Here's the latest
• Latest on ceasefire: President Donald Trump said the ceasefire between the US and Iran is on “massive life support” following Iran’s latest counterproposal to end hostilities, which he called “simply unacceptable.” The talks are unlikely to make significant progress until the US president meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week, a regional source told CNN.
• Iran rejects criticism: Iran’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that its proposal, which state media reported included recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, was “reasonable” and “generous.”
• Strait of Hormuz: Oman’s foreign minister said there is an “urgent need” to free ships stranded along the strait, following a meeting with the International Maritime Organization. The critical global shipping route passes between Iran and Oman.
• Energy crisis: Oil prices are climbing after Trump’s dismissal of Iran’s latest terms, sparking fears of a fresh escalation in the conflict that would keep the vital Strait of Hormuz closed even longer.
Hezbollah reports three attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon
Hezbollah said it launched three attacks on Israeli forces in two parts of southern Lebanon on Monday, putting further strain on the ceasefire proclaimed last month by US President Donald Trump.
The militant group said it targeted Israeli military vehicles and soldiers in a drone strike in the town of Tayr Harfa on Monday morning. It claimed that “flames were seen rising from one of the fuel tankers at the site.”
Hezbollah said it launched another drone strike on an Israeli position in the town three hours later, that time targeting an Israeli military Humvee.
It also said it targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers near the Deir Seryan riverbed on Monday afternoon.
Asked by CNN for comment, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Hezbollah had launched a number of rockets and drones toward Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.
Monday’s strikes come after an Israeli soldier was killed in a drone attack near the border with Lebanon on Sunday.
CNN’s Dana Karni contributed to this report.
Catch up on what Trump just told reporters at the Oval Office
US President Donald Trump answered questions on the Iran war while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, saying that the current ceasefire with Tehran is on “massive life support.”
Here’s a look at what else he said about the conflict:
- Trump accused Iran of reneging on an agreement to allow the US to remove its supply of enriched uranium.
- He expressed frustration with the state of talks to end the Iran war, telling reporters that Iranian leaders “change their mind” when the parties appear to reach points of agreement.
- Trump also said there are “moderates” and “lunatics” in dealing with Iran, and the “moderates are dying to make a deal.”
- The president told reporters he has “the best plan ever” to end the war, again blasting an Iranian counterproposal as “simply unacceptable.”
- Trump said he’s “very disappointed in the Kurds” when discussing efforts to arm the Iranian people.
CNN’s Michael Williams, Adam Cancryn, Donald Judd, Aileen Graef and Morgan Leason contributed to this reporting.
Trump says he’s “disappointed in the Kurds”
President Donald Trump said Monday he’s “very disappointed in the Kurds” when discussing efforts to arm the Iranian people.
“They want to go out on the streets. They have no weapons. They have no guns. We thought the Kurds were going to give us weapons, but the Kurds disappointed us,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
CNN reported in March that CIA was working to arm Kurdish forces with the aim of fomenting a popular uprising in Iran.
Trump claimed he knew the effort wasn’t going to work. “I said it wasn’t going to work, by the way, I just have to say it. I disagreed with what they did. They gave it. I said they’ll never get there. And I was right,” he said.
“We sent some guns with ammunition, and it was supposed to be delivered, but they kept it,” Trump added.
Trump says Iranian negotiators "change their mind" after appearing to agree to deal
President Donald Trump expressed frustration Monday with the state of talks to end the Iran war, telling reporters in the Oval Office that Iran’s leaders “change their mind” when the parties appear to reach points of agreement.
“Look, I’ve had to deal with them four or five times – they change their mind,” Trump said. “They’re very dishonorable people, the leadership.”
The president said that leaders in Iran who took over after their predecessors were killed in strikes have been “more reasonable.” But that hasn’t produced a deal.
“I’ve had that in business many times that, you know, the mind changes,” Trump said. He said the sides would appear to a “make a deal, and then the next day they send you a document that takes five days to get there, when it should have been there in 20 minutes.”
“You know, it’s pretty simple document,” he added. “They will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump says he has the “best plan ever” to end war with Iran
President Donald Trump told reporters Monday he has “the best plan ever” to end the war with Iran, again blasting an Iranian counterproposal as “simply unacceptable.”
Speaking from behind the Resolute Desk, the president blasted Iran’s latest offer — which he called “a stupid proposal” — saying any agreement between the two nations would require Iran to pledge to stop pursuing a nuclear program.
