. “Am I going to waste my time reading it? I would say it's one of the weakest right now. It's on life support ... I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support.”
Iran hit back earlier after previous comments by Trump calling their suggestions “totally unacceptable”.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran’s proposals had been “generous” and “legitimate” in a news conference on Monday.
Iran is “demanding an end to the war, lifting the (US) blockade and piracy, and releasing Iranian assets that have been unjustly frozen in banks due to US pressure," Mr Baghaei said.
Iran also issued a threat to the UK and France, warning that any warships in the Strait of Hormuz “will be met with decisive response”.
Read MoreIran warns British warships deployed to the Strait of Hormuz will be met with ‘decisive response’
South Korean ship in Strait of Hormuz damaged by unidentified objects, ministry says
Iran responds to ceasefire proposal as drones target Gulf nations
Key Points
- Our peace offer is generous and legitimate, says Tehran
- Trump says Iran's response to peace proposal 'totally unacceptable'
- Britain set to lose 163,000 jobs in 2026 as Iran war sparks economic crisis
- Iran's proposal included lifting of sanctions on Tehran - report
- Two medics among 51 killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon
- Briefing: What we know on the 73rd day of the US-Israel war on Iran
Sam Kiley analysis | A humiliated Trump will be played by China
18:30 , Alex CroftDonald Trump had expected a “big fat hug” from China when he visits Xi Jinping this week in thanks for reopening the Straits of Hormuz.
He won’t get one though because he’s failed to end the throttling of Beijing’s oil supplies. Good news for China because Trump is indifferent to his own failure.
Bad news for Taiwan. Bad news for the West. Bad news for US allies around the world. Bad news for democracies in general.
The US president will arrive for his summit with China exasperated that he has achieved none of his many and varied war aims in Iran. He will arrive having been humiliated by a weaker but dogged regime that survives in Tehran.
The results are likely to be a sudden shift in the tectonic plates of geopolitics to China’s advantage and Beijing has done almost nothing to deliver it.
The key to understand this lies in Trump’s psychology. Vain and peevish he has blundered, alongside Israel, into a war with Iran that had obvious dangerous consequences, and now has to find a way to get out of it without looking weak.
He has threatened to reinforce failure with a genocidal threat to wipe out a whole civilization.
But when he is in the room with Xi, it is membership of the club that Trump wants, needs, most. He needs to feel that he is an equal, or a first among equals, among the world’s most powerful and unhindered authoritarian leaders and he’ll do almost anything to win their approval.
Trump calls his Iran plan ‘military genius’ in defensive lash back as ceasefire now ‘on life support’
18:20 , Andrew FeinbergPresident Donald Trump on Monday hailed the ongoing U.S. standoff with Iran as an example of his “military genius” planning and claimed the U.S. has no shortages of key ammunition as he described the shaky ceasefire with Tehran as “on life support.”
Keep reading:
Trump calls his Iran plan ‘military genius’ in rant as ceasefire ‘on life support’
China condemns US sanctions on companies with alleged Iran links
18:00 , Alex CroftChina has voiced strong opposition to the US sanctions for three China-based companies that Washington claimed enabled Iran's military operations.
The sanctions, Beijing says, are illegal and unilateral.
"We have always required Chinese enterprises to conduct business in accordance with laws and regulations, and will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing.
"The pressing priority is to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting, rather than using the war to maliciously associate and smear other countries."
US to host third round of Israel-Lebanon talks on Thursday
17:55 , Alex CroftThe US will hold the third round of talks between Israel and Lebanon on May 14 and 15, the State Department said.
Lebanon's delegation will be headed by former ambassador to Washington Simon Karam. Aoun, who nominated Karam for the role, gave him his directives during a meeting on Saturday, the presidency said.
Beirut's decision to hold face-to-face contacts with Israel reflects a deep divide in Lebanon over Hezbollah's arsenal and the group's decision to attack Israel.
Critics accuse the group of unilaterally dragging Lebanon into war.
Hezbollah has demanded the government cancel the talks. Israel last week carried out its first strike on Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs since the ceasefire was declared.
Israel says the strike killed the commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force. Hezbollah has not confirmed his death.
With Reuters
Oil tanker with Iraqi crude crosses Strait of Hormuz
17:45 , Alex CroftAn oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil has crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, Tehran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency has said.
