Trump says attack on Iran 'on hold'; Tehran announces Hormuz authority

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The Israeli military has issued a new forced displacement order in the town of Al-Maachouq on the outskirts of Tyre in southern Lebanon.

The army's Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee told residents of a building in the town to evacuate ahead of a strike on what he said was a Hezbollah site.

This comes several hours after the army issued another such order for Burj Shemali in Tyre.

President Donald Trump said on Monday there was a "very good chance" the United States could reach an agreement with Iran to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, hours after saying he had postponed a planned military attack to allow negotiations to continue.

Trump said leaders from key US allies in the Middle East had asked him to delay a planned military attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday to allow negotiations with Tehran to continue, while warning the US remained prepared to launch a large-scale assault if no agreement is reached.

"There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I would be very happy," Trump told reporters gathered for a drug price announcement on Monday. 

Ireland's President Catherine Connolly spoke earlier today about her sister, who was on board one of the boats in the Gaza-bound aid flotilla seized by Israeli forces.

Margaret Connolly, a medical doctor from Galway, was among the dozens of activists participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla who were detained by the Israeli military off the coast of Cyprus on Monday.

"It’s quite upsetting and I’m also very worried about her," she told reporters during her state visit in London.

"I’ve been very busy today ... I haven’t really had a chance to get details in relation to my sister and indeed, equally importantly, her colleagues on the boat," she was quoted by The Guardian as saying.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the Israeli army’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla today and the kidnapping of dozens of activists in international waters.

In a statement posted on X, the ministry described the attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla as "a blatant violation of international law, humanitarian values, and maritime security, and a perpetuation of the unjust siege on the Gaza Strip".

The 54-boat flotilla, which set sail from Turkey on Thursday, was intercepted by Israeli forces off the coast of Cyprus earlier today.

Iran's football team arrived in Turkey on Monday for a training camp and to complete visa applications ahead of the 2026 World Cup, AFP correspondents said.

The 22 players and coaching staff in the "Team Melli" delegation flew into the Turkish resort of Antalya where they could be seen leaving the airport dressed in navy blue tracksuits.

The players were to stay several weeks before heading to the global tournament that is being co-hosted by the United States, which began bombing Iran on 28 February alongside Israel, sparking war.

The team will be based in Arizona in the United States and play all three of their group matches there in spite of the war, which has been temporarily halted by a ceasefire since 8 April.

The US Treasury on Monday extended by 30 days its sanctions waiver for Russian oil cargoes already at sea, as global energy prices continue to surge due to the Iran war.

The latest "temporary 30-day general license" will "provide the most vulnerable nations with the ability to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a social media post.

Monday's announcement is the second time US authorities have extended the temporary measure, which is meant to address oil supply shortages sparked by the US-Israel war on Iran.

Iran's retaliatory action has targeted US regional allies and blocked almost all traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies normally pass.

US President Donald Trump said he would "hold off" an attack on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf leaders.

Trump said on his Truth Social network on Monday that "serious negotiations" were now underway with Iran and that Gulf states believed "a deal will be made."

But he said Washington was ready for a "full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable deal is not reached."

The US said in its latest proposal it would waive sanctions on Iranian oil during negotiations, a source close to Iran's negotiating team told the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

This would mark the first time the White House has offered to make concessions to Iran during the negotiations.

US President Donald Trump said Monday he is "not open" to offering any concessions to Iran as US officials poured cold water over Tehran's latest counter-proposal to end the war.

Tehran knows "what’s going to be happening soon", he told The New York Post in a phone conversation.

Asked whether he would agree to a 20-year moratorium on Iran's nuclear enrichment, he said: "I’m not open to anything right now."

A US official threatened to continue negotiations with Iran "through bombs" if Tehran does not make concessions to bring an end to the war.

Speaking to Axios, the senior official said Iran's latest proposal is insufficient and indicated it would need to agree to the White House's conditions over its nuclear programme to end the war.

"We need some real, sturdy, and granular conversation [over the nuclear issue]. If that's not gonna happen, we will have a conversation through bombs, which will be a shame," they told reporter Barak Ravid.

Iran has insisted that nuclear negotiations take place after the war ends, and has stuck by its demands for compensation,  an end to all US sanctions, and control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday it has been informed by the United Arab Emirates that power had been restored to one of the Barakah nuclear plant's reactors following Sunday's drone strike.

Authorities have confirmed that no radioactive material was released following the strike, which caused a fire at an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the plant.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was slightly higher last week, returning to levels in line with the average recorded since the start of the Middle East conflict after hitting a wartime low.

