Middle

• De Amerikaanse president zegt dat het vredesvoorstel van Teheran 'volledig onacceptabel' is en 'een stuk vuilnis'. • We hervatten onze live verslaggeving van de Amerikaans-Israëlische oorlog tegen Iran nadat Donald Trump zei dat het staakt-het-vuren 'op life support' staat, nadat hij het vredesvoorstel van Teheran had afgewezen en het 'volledig onacceptabel' noemde. • Verwijzend naar het staakt-het-vuren dat sinds 7 april van kracht is, zei Trump: "Ik zou het de zwakste noemen, op dit moment, na het lezen van dat stuk vuilnis dat ze ons stuurden – ik heb het niet eens uitgelezen."

• Saoedi-Arabië uitte een "felwaardige veroordeling" van de gecoördineerde drone-aanvallen op de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten, Qatar en Koeweit op 11 mei, en bestempelde de aanvallen als een gevaarlijke escalatie die de regionale veiligheid bedreigt. • Het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken van Bahrein noemde de aanval op Koeweit een "flagrante schending van het internationaal recht" en benadrukte de dreiging voor de regionale stabiliteit die door de vijandige drone-aanvallen wordt gevormd. • De aanvallen duiden op een gevaarlijke uitbreiding van het conflict in het Midden-Oosten, waarbij meerdere leden van de Gulf Cooperation Council gelijktijdig zijn getroffen, wat zorgen baart over de kwetsbaarheid van de maritieme handel en de olie-infrastructuur.

US president calls Iranian response ‘totally unacceptable’ while Tehran says it will retaliate against any new US strikes or foreign warships in strait of HormuzTrump calls Iran’s response to peace plan ‘totally unacceptable’ as ceasefire fraysThe US parameters for nuclear talks reportedly included a moratorium on Iranian nuclear enrichment for up to 20 years; the transfer overseas, possibly to the US, of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), which could be used to make nuclear warheads; and the dismantling of Iranian nuclear facilities.According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranian counter-proposal suggested a shorter moratorium, the export of part of the HEU stockpile and the dilution of the rest, and refusal to accept the dismantling of facilities. Continue reading...

• The 48th ASEAN Summit concluded on Friday, May 8, with leaders proposing a regional fuel stockpile and standby food security mechanism to counter supply disruptions from Middle East conflicts. • Measures target impacts from Strait of Hormuz closure, which threatens fuel and fertiliser supplies critical to Southeast Asia. • Leaders agreed to a crisis communication protocol for foreign ministers to enable coherent, timely regional responses across multiple sectors.

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company’s profits up 26% to £26.9bn in first three months of yearBusiness live – latest updatesSaudi Arabia’s state oil company reported a 26% jump in profits in its first quarter as its east-west pipeline allowed it to ship millions of barrels of oil out of the Gulf despite conflict in the Middle East.Profits at Saudi Aramco hit $33.6bn (£26.9bn) in the first three months of the year, while revenue rose nearly 7% compared with a year earlier to $115.5bn. Continue reading...

Revolutionary Guard issue warning as Trump awaits Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal for peace dealIran’s Revolutionary Guard has threatened to target US sites in the Middle East if its tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported on Saturday, as Washington was left waiting for Tehran’s response to its latest negotiating position.“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships,” the force said, a day after US strikes on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman. Continue reading...

The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of HormuzMorning, and welcome to the Guardian’s Middle East live blog.The US said it carried out strikes on Iranian military targets after an attack on three American destroyers in the strait of Hormuz, while Tehran accused Washington of striking first. The exchange of fire threatens to unravel a fragile ceasefire in effect since 8 April – but Donald Trump insisted the truce remains intact. Continue reading...

• Asian stock markets retreated from recent record peaks as escalating Middle East tensions revived concerns over crude oil supply disruptions and energy price stability. • The geopolitical escalation triggered steep losses in oil markets, reversing earlier gains and creating volatility across regional equity indices. • Rising energy supply concerns underscore the fragility of the recent market rally despite strong AI sector performance, with investors reassessing risk exposure to conflict-affected regions.