The Agios Fanourios I passed through Iran’s designated route in the Strait and is now bound for Vietnam, it reported.
It had previously been reported that it had crossed by switching off trackers to avoid Iranian attack.
Trump insists US will have 'complete victory' and says plan is 'very simple'
17:25 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has insisted that the US will have a “complete victory” over Iran and that his military operation is “very simple” and an example of “military genius.
“The plan is very simple,” he said in comments at the Oval office on Monday.
“The blockade, first of all, was a part of military genius. Just like Venezuela was military genius. We have the greatest military in the world by far, and we're stocked up with great ammunition.
“We have much better stuff than we did two months ago when we first did the attack, which knocked him for a loop. But very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
He added that he would not get “tired or bored”.
“They didn't want to believe it. They think that well, I'll get tired of this I'll get tired of this, or I'll get bored, or I'll have some pressure. But there's no pressure. There's no pressure at all. We're going to have a complete victory.”
Trump calls Tehran’s proposals ‘a piece of garbage’ that he ‘didn’t even finish reading’
17:03 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has warned that a US-Iran ceasefire is now “on life support” as negotiations between the countries appear to have hit a deadlock.
The US leader said on Monday the agreement is now “unbelievably weak”, adding that it’s “the weakest right now after reading a piece of garbage they sent us.”
He added that he “didn’t even finish reading” Tehran’s proposal. “Am I going to waste my time reading it? I would say it's one of the weakest right now. It's on life support ... I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support.”
Lebanon urges US to put pressure on Israel to hold ceasefire
16:28 , Alex CroftLebanon's president has urged the US to put pressure on Israel to cease fire and stop home demolitions in south Lebanon, the presidency said on Monday.
Lebanon’s health ministry said 2,869 people had been killed since 2 March, including 584 medics, women and minors. Its toll does not say how many combatants are among the dead.
At least 74 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the last three days despite a truce announced last month in fighting between Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Israeli military, a spokesperson said.
Tehran said it had demanded security for Lebanon as part of a proposal for ending the wider war with the US and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal.
The Hezbollah-Israel conflict reignited on March 2 when the group opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran.
The three issues preventing the US and Iran from agreeing a peace deal
15:57 , Alex CroftThe war in Iran looked at risk of escalation again as Donald Trump dismissed Tehran’s latest peace proposal, undermining hopes the 10-week-old conflict would end soon.
“I don’t like it -- TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE,” the US president wrote on social media to end a week of cautious diplomacy around a new push to end the war.
The latest Iranian response, sent to mediator Pakistan on Sunday, focused on ending the double blockade around the Strait of Hormuz, lifting American sanctions and drafting guarantees to end the war permanently.
Iran’s foreign ministry maintained on Monday that its demands were “generous” and “legitimate”, showing no signs of backing down despite Trump’s furious reaction, as fears of the war reopening pushed oil prices surging towards $100 per barrel.
James Reynolds reports:
The three issues preventing the US and Iran from agreeing a peace deal
UK sanctions 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran
15:26 , Alex CroftThe UK has sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran on Monday.
They stand accused them of involvement in hostile activity including plotting attacks and providing financial services to groups seeking to destabilise the UK and other countries.
The measures, set out in a government sanctions notice, include asset freezes, travel bans and director disqualification orders.
In pictures: Israel launches fresh attacks on Lebanon
14:55 , Alex Croft
South Korea condemns attack on Strait of Hormuz cargo ship
14:32 , Alex CroftSouth Korea's presidential Blue House has condemned the attack in the Strait of Hormuz against a cargo ship operated by one of its shippers.
In a statement, it said it would respond once it had identified the source of the attack.
South Korean experts have conducted an initial forensics of the damage to the port stern, a senior Blue House official told reporters.
The attack had led to a fire in the vessel's engine room.
Watch: Iran accuses Trump of making ‘unreasonable’ demands after rejecting peace proposal
13:55 , Alex CroftIranian oil sector taking countermeasures against US blockade, says minister
13:33 , Alex CroftIran's oil sector has faced some issues since the start of a US maritime blockade on Iranian ports but the oil ministry has taken countermeasures, Iran's oil minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Monday to state TV.
He did not specify which exact measures Iran took.