A total of 55 commodities vessels crossed the strategic waterway between 11 and 17 May 11, according to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler as of Monday morning.

That marked a sharp increase from the previous week, when just 19 vessels crossed - the lowest weekly figure since the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, which led to widespread disruption of traffic through the strait.

Iranian state television said Friday the Revolutionary Guards were allowing more ships to transit the strait, after reporting a day earlier that "more than 30 ships" had been permitted to pass.

Despite the increase, last week's crossings remain broadly in line with wartime averages.

Since 1 March, Kpler has recorded 663 commodity vessels transiting the strait, 55 per week on average.

• US-Iran tensions rise amid deadlocked talks: Iranian media said Tehran had rejected a new US proposal to end the war, saying it did not meet its demands over unfreezing its assets and the payment of compensation. Trump reiterated threats to resume the war earlier today if Iran does not agree to its conditions and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
   
• Iran announces new authority to control the strait: Iran defied demands to re-open the strait, on Monday announcing a new agency - the Persian Gulf Strait Authority - responsible for managing traffic through the waterway. Tehran has insisted it has the right to impose transit fees in the strait and ruled out returning to the pre-war status quo.
   
• Lebanon death toll exceeds 3,000: Lebanese health authorities said Monday that at least 3,020 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since 2 March. Another 9,273 have been wounded.
   
• Israeli forces intercept Gaza flotilla: The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said 10 of their boats were intercepted by Israeli forces off the coast of Cyprus.
   
• Arab states condemn drone attack near UAE nuclear plant: Arab leaders condemned Sunday's drone attack in the United Arab Emirates, which hit near the Barakah nuclear plant.

Iran has rejected a US framework to end the war, a source close to the negotiations has told Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, saying it fails to meet its demands.

Iran is demanding the US unfreeze all of its assets, pay compensation for its wartimes losses and agree to end the war prior to starting negotiations over its nuclear programme.

"Despite some changes in the new American text, the fundamental differences stemming from the Americans' greed and lack of realism remain," the news agency quoted the source as saying.

The Israeli military on Monday afternoon ordered residents of the village of Burj Shemali near Tyre to flee their homes.

Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said the military was preparing to "act forcefully" against Hezbollah in the area.

Israel has issued displacement orders for dozens of villages in the south in recent days, defying the US-brokered "ceasefire" that was supposed to be observed with Hezbollah.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Monday that internet fibre optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz could be brought under a system of permits as Tehran tightens control over the waterway.

"Following the imposition of control over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, citing its absolute sovereignty over the bed and subsoil of its territorial sea... could declare that all fibre-optic cables passing through the waterway are subject to permits," the IRGC said, in a social media post.

International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned that global commercial oil inventories are falling rapidly amid the US-Israel war on Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, saying current supplies may only last several more weeks.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the G7 finance leaders meeting in Paris, Birol said the release of strategic reserves had injected 2.5 million barrels of oil per day into global markets, but cautioned that the reserves “are not endless”.

He added that demand is expected to rise sharply during the northern hemisphere’s spring planting and summer travel seasons, increasing pressure on supplies of diesel, fertiliser, jet fuel and petrol.

“Commercial inventories will last several weeks, but we should be aware of the fact that it is declining rapidly,” Birol said.

At least 3,020 people have been killed and 9,273 others wounded in Israeli attacks across Lebanon since March 2, according to the latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Two Israeli air attacks have struck the eastern municipality of Az-Zrariyah and the outskirts of the village of Arnoun in Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

Israeli forces also targeted the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, in Nabatieh, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov defended Iran's right to enrich uranium "for peaceful purposes" amid pressure on Tehran from the Trump administration, as reported by Russia's Interfax news agency.

"Iran, like any other member of the Non-Proliferation Agreement, has the full right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes," Lavrov said, while stressing Moscow would not interfere in the negotiation process between Washington and Tehran.

"We will support any resolutions agreed upon and accepted by the negotiating parties themselves. In this case, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran," Lavrov added during a news conference in Moscow.

A New York Times/Siena poll shows sinking support for Trump and Israel, with the Iran war being a central factor.

Almost two-thirds of voters say Donald Trump's decision to go to war with Iran was wrong, though about 70% of Republican voters still support the move.

The majority of respondents—37% to 35%—say they sympathise with Palestinians more than Israelis. For young respondents up to the age of 29,  64% say they support the Palestinians.

Forty-nine per cent of voters say they strongly disapprove of Trump's handling of Palestine, and 56% express a similar stance on the war with Iran. Over half say that Trump should not go back to war with Iran if a deal is not reached.