“You know, in war, you have to change, you have to be flexible, you have a lot of plans, but you have to do different plans in different days,” Trump said.
“But I have a great plan — but the plan is they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he added. “And they didn’t say that in their letter.”
Trump says Iranian moderates are "dying to make a deal"
President Donald Trump said there are “moderates” and “lunatics” in dealing with Iran, and the “moderates are dying to make a deal.”
“You have the moderates, and you have the lunatics. And I think the moderates are more respected. The lunatics want to fight till the end,” he told reporters in the Oval Office Monday.
Trump said he thinks the moderates are “more respected.”
“The moderates are dying to make a deal. And then you have the lunatics, and I guess they’re a little bit afraid of the lunatics,” he said.
Ceasefire with Iran is on "massive life support," Trump says
President Donald Trump said Monday that the monthlong ceasefire between the US and Iran is on “massive life support.”
While Trump said the ceasefire remains in place, he said it is “unbelievably weak.”
“I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,” the president told reporters in the Oval Office.
Both Iran and the US have fired shots at each other in the Strait of Hormuz since the ceasefire took effect.
Trump accuses Iran of reneging on deal to remove enriched uranium
President Donald Trump on Monday accused Iran of reneging on an agreement to allow the US to remove its supply of enriched uranium.
“They did two days ago,” he said from the Oval Office. “But they changed their mind, because they didn’t put it in the paper.”
Trump’s remarks followed his declaration that the most recent Iranian counterproposal to end the war was “unacceptable.”
In negotiations leading up to that proposal, the president said, Iran told the administration that it would give up its enriched uranium, but that the US would have to come and remove it.
“They told me, number one, you’re getting it, but you’re going to have to take it out,” Trump said of the uranium buried under the nuclear sites that the US bombed last year. “The site was so obliterated that there’s only one or two countries in the world that could get it.”
Trump added that China was the other country the Iranians said was capable of retrieving the uranium.
Despite those discussions, Trump said Iran did not include that agreement as part of its latest submission to the US.
“They just can’t get there,” he said. “They agree with us and then they take it back.”
Trump indicates he'll keep dealing with Iranian regime
US President Donald Trump indicated Monday he would continue pursuing a diplomatic solution with the current Iranian regime despite dismissing the latest proposal to the US.
“They’re going to fold,” Trump told Fox News’ John Roberts when asked about hardliners in the regime and whether there needs to be more change to leadership. “I will deal with them until they make a deal,” the president said, according to Roberts.
Trump reiterated that he could resume Project Freedom but said the US Navy guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz would “only be a piece of it,” according to Roberts. He also told CBS News on Monday that a possible resumption of the project would be “much more severe.”
In the same CBS phone interview, the president said the latest Iranian response did make concessions on the nuclear issue but said they were “not enough.”
Progress in Iran-US talks may depend on outcome of Trump's China visit, source says
Talks between the United States and Iran won’t make significant progress before President Donald Trump meets with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week, according to a regional source close to the negotiations process.
The source told CNN that movement on the talks will “depend on the results of President Trump’s visit to Beijing.”
The source pointed out that it was “very likely” that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi will be in Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Thursday and Friday - the same days that Trump is in Beijing.
The source told CNN that Araghchi’s presence at the BRICS meeting “is important,” as the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia and Egypt will also likely be in attendance. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are among the countries facilitating backchannel dialogue between the US and Iran that is being mediated by Pakistan.
The Saudi and Egyptian foreign ministers have yet to confirm they will be attending the conference.
“China is going to be an important player in ensuring that the dialogue continues,” the source added.
Trump calls for federal gas tax suspension, which would require act of Congress
President Donald Trump said Monday that he wants to suspend the federal gas tax, in an effort to bring down gas prices that would require action from Congress.
In an interview with CBS News, Trump pushed for halting the taxes for an indefinite period, with plans to phase them back in when prices jolted by the war with Iran go back down.
“We’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in,” he said, according to CBS News.
The federal gas tax imposes an 18.4 cent-per-gallon levy on gas and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel. But suspending those excise taxes would require an act of Congress — a step that lawmakers have declined to take in prior periods of elevated gas prices.
Oil market won’t return to normal this year if Strait of Hormuz doesn’t reopen soon, Saudi oil giant warns
When 2026 started, closing the Strait of Hormuz was unthinkable. Now, the unthinkable hasn’t just happened, it’s been happening for 10 straight weeks.
