US Iran news LIVE: The Donald Trump-led US and Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israel’s war on Iran began on February 28.
US Iran news LIVE updates: Top Iranian official Mohsen Rezaei has warned the US to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. He said the “Sea of Oman could become your graveyard” if tensions rise further. Israeli military is preparing for possible renewed conflict with Iran, reports say. Energy infrastructure could be targeted….Read More
US President Donald Trump has renewed threats against Iran as a ceasefire between the two nations hangs in the balance. The US President warned that the “clock was ticking” for Iran to agree to a peace deal with Washington, threatening that “there won’t be anything left of them” if Iranian leaders fail to move quickly towards negotiations.
The latest US response to the Islamic Republic’s proposed negotiating framework offered no meaningful concessions, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported earlier.
Drone attacks in UAE
Regional tensions escalated further after a drone strike in the UAE’s Al Dhafra region sparked a fire in an electrical generator at the Barakah nuclear power plant. This is the Arab world’s only operational nuclear facility. Authorities said there was no radiological leak and reactors continued operating normally.
Israel-Lebanon updates
The security situation is also deteriorating on Israel’s northern front. Israel said it hit 100 targets in southern Lebanon over the past two days, despite negotiators agreeing to a 45-day extension of the supposed ceasefire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. The truce is rapidly losing ground as both.
A tense Strait of Hormuz
Iran announced it will soon put forward a new plan to regulate maritime traffic and impose shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption there could send palpitations through international energy markets already rattled by the war.
Israeli war on Gaza
The humanitarian toll in Gaza continues to climb. Six people were killed and 19 wounded by continued Israeli strikes over the last two days, the Palestinian health ministry said. Rescue workers also recovered four bodies from beneath the rubble.
Follow all the updates here:
May 18, 2026 10:53:37 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: Dozen US ammunition flights land in Israel amid fears of bombing Iran
US Iran news LIVE: Over a dozen US cargo planes carrying ammunition from bases in Germany have landed in Israel in the past 24 hours, according to Israeli Channel 13. The broadcaster reported that the shipments are part of preparations linked to a possible resumption of hostilities with Iran.
May 18, 2026 10:37:07 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: US’ Lindsey Graham calls for strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure
US Iran news LIVE: US Senator Lindsey Graham has called for tougher action against Iran. He called for strikes on its energy infrastructure to increase pressure during stalled nuclear negotiations with Washington.
Speaking to NBC, he described Iran’s energy network as its “soft underbelly” and argued that targeting it would force Tehran to negotiate on US terms. Graham said a repeat of past strategies would yield the “same result,” adding that Iran should be made to “hurt more” if it continues to resist a deal.
May 18, 2026 10:21:24 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: Israel operated second covert military site in Iraq, claims report
US Iran news LIVE: The Israeli military ran a second covert installation in Iraq’s western desert, a new report by The New York Times has alleged.
The site was located near al-Nukhaib and was allegedly used for operational support, including air assistance, refuelling, and medical services. It further claims that in an effort to conceal the facility, Israeli forces killed a local shepherd, identified as 29-year-old Awad al-Shammari, along with an Iraqi soldier.
The newspaper, citing regional officials, said the installation existed prior to the 12-day conflict involving Israel and Iran in June last year and may have been used during that period. It also suggested that the United States was aware of the site’s existence.
The report describes this facility as separate from another previously reported covert outpost, which was said to have been established shortly before the conflict and allegedly functioned as a logistical base for Israeli special forces and air operations.
There has been no official response from Iraqi authorities regarding these claims. Earlier on Sunday, Iraqi armed forces spokesperson Sabah al-Numan stated that Iraq would not permit its territory to be used as a “launching pad” for attacks against other countries, underscoring Baghdad’s concern over regional escalation.
May 18, 2026 9:44:57 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: ‘Hands off the Gaza flotilla’, says UN expert to Israel
US Iran news LIVE: UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has asked Mediterranean states to protect the Global Sumud Flotilla and called for support to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza Strip.
In a post on X, she called on states to “protect the civilian vessels that are trying to break Israel’s genocidal siege on Gaza,” and to “end complicity with apartheid,” and “make justice happen.”
Her appeal came as activists reported spotting a military vessel near the convoy, while Israeli media said authorities are preparing to intercept the flotilla.