Only 37% of respondents—and 5% in the 18-29 age range—support "additional economic and military support to Israel."

Hezbollah launched rockets at Israeli troops occupying southern Lebanon earlier.

According to the Israeli military, some of the rockets crossed the border into Israeli territory but were intercepted or struck open areas, and no injuries were reported.

Moreover, an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah a short while ago struck Israeli territory, close to the Lebanon border, the military says.

"We will continue to organise until there is a tangible action from elected officials and Israel is held accountable, and liberation is proper for the Palestinian people," Global Sumud Flotilla organiser and spokesperson, Rana Ibrahim, told The New Arab.

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Lebanon's Health Ministry says at least seven people have been killed by Israeli attacks across the country today.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has struck US and Israeli-backed "counter-revolutionary terrorist groups" operating in northern Iraq.

The groups were attempting "to smuggle a large consignment of sealed American weapons and ammunition into the country and were struck in Kurdistan Province," the IRGC’s Hamzeh Sayyed al-Shuhada Command said in a statement shared by Iran's Fars News Agency.

In a statement released to the press, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denounced what it described as a "terrorist attack carried out by the navy of the Zionist occupation army" against the Global Sumud Flotilla off the Cypriot coast. The flotilla had set sail from the Turkish coast to break an illegal decades-long Israeli blockade on Gaza.

Hamas describe the attack by the Israeli navy as "a full-fledged crime of piracy, which the fascist occupation government continues to commit against solidarity activists, fulfilling their humanitarian and moral duty to support Gaza and its besieged people, who face a war of extermination, starvation, and a continuous blockade before the watch of the world."

The statement also added that the Palestinian group called "on all countries of the world, the UN, and rights and humanitarian groups to condemn this crime, hold the occupation's leaders accountable for their ongoing violations of international law, take immediate action to release the detained activists, and end the unjust and illegal blockade imposed on more than two million Palestinians in Gaza."

"We salute the free activists who conveyed Gaza's humanitarian message to the world and insisted on defying the occupation's terrorism, arrogance, and fascist measures. We call for the continuation of the Freedom and Sumud Flotillas in support of our Palestinian people and in defence of the values of justice and human dignity, until breaking the blockade and ending the occupation," the statement concluded.

Gaza's health ministry said in its latest update that at least six people were killed and 40 others injured in Israeli attacks across the territory over the past day.

The health ministry says 877 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire in October 2025.

It says that Israel has killed 72,769 people since it launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.

The organisers of a flotilla of aid vessels bound for Gaza said on Monday that Israeli forces had intercepted 10 of their boats and that contact had been lost with a total of 23 vessels in the eastern Mediterranean.

Earlier on Monday, Israel's foreign ministry had said on X that it "will not allow any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza". Ships from the Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail for a third time on Thursday from southern Turkey, after earlier attempts to deliver aid to Gaza were intercepted by Israel in international waters.

Live video showed military vessels approaching the vessels on Monday.

"Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and (Israeli) forces are boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight," the Global Sumud Flotilla initially said on X.

"We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission."

The group said 10 boats had been intercepted and contact lost with 23 of the 54 vessels in the flotilla, naming some two dozen Turks among those on the intercepted vessels, some 250 nautical miles (463 km) from Gaza. It said there were 426 people taking part in the flotilla from 39 countries. The previous flotilla departed from Spain on April 12. But Israeli forces intercepted vessels in that group, taking more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists to Crete and detaining two others in Israel.

Last October, Israel's military halted another flotilla assembled by the same organisation, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 participants.

The stated goal of these flotillas is to break Israel's illegal decades-long blockade on the Gaza Strip.

Iran's top security body announced on Monday the formation of a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse.

On its official X account, the Supreme National Security Council shared a post for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) saying it would provide "real-time updates on the #Hormuz_Strait operations and latest developments."

The account of the Revolutionary Guards' navy shared the same post.

The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Sabah al-Nu'man, affirmed that Iraq adopts a policy of distancing itself from regional and international conflicts.

He emphasised that Iraq will not allow itself to be "a corridor or launching pad for attacks on other countries," nor will it permit interference in its internal affairs, thus protecting its internal stability from the repercussions of regional crises.

Al-Nu'man added that the Iraqi ministerial program adopts a preventive diplomacy approach, balancing regional and international relations while strengthening border security and developing modern surveillance systems.

He stressed that Baghdad seeks to insulate the country from regional tensions and prevent their security and political repercussions on the Iraqi interior.