The supply shock is so immense that Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil exporting company, is now publicly warning the issue may not get resolved this year.
If the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is “delayed by a few more weeks, then normalization will last into 2027,” Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser told analysts on a conference call Monday.
Even if the vital waterway were to reopen today, Aramco warns it would “still take months for the market to rebalance.”
In other words, even in the best-case scenario, pre-war lower energy prices are most likely not coming back anytime soon.
With the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, the world has been rapidly drawing down oil inventories, which act as shock absorbers for the system.
Crude oil inventories are on track to plunge below 2022 levels and approach “operational stress levels by early June,” JPMorgan Chase told clients on Monday.
JPMorgan argued vanishing oil inventories will “force” the reopening of Hormuz “one way or another.”
However, the bank cautioned that supplies won’t normalize quickly and barrels of crude oil will likely stay in the “low $100s for most of the rest of the year.”
Oman warns of “urgent need” to open Strait of Hormuz after talks with IMO chief
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said there is an “urgent need” to free ships stranded along the Strait of Hormuz following a meeting with Arsenio Dominguez, head of the International Maritime Organization.
“We focused on the maritime challenge in the Strait of Hormuz, the importance of adherence to International law, and respect for the sovereignty of territorial waters. There is an urgent need to advance a humanitarian initiative to free ships in the Gulf, in safety and in cooperation with the littoral states,” Albusaidi said in a social media post.
Tehran has pushed to assert its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, which it has effectively blocked since the US and Israel started their war against Iran ten weeks ago.
The critical global shipping route bypasses both Iran and Oman and normally carries a significant share of the world’s oil exports from Gulf producers, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Israeli military jails soldiers who desecrated, photographed statue of Virgin Mary in Lebanon
The Israeli military jailed two soldiers who desecrated and photographed a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon.
A photo of the incident circulated on social media, showing one of the soldiers holding a cigarette to the mouth of the statue. That soldier was sentenced to 21 days in military prison, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, and the soldier who took the picture was sentenced to 14 days.
“The IDF views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities,” military said in a statement.
The IDF said the incident, which occurred in the predominantly Christian village of Debel, happened “several weeks ago.”
The photo’s circulation follows two other incidents in the same village, a small, predominantly Christian village in southern Lebanon that the Israeli military has occupied for weeks. The military jailed two troops and questioned six others after an Israeli soldier was photographed damaging a statue of Jesus Christ in April.
Days later, the IDF said it had launched another review after a video appeared to show Israeli troops damaging solar panels and a vehicle outside of Debel.
Iran wants sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz. Oman also has rights to the waterway
In its latest counter-proposal to the US to end the war, Iran requested sovereignty over the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, state media reported.
The vital waterway, which Iran has effectively closed since the US and Israel began the war back in February, bypasses both Iran and Oman. It is the main route for shipping crude from oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the rest of the world.
Both Tehran and Muscat have Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the strait.
According to the United Nations, a state has “sovereign rights” to explore, exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources of the waters in its EEZ.
However, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), “ships of all States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.”
A coastal state should not “hamper the innocent passage of foreign ships through the territorial sea,” it says, except in specific outlined scenarios. It may “take the necessary steps in its territorial sea to prevent passage which is not innocent,” UNCLOS outlines.
Iranian, Saudi foreign ministers speak for the second time in 24 hours, Iranian state media says
Iran and Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministers spoke on Monday for the second time in 24 hours, Iranian state media reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, spoke about the “latest developments” relating to the ongoing diplomatic process between Iran and the United States, the state news agency IRNA reported.
State-run Saudi Press Agency said bin Farhan received a call from Araghchi on Monday and that the two exchanged views on the US-Iran talks.
The two countries had come into rare confrontation during this conflict when Iran targeted Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes against its own territory.
Iran says proposal to US was "reasonable" following Trump's rejection. Catch up here
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said earlier today that Iran’s most recent proposal to the US to end the war was reasonable and generous, following condemnation from President Donald Trump.
Here’s a round-up of the other latest developments in the region:
- Iran’s counter-proposal to the United States’ plan to end the war included recognition of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and a demand for compensation, Iranian state media reported today.
- Oil prices are rising again today, after Trump dismissed Iran’s latest terms to end the war, sparking fears of a fresh escalation in the conflict that would keep the vital Strait of Hormuz shuttered for even longer.