"During the 40 days of war, our production didn't decrease and the export process was favourable," Mr Paknejad said.
"Naturally, in the days following the (U.S.) blockade, we have faced challenges but measures were taken and this process continues" adding "the enemy is full of delusions."
Trump under pressure to end war ahead of China visit
13:12 , Alex CroftWith Donald Trump due to visit China this week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses a growing threat to the world economy.
Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply and has emerged as one of the central pressure points in the war.
Addressing whether combat operations against Iran were over, Trump said in remarks aired on Sunday: "They are defeated, but that doesn't mean they're done."
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was not over because there was "more work to be done" to remove enriched uranium from Iran, dismantle enrichment sites and address Iran's proxies and ballistic missile capabilities.
The best way to remove the enriched uranium would be through diplomacy, Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," without ruling out removing it by force.
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post that Iran would "never bow down to the enemy" and would "defend national interests with strength".
Despite diplomatic efforts to break a deadlock, the threat to shipping lanes and the economies of the region remained high.
Iran claims supreme leader recovered from ‘scratch behind the ear’ after reports of serious injury
12:52 , Alex CroftIran has claimed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is suffering from a “small scratch” behind his ear following reports that he sustained life-altering injuries in US-Israeli attacks.
The ayatollah is in “full health” after he suffered injuries to his kneecap and back, the regime said, with their leader having not been publicly seen since the attacks began on 28 February and killed his father Ali Khamenei.
According to reports, Khamenei required plastic surgery on his face and was awaiting a new prosthetic leg.
Four senior Iranian officials who are familiar with the ayatollah’s health told The New York Times earlier this month that the 56-year-old is gravely wounded, but that he is nonetheless mentally in good health.
Read more here:
Iran says supreme leader recovered from ‘scratch behind the ear’ after injury reports
Iran planned for US blockade's effect on oil sector, minister says
12:44 , James ReynoldsIran's oil sector has faced some issues since the start of a U.S. maritime blockade on Iranian ports, but the oil ministry has taken countermeasures, Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Monday to state TV, without specifying the measures.
"During the 40 days of war, our production didn't decrease and the export process was favourable," Paknejad said. "Naturally, in the days following the (U.S.) blockade, we have faced challenges but measures were taken and this process continues" adding "the enemy is full of delusions."
Photos of life inside Iran after US ceasefire proposal falters
12:31 , Alex CroftIran responded Sunday to the latest US ceasefire proposal, but president Donald Trump rejected it as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” — the latest setback in efforts to end a Persian Gulf standoff that has disrupted shipping and sent energy prices higher.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei contended that Tehran’s proposals had been “generous” and “legitimate” in a news conference on Monday.
Iron Dome nearly 99 per cent effective, maker Rafael's chairman says
12:11 , Alex CroftIsrael's Iron Dome has been nearly 99 per cent effective against missiles from Hamas and Hezbollah militants, the chairman of its maker, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, said on Monday.
Rafael's Yuval Steinitz said that since the 7 October 2023, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon combined have fired some 40,000 rockets at Israel.
"Iron Dome intercepted most of them with success rates that (are) not 100 per cent but close to 100 per cent. It's around 98 per cent, even 99 per cent, so it's not perfect, but almost," Steinitz said.
Iran, he said, has fired about 1,500 ballistic missiles at Israel in two rounds of fighting since 2024 and "only several dozens" were not intercepted.
He noted that there was no shortage of missile interceptors.
Pakistan asks Singapore to help repatriate seafarers from US-seized ships
11:50 , Alex CroftPakistan has asked Singapore to help facilitate the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers aboard vessels seized by US authorities near Singaporean waters.
Deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar said he raised the matter with Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan and remained in close coordination with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
Dar said Pakistan was prepared to assist in the safe repatriation of Iranian nationals via Pakistan, while Pakistani authorities continued coordinating with US officials and others to secure the safety and earliest possible return of Pakistani citizens.
No plans to raise duty on gold imports in India despite Iran war impacts - Modi
11:32 , Alex CroftIndia has no plans to raise duties on gold and silver imports, a government source said on Monday, one day after prime minister Narendra Modi urged people to avoid buying gold for a year due to the impact of the Iran war.
Modi advised a spate of measures including fuel conservation, work-from-home practices and limits on travel and imports, as a surge in global energy prices puts pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves.
