Tehran

• Amerikaanse president Donald Trump wees maandag de reactie van Iran op een Amerikaans vredigvoorstel af als 'totaal onacceptabel', wat de spanningen in het voortdurende conflict in het Midden-Oosten laat oplopen. • Teheran waarschuwde voor nieuwe vergeldingsaanvallen, zoals gemeld door Asia News Network, wat de angst voor langdurige verstoringen in de Straat van Hormuz vergroot. • De afwijzing veroorzaakte marktvolatiliteit in Azië, waarbij beleggers zochten naar veilige havens vanwege de potentiële impact op de regionale energiezekerheid.

US leader enters talks with superpower rival from vulnerable position, but will be hoping for economic wins amid turbulent backdropIf all goes to plan over the next few days – and that is a big if – Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a highly anticipated summit with Xi Jinping, China’s leader.The trip will mark the first time a US president has visited China in nearly a decade. The last visit was also made by Trump, during his first term, in 2017. Continue reading...

• US President Donald Trump announced on May 7, 2026, that negotiations with Iran have progressed significantly in the last 24 hours, predicting a quick deal to formally end the ongoing war. • The US peace proposal, under review by Tehran, calls for a one-page memorandum to halt hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease sanctions, and limit Iran's nuclear activities, though it omits missile program curbs and proxy support restrictions. • Iranian officials responded cautiously, with a foreign ministry spokesperson pledging an official reply and lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei calling the offer unrealistic and US-biased; Trump paused a naval mission to reopen shipping lanes amid Saudi opposition.

From economic woes to concerns that war could break out again at any moment, underlying worries run deepIn the weeks since the fragile ceasefire with the US and Israel took hold, life in Tehran has – on the surface at least – largely returned to something like pre-war normality. Many security checkpoints have been taken down, coffee shops are bustling, parks are full of people gathering for picnics, musicians are playing again in the streets, highways are jammed with traffic and the metro - free to use since the war - runs packed.But underlying worries run deep, and many Iranians fear the war could return at any moment. The uncertainty was underlined on Monday when the US and Iran launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as the two sides continue to blockade of the strait of Hormuz. The war’s economic toll has been severe too. Many people have lost their jobs and inflation is surging. The International Monetary Fund estimates it could reach 70% this year. Continue reading...

• US naval forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to label the action as 'bullying behaviour' and 'act of piracy'. • The operation occurred two days before a two-week ceasefire with Iran was set to expire, amid fragile diplomatic efforts and threats of retaliation. • Tehran insists on securing freedom of navigation in the strait, vital for one-fifth of global oil trade, before engaging in US talks, heightening energy security risks.

US president’s desperation for war to end has seen him trying to speed through a process he does not fully controlMiddle East crisis – live updatesA set of mismanaged and premature media announcements by Donald Trump and Tehran has led to the collapse of any progress towards a peace settlement between Iran and the US.The recent missteps ended with Iran saying it would reinstate a complete block on the movement of commercial shipping through the strait of Hormuz and that it would not allow any of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to be exported out of the country. Continue reading...

Defense secretary spoke to reporters in first press briefing since Trump announced ceasefire deal after 40 days of warAfter 40 days and 40 nights of war, Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, on Wednesday pointed to divine providence while telling reporters that Iran’s weapons factories had been reduced to rubble, its military rendered ineffective for years and its supreme leader left wounded and disfigured, all for a temporary ceasefire.“Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it,” Hegseth said Wednesday morning at the Pentagon’s first press briefing since Donald Trump announced a two-week pause in hostilities Tuesday night. “Operation Epic Fury decimated Iran’s military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.” Continue reading...

Donald Trump abandoned his threat for Iran to surrender or face destruction after a last-minute intervention led by Pakistan. Plus, why some people are ‘bad texters’Good morning.The US and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire deal on Tuesday evening, which includes a temporary reopening of the strait of Hormuz.How does the ceasefire affect Israel and Lebanon? The Israel prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel backed the US ceasefire with Iran – but that the deal did not cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,500 in Lebanon.What has Trump said about the Iranian 10-point plan? He has called it a “workable basis on which to negotiate”. Here’s what’s in it.Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.How much of a margin do Republicans have in Georgia? The GOP currently holds the state House with a three-vote margin. Continue reading...