May 18, 2026 9:38:24 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: Israel military on alert, may join US strikes on Iran, reports say
US Iran news LIVE: Israel’s military is on high alert and preparing for the possibility of renewed hostilities with Iran, potentially alongside the United States, the country’s media reports say.
Public broadcaster Kan cited an unnamed security official as saying Israel would join any new US strikes and could target Iranian energy infrastructure. The report came after a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Channel 12 also reported that the Israeli military has been placed on high alert amid “preparations for renewed fighting in Iran,” and said Israel expects to be informed by the US ahead of any strike, though timing remains unclear.
The broadcaster added that Trump is reportedly under pressure, including from China, to avoid further escalation and pursue a negotiated settlement instead.
May 18, 2026 9:20:18 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: Israel prepares to intercept Gaza-bound aid flotilla, reports say
US Iran news LIVE: Israeli forces are reportedly preparing to intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla, a 54-ship convoy attempting to break the blockade of Gaza Strip. Activists on board said they spotted a military vessel near the convoy, which is expected to reach Gaza waters within two days.
Israeli media reports, including Israel Hayom and Yedioth Ahronoth, say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security consultations ahead of the flotilla’s arrival. An Israeli source was quoted as saying forces would “control them” and take them to a “floating prison.”
The flotilla organisers say the mission is just to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.
May 18, 2026 8:59:49 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: End blockade before ‘Sea of Oman becomes your graveyard’, Tehran warns Washington
US Iran news LIVE: A senior Iranian official has warned the US over its maritime pressure on Iran. He said the country is prepared for escalation if the situation continues.
Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, said on state television that the US should end its “siege” of Iranian ports. “We advise the US military to end the siege before the Sea of Oman becomes your graveyard,” he said
He described the US blockade as an “act of war” and said Iran considers confronting it a legitimate response. Continued pressure would have global consequences, he said.
Rezaei also said negotiations depend on trust: “It is America that must prove itself now,” while insisting that “our armed forces have their finger on the trigger, and, at the same time, diplomacy continues.”
May 18, 2026 8:52:38 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: Strait of Hormuz now under extended IRGC control, says report
US Iran news LIVE: Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is now under expanded military control by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Authorities insist that all shipping through the key waterway must be coordinated with Iranian military forces.
Reporting from Hormuz Island, Al Jazeera said IRGC naval units claim authority over the strait and warn that military vessels will not be allowed to pass, while ships from “friendly countries” may be permitted and those from adversaries could be blocked.
May 18, 2026 8:35:24 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: Oil rises to $111, a 2-week high, after drone attack on UAE nuclear plant
US Iran war LIVE: Oil prices have surged to a two-week high after a drone attack on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
Brent crude rose above $111 a barrel and US WTI climbed above $107, driven by fears that prolonged war on Iran could disrupt energy supplies, especially around the Strait of Hormuz. Markets also reacted to reports that Trump is expected to discuss possible military options on Iran. (Reuters)
May 18, 2026 8:32:06 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: Trump seeks ‘victory narrative’ in Iran talks, says analyst
US Iran war LIVE: Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute says negotiations between the US and Iran remain stalled because US President Donald Trump is focused on shaping a “narrative of victory” that denies Iran any face-saving outcome.
He told Al Jazeera that Washington wants any agreement to be seen as Iran “caving” to US pressure, especially to Trump, even if it requires American concessions.
Parsi said both sides want to claim victory, but argued the deadlock persists because Trump is trying to ensure a “narrative of victory that negates the other side’s narrative of victory,” making it difficult for either side to agree to a compromise.
May 18, 2026 8:22:01 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: What Washington wants from Tehran
US Iran war LIVE: The US has reportedly presented a set of demands to resume stalled peace talks with Iran. These include Iran handing over 400 kg of enriched uranium, limiting its nuclear programme to a single facility, not receiving war reparations, and restricting access to frozen assets.
These demands came after Tehran submitted its peace proposal which was ‘garbage’, according to Trump. Iranian media said the US is seeking concessions it failed to secure during the war.
May 18, 2026 8:12:29 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: Israeli strike in Gaza soup kitchen kills 3 Palestinians
US Iran war LIVE: Three Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces struck a kitchen in the Gaza Strip that was providing meals to displaced people, according to local reports.
At least 871 people have been killed since the so-called “ceasefire” began last October, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said, amid continued violence in the area.
May 18, 2026 7:58:58 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: When Netanyahu said Tehran would collapse at the ‘first attack’
US Iran war LIVE: Former US defence secretary and ex-CIA director Robert Gates has recalled a 2009 meeting in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran would quickly collapse if attacked militarily.
Speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation, Gates said Netanyahu claimed the Iranian government was fragile and would “crumble at the first attack.” The view was strongly rejected by Gates. He told him he was “dead wrong” and underestimated “the resilience of the Iranians.”
Gates suggested Netanyahu’s assessment was shaped by earlier Israeli strikes on regional targets. This included Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 and Syria’s suspected nuclear facility in 2007, which faced limited retaliation. He argued these experiences may have led to an “unrealistic position” about how Iran would respond.
May 18, 2026 7:56:07 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: About the Barakah nuclear plant, struck by drones
US Iran news LIVE: The Barakah is the United Arab Emirates’ first and only nuclear power station and the first nuclear plant in the Arab world.
It was built in partnership with South Korea at a cost of around $20bn and began full commercial operation in 2021. The plant supplies roughly 25% of the UAE’s electricity and is considered a major part of the country’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The UAE operates it under an agreement with the United States, which allows it to import nuclear fuel rather than develop domestic uranium enrichment or reprocessing capabilities. It is often cited as a model for a “safe and peaceful” civilian nuclear energy programme.
The plant was targeted in a drone attack that caused a fire at an electric generator, though UAE authorities said there was no radioactive leak and no risk to the public.
May 18, 2026 7:44:49 AM IST
US Iran news LIVE: Yemen’s Houthis restate support for Palestine amid Israeli onslaught
US Iran news LIVE: Yemen’s Houthis have repeated their support for Palestinian armed groups in Gaza following the reported Israeli killing of a senior Hamas commander.
In a condolence message on Telegram, Houthi military figure Yusuf Hassan al-Madani described the death of commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad as a major loss for the Palestinian movement and the wider region.
Al-Madani said the Houthis would continue joint efforts with Hamas and allied factions “until victory is achieved.”
May 18, 2026 7:42:07 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: French left leader slams ‘European complicity’ in US-Israeli war on Iran
US Iran war LIVE: Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leading figure of France’s left-wing La France Insoumise party, has accused Europe of enabling the US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The attacks, he says, have now boiled over to a wider regional conflict.
In a post on X, he said: “La France Insoumise” sees “Trump and Netanyahu’s crude threats to destroy Iran” as being possible only due to “European complicity,” and described global peace as reduced to the interests of “Trump and Netanyahu’s colonialism.”
He also asked French voters to reject “France’s alignment with these criminals” and to “break the leash” in the 2027 presidential election.
May 18, 2026 7:28:46 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: Tehran official shares ‘The Apprentice’ clip in apparent jab at Trump
US Iran war LIVE: Esmaeil Baghaei shared a clip from the 2024 biopic The Apprentice in an apparent swipe at Donald Trump.
The scene features Roy Cohn, Trump’s mentor in the film, outlining “rules for winning”, including “claim victory and never admit defeat” and being “willing to do anything to anyone”.
The post comes as Iranian officials and affiliated accounts continue to mock Trump over the widely criticised US attacks on Iran. Baghaei has previously referenced figures such as Aime Cesaire and Farid al-Din Attar in commentary on US policy.
May 18, 2026 7:13:43 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: Trump ‘seriously considering’ more military action against Tehran, says expert
US Iran war LIVE: US President Donald Trump is “seriously considering taking additional military action” against Iran, Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, told Al Jazeera.
Parsi said the situation shows the US administration recognises “that not only was the previous war a failure, but also that the blockade … which was supposed to break the Iranians and avoid this scenario – was also a failure”.
He warned that both sides increasingly believe “that one more round of fighting will give them the benefits, the advantage in future negotiations”.
On the Iranian side, he added, “those who had made that argument earlier on believe that they were proven right, given how this war has been conducted.”
May 18, 2026 6:43:24 AM IST
US Iran war LIVE: Activists sailing to Gaza report military ship near aid flotilla
US Iran war LIVE: A Spanish activist aboard one of the vessels heading to Gaza to challenge Israel’s blockade said the flotilla had encountered a possible military threat at sea.
Pablo Quesada Martin wrote on X that “what appeared to be a military vessel” had been spotted near the convoy, prompting security protocols to be activated. The flotilla is part of an activist effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza despite Israel’s naval blockade.
Israel has previously intercepted and detained activists attempting similar missions. Last month, Israeli forces stopped 22 vessels near the Greek island of Crete.