Iran has threatened “long and painful strikes” on US footholds in the Middle East if Donald Trump renews attacks in a bid to pressure the regime into further peace talks.
With the Strait of Hormuz still constricted by Iran, the US president was expected to receive a briefing on new options including fresh strikes and a limited deployment of American troops, reports said.
Hints at Washington renewing bombing spurred oil prices past $125 per barrel at one point, before falling back to $105 on Friday morning.
James Reynolds1 May 2026 19:00
China’s ambassador to the United Nations Fu Cong told reporters on Friday that there was a need to revisit a decision that will see the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)’s mandate end at the end of the year.
Bryony Gooch1 May 2026 18:04
US president Donald Trump on Friday repeated his prediction that oil and gas prices would fall when the war with Iran ends.
Brent crude prices are currently at $108 per barrel.
Bryony Gooch1 May 2026 18:01
First responders search for survivors amongst the rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the southern Lebanese village of Ain Baal on May 1 (AFP/Getty)
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 17 people on April 30 (AFP/Getty)
James Reynolds1 May 2026 18:00
US president Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not satisfied with Iran’s latest proposal for resolving the conflict and that negotiations were taking place by phone.
Bryony Gooch1 May 2026 17:31
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order broadening US sanctions against the Cuban government, two White House officials told Reuters, as he seeks to put more pressure on Havana after ousting Venezuela’s leader from power.
The fresh sanctions target people, entities and affiliates that support the Cuban government’s security apparatus or are complicit in corruption or serious human rights violations, the officials said, as well as agents, officials or supporters of the government.
It was not immediately clear what people or entities were hit with sanctions under the order, which was first reported by Reuters.
The order authorizes secondary sanctions for conducting or facilitating transactions with those targeted under the order, the officials said.
The new sanctions were the latest broadside by the Trump administration against Cuba, which the president has repeatedly declared is near a state of collapse.
Under Trump, US forces have launched strikes on boats off Venezuela and gone into Caracas to seize president Nicolas Maduro, and, with Israel, waged war on Iran since 28 February.
Trump has said “Cuba is next.” He has not specified what he plans to do with the island nation. The Iran conflict has led to a spike in gasoline prices that have damaged Trump’s popularity.
The officials said Trump’s order contained an implicit warning to Cuba, saying the government has aligned itself with Iran and militant groups like Hezbollah.
“Cuba provides a permissive environment for hostile foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist operations less than 100 miles from the American homeland,” one official said.
Bryony Gooch1 May 2026 17:17
Hopes that an end to the war could be in sight grew on Friday with news Iran had presented Pakistan with a new proposal for negotiations.
But the renewed push for talks comes as Donald Trump reportedly weighs options to restart the conflict in case diplomacy fails.
The president was expected to receive a briefing from the military’s top commanders on Thursday, detailing options from fresh strikes to a limited ground operation.
The Independent reviews Washington’s options after weeks in limbo:
James Reynolds1 May 2026 17:00
The White House said on Friday it will not detail private diplomatic conversations when asked about Iran’s new proposal to the United States that was submitted to Pakistani mediators.
“We do not detail private diplomatic conversations. President Trump has been clear that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and negotiations continue to ensure the short- and long-term national security of the United States,” spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
Bryony Gooch1 May 2026 16:47
Just hours before a crucial deadline, the Trump administration argued the war in Iran has been effectively “terminated” under the ongoing ceasefire, which, the claim also stops the clock on a crucial deadline for congressional approval of ongoing actions in the conflict.
A US official also told Reuters: “For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated.”
Maira Butt1 May 2026 16:00
Donald Trump reportedly received a high-level briefing on Thursday from Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine on new military options against Iran.
Plans under discussion include a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iranian infrastructure, a possible operation to take control of parts of the Strait of Hormuz to restore shipping, and even a special forces mission to secure Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, Axios reported.
Earlier, Trump said the US had “already won” the war in Iran even as he continued to pressure Tehran to make a deal.
During an interview with Newsmax’s Greta Van Susteren, the president declared that the US had achieved victory, but said he wanted to win by a “bigger margin”.
“We’ve already won, but I want to win by a bigger margin,” he said. “But we have. We have destroyed their navy, destroyed their air force, destroyed all of their — if you look at their anti-aircraft equipment, their radar equipment, their leadership, their leadership is destroyed.”
Despite his insistence that Iran is already beaten, the president is continuing his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
James Reynolds1 May 2026 15:30