"In the current situation, we must place great emphasis on saving foreign exchange," he said.
India is the world's second-largest consumer of gold and the largest consumer of silver.
Turkish foreign minister to visit Qatar for talks on Iran war
11:16 , Alex CroftTurkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan will visit Qatar on Tuesday for talks on the Iran war, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Monday.
Mr Fidan will discuss the war’s impact on the Gulf and efforts to ensure navigational safety in the Strait of Hormuz.
Nato member Turkey, which neighbours Iran, has been in close contact with the US, Iran and mediator Pakistan since the start of the conflict. It has called for an end to the conflict, while condemning attacks on Iran and criticising Tehran's strikes on Gulf states as unacceptable.
Mr Fidan will voice Ankara's expectation for navigational safety to be ensured on the Strait of Hormuz and point to the critical need of doing so for regional security and economic stability, the source told Reuters news agency.
He is expected to "state that permanently resolving the conflict in the Gulf is the most urgent priority and exchange views on diplomatic initiatives to achieve this," the source added.
Sam Kiley analysis | A humiliated Trump will be played by China
10:55 , Alex CroftDonald Trump had expected a “big fat hug” from China when he visits Xi Jinping this week in thanks for reopening the Straits of Hormuz.
He won’t get one though because he’s failed to end the throttling of Beijing’s oil supplies. Good news for China because Trump is indifferent to his own failure.
Bad news for Taiwan. Bad news for the West. Bad news for US allies around the world. Bad news for democracies in general.
The US president will arrive for his summit with China exasperated that he has achieved none of his many and varied war aims in Iran. He will arrive having been humiliated by a weaker but dogged regime that survives in Tehran.
The results are likely to be a sudden shift in the tectonic plates of geopolitics to China’s advantage and Beijing has done almost nothing to deliver it.
The key to understand this lies in Trump’s psychology. Vain and peevish he has blundered, alongside Israel, into a war with Iran that had obvious dangerous consequences, and now has to find a way to get out of it without looking weak.
He has threatened to reinforce failure with a genocidal threat to wipe out a whole civilization.
But when he is in the room with Xi, it is membership of the club that Trump wants, needs, most. He needs to feel that he is an equal, or a first among equals, among the world’s most powerful and unhindered authoritarian leaders and he’ll do almost anything to win their approval.
Watch: Crowd erupts in cheers as Kamala Harris criticizes 'unauthorized' Iran war
10:52 , Alex CroftChina condemns US sanctions on companies with alleged Iran links
10:05 , Alex CroftChina has voiced strong opposition to the US sanctions for three China-based companies that Washington claimed enabled Iran's military operations.
The sanctions, Beijing says, are illegal and unilateral.
"We have always required Chinese enterprises to conduct business in accordance with laws and regulations, and will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises," spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing.
"The pressing priority is to prevent by all means a relapse in fighting, rather than using the war to maliciously associate and smear other countries."
Oil tanker with Iraqi crude crosses Strait of Hormuz
09:45 , Alex CroftAn oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude oil has crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, Tehran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency has said.
The Agios Fanourios I passed through Iran’s designated route in the Strait and is now bound for Vietnam, it reported.
It had previously been reported that it had crossed by switching off trackers to avoid Iranian attacks.
In pictures: Israel launches fresh attacks on Lebanon
09:28 , Alex Croft
South Korea condemns attack on Strait of Hormuz cargo ship
09:10 , Alex CroftSouth Korea's presidential Blue House has condemned the attack in the Strait of Hormuz against a cargo ship operated by one of its shippers.
In a statement, it said it would respond once it had identified the source of the attack.
South Korean experts have conducted an initial forensics of the damage to the port stern, a senior Blue House official told reporters.
The attack had led to a fire in the vessel's engine room.
Our peace offer is generous and legitimate, says Tehran
08:57 , Alex CroftWe’ve heard from Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, who has spoken out on Iran’s proposal to end the war with the US.
"Our demand is legitimate: demanding an end to the war, lifting the (US) blockade and piracy, and releasing Iranian assets that have been unjustly frozen in banks due to U.S. pressure," Mr Baghaei says in a news conference.
Washington, he says, is continuing to uphold unreasonable and one-sided demands.
"Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and establishing security in the region and Lebanon were other demands of Iran, which are considered a generous and responsible offer for regional security,” he adds.
Report: Britain set to lose 163,000 jobs in 2026 as Iran war sparks economic crisis
08:19 , Alex CroftBritain faces a projected loss of 163,000 jobs this year, with lower-income regions set to bear the brunt of the economic fallout from the Iran war, a new report warns.
The Item Club’s latest regional outlook highlights South Wales and the Humber, two of the UK’s most economically vulnerable areas, as those most likely to endure severe job market difficulties over the coming year.
These regions, heavily reliant on manufacturing and construction, are particularly susceptible to the sharp energy price increases and supply chain disruptions stemming from the Middle East conflict. The report forecasts job reductions of 5,700 in South Wales and 2,800 in the Humber by 2026.
Tim Lyne, economic adviser to the Item Club, explained: "Some of the lowest income regions will feel the biggest effects of the manufacturing and construction sectors reducing headcount in the face of rising energy prices and supply chain disruption. While consumers in these areas typically have less rainy-day savings, which will reduce spending in the retail and hospitality sectors."
Overall, the report predicts a 0.4% decline in UK employment this year, equating to 163,000 net job losses. This downturn is attributed to a pullback in consumer spending, escalating costs for fuel, energy, materials, and ingredients, alongside significant shipping disruptions.
Iran executes man convicted of spying for CIA and Mossad
08:02 , Shweta SharmaIran executed a man convicted of spying for the US and Israeli intelligence services, the judiciary's Mizan news outlet reported on Monday.
Mizan identified the man as Erfan Shakourzadeh, saying he had worked at a scientific organisation involved in satellite activities and had shared classified scientific information with foreign intelligence services.
According to rights group Iran Human Rights Society, Shakourzadeh, a 29-year-old graduate of aerospace engineering, was arrested in 2025 and was forced into his confession.
Watch: US fighter jet captured refuelling midair while ‘patrolling skies over Middle East'
07:49 , Alex CroftSouth Korea shares update on vessel struck in Strait of Hormuz
07:33 , Shweta SharmaThe stern of a bulk carrier operated by South Korean shipper HMM, was struck by two unidentified objects on 4 May while stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the foreign ministry said on Sunday.
A week ago, Seoul reported a blast and fire aboard the same vessel, the HMM Namu, in the strait, while anchored near the United Arab Emirates. No one was harmed in the incident.
US president Donald Trump said at the time the incident was caused by an Iranian attack.
Seoul was investigating the incident, and the vessel was towed to a port in Dubai after the blaze on Monday, while an on-site inspection was conducted on Friday.
It was not certain what the objects were, though they were captured on surveillance camera, the ministry said. Authorities said debris would be collected at the site for analysis.
The objects hit the left stern at around 3.30pm Monday, Park Il, the ministry's spokesperson said on Sunday.
The strike caused a blaze that damaged a 7-by-5-metre area, Park said, adding that the incident was unlikely to have been caused by a sea mine or any problems with the vessel's engine, generator or boiler.
"We assume the cause of the fire was irrelevant to internal issues on the ship," he said.
South Korea was in contact with relevant countries, including Iran, over the incident, Park said.
Iran has denied responsibility. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the objects outside of normal business hours.
Trump to press Xi on Iran China's ties with Iran during summit
07:15 , Shweta SharmaUS president Donald Trump is expected to press Chinese President Xi Jinping over Beijing’s ties with Iran during summit talks in Beijing this week, according to the Financial Times.
Trump is expected to raise concerns over China’s alleged support for Tehran, including exports of dual-use technology and possible weapons-related assistance, as efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Iran war remain unresolved.
The leaders are also expected to discuss Taiwan, artificial intelligence, trade tensions and nuclear arms issues, the report said.
“I would expect the president to apply pressure,” a US official told reporters in a briefing.
“I expect that conversation to continue. I think you’ve seen some actions, meaning sanctions, coming out from the US side just in the last few days that I’m sure will be part of that conversation,” the official added.
Crude carrier bound to Vietnam crosses Hormuz
06:45 , Shweta SharmaA very large crude carrier (VLCC) bound for Vietnam and carrying Iraqi crude successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday through a route designated by Iran, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
The transit comes amid continued tensions in the strategic waterway, which has seen disruptions and heightened military activity linked to the Iran war.