Qatar's Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalifi, discussed with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, the latest developments in the region, particularly the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, as well as efforts to enhance security and stability.

During a phone call from the Pakistani minister, Al-Khalifi affirmed the State of Qatar's full support for Pakistan's mediation efforts to resolve the crisis by peaceful means, stressing the need for all parties to respond to these efforts to create suitable conditions for progress in negotiations, leading to a comprehensive agreement that achieves sustainable peace in the region.

The Israeli Navy has begun to intercept the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel's illegal decades-long blockade.

A livestream shows Israeli commandos boarding one of Global Sumud Flotilla's vessels at sea off the Cypriot coast.

The Israeli Navy has begun to intercept the activist mission sailing to the Gaza Strip to challenge Israel's naval blockade. pic.twitter.com/YXeSwxPDOd

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) May 18, 2026

Iran's foreign ministry says talks with the US to end the war are ongoing, mediated by Pakistan.

In a statement to the press, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said that both Iran and the US have submitted their comments on the latest proposal on the table.

The spokesperson said that Tehran's demands include the release of frozen Iranian funds and the lifting of sanctions.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson added that Iran remains in continuous contact with Oman and all relevant parties to discuss mechanisms for the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.

"The Iranian national football team, consisting of 22 players and coaching staff, departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup," the Tasnim news agency reported.

The 'Sumud' flotilla, which departed from Turkey and includes about 50 vessels and aims to break an illegal decades-long blockade on Gaza, has reached near Cypriot waters.

The Israeli foreign ministry issued a warning against the flotilla, saying, "Israel will not allow the breaking of the legal naval blockade on Gaza and calls on all participants in the provocation to change course and return immediately."

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former congresswoman and a former ally of Trump, warned that any attempt to send US troops on the ground into Iran would trigger what she described as a "political revolution".

In a post on X, Greene said, "WE. ARE. DONE."

"We said no more foreign wars and we meant it. The coalition will unite and be unstoppable. I’ll make sure of it," she added.

Israel built two covert bases in Iraq, and an Iraqi soldier and a civilian were killed to protect the secret military installations, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel had built one base in Iraq's western desert for use in the US-Israeli war with Iran that began in late February. 

Iraqi officials told the Times that Israel had maintained another base there as well, which was used during the June 2025 war with Iran, as well as this year's conflict.

According to the report, Israel began building that base in late 2024 and the US knew of that base, and that it is no longer operational.

According to the reports, Israel built the bases to cut down on flight time for strikes in Iran, provide medical treatment, and aid in logistics and other forms of support for the Israeli Air Force. They also housed special forces troops and search-and-rescue teams who were poised to act if any Israeli pilots were downed.

Irish carrier Ryanair reported Monday a sharply higher annual profit but warned that the US-Israeli war on Iran has clouded its outlook for the year ahead.

Profit after tax jumped 35 per cent to 2.17 billion euros ($2.52 billion) in the 12 months to the end of March compared to the period a year earlier.

"With zero H2 visibility and significant fuel price/potential supply volatility, it is far too early to provide any meaningful FY27 profit guidance at this time," chief executive Michael O'Leary said in a statement.

Oil prices have soared since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran in late February, resulting in much higher jet fuel costs.

Ryanair said it had hedged 80 per cent of its fuel costs at $67 a barrel through to April 2027, which should help insulate its earnings amid "very volatile oil markets".

However, it said its full-year outlook remains "heavily exposed to adverse external developments".

The company said its costs could rise in the year ahead due to higher unhedged fuel costs, as well as crew expenses and aircraft maintenance.

In its latest financial year, group revenue increased 11 per cent to 15.5 billion euros as ticket fares rose.

Fares for its peak July-September period, previously forecast to rise, are now trending flat.

"Pricing in recent weeks has eased somewhat in response to economic uncertainty caused by higher oil prices, the fear of fuel shortages and the risk of inflation adversely impacting consumer spending," the company said.

Gulf states have separately issued statements strongly denouncing drone attacks on Saudi Arabia that officials say originated from Iraqi airspace, and on the UAE, which struck near a nuclear power plant.

For its part, Kuwait said the drone attack violates UNSC Resolution 2817, passed in March to protect Gulf infrastructure, and affirmed its support for Saudi security measures. 

Qatar labelled the incident a "rejected aggression" and a direct violation of the Gulf states' sovereignty.

Moreover, Oman has condemned the drone attacks, reaffirming its rejection of "all hostile and escalatory acts" in the region.

The Omani Foreign Ministry expressed its solidarity with the UAE, and called for dialogue to address regional challenges.