Modi urges people to cut back on fuel use and foreign as trips Iran war poses severe risks to India
06:45 , Shweta SharmaIndian prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged Indians to conserve fuel, limit non-essential imports and reduce overseas travel as soaring global energy prices place pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Speaking amid concerns over rising oil prices, Modi encouraged a return to work-from-home practices and online meetings adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the measures would help reduce fuel consumption.
“In the current situation, we must place great emphasis on saving foreign exchange,” Modi said, while also urging people to use public transport such as the metro and to carpool where possible.
India, the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of oil, has so far avoided raising diesel and petrol prices despite the global surge in energy costs.
Modi also called on people to avoid buying gold, particularly during the wedding season, and to cut non-essential foreign travel for at least a year to help conserve foreign exchange reserves.
He further urged families to reduce cooking oil consumption, describing the move as both healthy and patriotic.
Iran says it will ‘definitely’ take part in World Cup but demands US visa assurances
06:30 , Shweta SharmaIran's football federation said on Saturday the country will “definitely” participate in the 2026 Fifa World Cup and insisted that the tournament’s hosts – the United States, Canada and Mexico – consider Tehran's concerns around the team’s travel and how it will be treated.
“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran president Mehdi Taj said, according to Iranian media.
The team represents a country in a fragile ceasefire with the United States after the US and Israel sparked a war with attacks on Iran on 28 February, and whose citizens are subject to a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.
Iran says it will ‘definitely’ take part in World Cup but demands visa assurances
Two medics among 51 killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon
06:13 , Shweta SharmaIsraeli attacks across Lebanon killed at least 51 people in the past 24 hours, including two medical workers, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, despite a US-brokered ceasefire now entering its third week.
The ministry accused Israel of directly targeting two Health Authority locations in Qalawiya and Tibnin in the Bint Jbeil district, saying the attacks violated international humanitarian law.
Lebanese authorities say 2,846 people have been killed since Israel launched a new military operation on 2 March.
The United Nations says at least 103 Lebanese medical workers have been killed and 230 wounded in more than 130 Israeli strikes since then.
“We’re under threat every second, every day,” Ali Safiuddin, head of the Lebanese civil defence in Tyre, told Al Jazeera. “We ask ourselves if we’re going to survive or if we’re going to die.”
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon since 2 March, with attacks continuing despite the 16 April ceasefire.
Iran warns British warships deployed to the Strait of Hormuz will be met with ‘decisive response’
06:00 , Shweta SharmaIran has issued a stark warning to Britain, urging it not to “escalate the crisis” in the Middle East by sending warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said that the presence of French and British warships in the key shipping route, effectively controlled by Tehran in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks, “will be met with a decisive and immediate response”.
It comes after the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Royal Navy was sending the HMS Dragon warship to the Middle East, where it could join an international mission to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
British warships in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with ‘decisive response’
Photos of life inside Iran after US ceasefire proposal falters
05:40 , Shweta SharmaIran responded Sunday to the latest US ceasefire proposal, but president Donald Trump rejected it as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” — the latest setback in efforts to end a Persian Gulf standoff that has disrupted shipping and sent energy prices higher.
Pakistan asks Singapore to help repatriate seafarers from US-seized ships
05:17 , Shweta SharmaPakistan has asked Singapore to help facilitate the welfare and repatriation of 11 Pakistani and 20 Iranian seafarers aboard vessels seized by US authorities near Singaporean waters.
Deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar said he raised the matter with Singaporean foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan and remained in close coordination with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.
Dar said Pakistan was prepared to assist in the safe repatriation of Iranian nationals via Pakistan, while Pakistani authorities continued coordinating with US officials and others to secure the safety and earliest possible return of Pakistani citizens.
Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi is transferred to a Tehran hospital, her foundation says
05:00 , Shweta SharmaNobel Peace laureate and activist Narges Mohammadi has been transferred to a Tehran hospital more than a week after collapsing in prison, her foundation said Sunday.
Her transfer comes after days of pleading by her family and others who described her condition as critical.
Her foundation said she has been granted a suspension of her prison sentence on bail. It was not clear for how long her sentence is suspended, the foundation said.
Mohammadi had been imprisoned since December in Zanjan prison. She lost consciousness twice and was transferred to a local hospital on 1 May.
A statement from her foundation, shared with The Associated Press, said the suspended sentence is not enough and that Mohammadi needs “permanent, specialised care.”
The statement added that “we must ensure she never returns to prison to face the 18 years remaining on her sentence.
Now is the time to demand her unconditional freedom and the dismissal of all charges.”
Mohammadi’s Iran-based lawyer Mostafa Nili said on social media the transfer order was issued following the decision of the Legal Medicine Organisation – government-appointed medical examiners – “which stated that, due to her multiple illnesses, she needs to continue treatment outside prison and under the supervision of her own medical team.”
There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.
Mohammadi’s brother Hamidreza Mohammadi, who is based in Oslo, Norway, had said medical examiners previously recommended her transfer to Tehran but the decision was blocked. He blamed Iran’s intelligence agency.
“I’m relieved now. I can breathe lightly,” her brother told the AP in a message.
Trump under pressure to end war ahead of China visit
04:44 , Shweta SharmaWith Donald Trump due to visit China this week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses a growing threat to the world economy.
Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply and has emerged as one of the central pressure points in the war.
Addressing whether combat operations against Iran were over, Trump said in remarks aired on Sunday: "They are defeated, but that doesn't mean they're done."
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was not over because there was "more work to be done" to remove enriched uranium from Iran, dismantle enrichment sites and address Iran's proxies and ballistic missile capabilities.
The best way to remove the enriched uranium would be through diplomacy, Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," without ruling out removing it by force.
Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post that Iran would "never bow down to the enemy" and would "defend national interests with strength".
Despite diplomatic efforts to break a deadlock, the threat to shipping lanes and the economies of the region remained high.
Dollar strengthens as Trump says Iran peace offer 'unacceptable'
04:21 , Shweta SharmaThe dollar advanced against its major peers in early Asia trade on Monday, supported by strong US jobs data released late last week and as the US-Iran ceasefire hung by a thread, boosting demand for the safe-haven currency.
The euro was down 0.2 per cent at $1.1767, the yen slipped 0.1 per ce to 156.905 yen per dollar and the British pound was 0.3 per cent lower at $1.3597. The risk-sensitive Australian dollar slipped 0.2 per cent to $0.7234, while its kiwi counterpart weakened 0.3 per cent to $0.5948.
"We start the new trading week, as has so often been the case of late, reacting to geopolitical headlines," said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group Ltd in Melbourne.
Oil prices jumped as trading resumed on Monday, with Brent crude up 3.3 per cent at $104.65 a barrel, after president Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran's response to a US proposal for peace talks, dashing hopes for an imminent end to the 10-week-old conflict.
Trump says Iran's response to peace proposal 'totally unacceptable'
04:03 , Shweta SharmaUS president Donald Trump has said he has read Iran’s response to his peace plan, calling it “totally unacceptable”.
As we’ve been reporting today, Tehran has sent its response to the US via Pakistan, which has been acting as mediator.
It’s not yet known exactly what it says.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: "I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called 'Representatives.'
"I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP"
Iran's proposal included lifting of sanctions on Tehran - report
04:02 , Shweta SharmaAn Iranian proposal sent to the United States through mediator Pakistan stressed the need for an end to the war on all fronts and the lifting of sanctions on Tehran, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Sunday.
The proposal emphasised the necessity of lifting sanctions by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control on Iranian oil sales during a 30-day period and ending the naval blockade on Iran, Tasnim added.
Tasnim also quoted the source as saying that Iran's demands include "Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz if certain commitments are undertaken by the US." The agency did not specify what those commitments would be.
Briefing: What we know on the 73rd day of the US-Israel war on Iran
03:59 , Shweta Sharma• Tehran released a counter-proposal to a US plan aimed at ending the conflict reportedly included demands for compensation and formal recognition of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said
• Within few hours, Donald Trump has rejected Iran's response to his proposals to end the war as “totally unacceptable” and accused Tehran of “playing games"
• Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel should begin reducing its dependence on American military assistance, telling CBS that “it’s time we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support”
• Oil prices jumped $3 a barrel on Monday following news of the continued stalemate that leaves the narrow Strait of Hormuz largely closed