- US Energy Secretary Chris Wright yesterday suggested the administration may consider suspending the federal gas tax, saying it supports “all measures” to try and lower gas prices.
- This morning’s front pages in Iran portrayed an Islamic Republic preparing for the possible resumption of war with the US and Israel.
- Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack near the Lebanon border yesterday as fighting continued, putting the shaky ceasefire between the countries under increased pressure.
- Britain and France will host defense ministers from various nations tomorrow to discuss military plans for restoring trade flow in the Strait of Hormuz, the British government said.
CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Aida Karimi, Xiaoqian Lin, Hanna Ziady, Aileen Graef, Nadeen Ebrahim, Oren Liebermann and Laura Sharman contributed to this reporting.
Israeli strikes are strengthening support for Hezbollah, expert says
Israel’s military offensive in southern Lebanon is fueling support for the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, a regional expert has said, despite growing local pressure for the group to disarm.
“The polarization within the country has increased.” said Maha Yahya, director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
On Sunday, the Israeli military issued more evacuation warnings for parts of southern Lebanon and announced a new wave of strikes targeting what it said was Hezbollah infrastructure.
Since March 2, 2,869 people have been killed in Lebanon and 8,730 have been injured, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
CNN’s Oren Liebermann contributed to this post.
Hezbollah releases video showing drone striking Iron Dome battery
Hezbollah released a video on Sunday showing first-person footage from a drone striking an Iron Dome missile battery in northern Israel.
The video, shot on Thursday, shows the drone flying low over the countryside before it turns directly toward a missile battery belonging to Israel’s vaunted aerial defense system. The battery is sheltered behind a concrete barrier, but the drone approaches from an unprotected side. The video cuts out as the drone appears to strike the battery.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that one soldier was severely injured and another moderately injured as a result of the attack. “The incident concluded without any impact on the system’s functionality or interception capabilities,” the IDF said.
The video also shows footage from the next day, in which another drone approaches and detonates near a group of soldiers. The IDF said on Friday that several soldiers had been injured in a Hezbollah drone attack.
For years, Israel’s Iron Dome aerial defense system has proven incredibly effective at intercepting higher-flying rockets from Hamas and Hezbollah. The system is also capable of intercepting mortars. But it appears vulnerable to threats that approach below the radar, such as the explosive drones that Hezbollah has increasingly been using. Some of Hezbollah’s drones also use hardwired fiber-optic cables to prevent jamming or interference.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had launched a “special project” to deal with the threat of drones. “It will take time,” he acknowledged, “but we are on it.”
How US-Iran peace talks have developed in the past month
US President Donald Trump said a recent Iranian counter-proposal to end the war was “totally unacceptable,” but Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson described its proposed terms as “reasonable.”
Delegations from the two countries first met in Pakistan for peace discussions exactly a month ago. Here’s a look at what has happened with talks since then:
- April 11: US and Iranian officials meet for face-to-face talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, lasting 21 hours.
- April 12: US Vice President JD Vance announces the sides have “not reached an agreement,” largely because of Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear program. The leader of the Iranian negotiators, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, says the US failed to gain the trust of the Iranian side.
- April 13: The US implements a blockade of Iranian ports, as a US official says the US and Iran are still engaged in talks.
- April 17: After Iran says it will reopen the Strait of Hormuz in response to a separate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, Trump says the US’ blockade of Iranian ports will continue until a final deal to end the war is agreed. Iran says it will close the strait again if the blockade continues.
- April 18: Iran says it is once again shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, blaming the US for “breaches of trust.” Trump says that negotiations are still ongoing. Ghalibaf says the US and Iran are “still far from a final agreement” in an interview with state television.
- April 19: Trump says US representatives will be traveling to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations with Iran, while Iranian state media reports that Iran’s presence in Islamabad is not confirmed.
- April 20: Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says “as of now,” Iran has “no plans for the next round of negotiations.” Trump says it’s “highly unlikely” he will extend the ceasefire, which he says will expire in two days.
- April 21: Trump says he expects to continue bombing Iran if a deal to extend the ceasefire is not reached by the next day. Pakistan’s information minister says he is still trying to convince Iran to participate in talks. In the afternoon, Trump says he will extend the ceasefire until Iran submits a proposal to end the conflict permanently.
- April 25: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, then leaves the country in the evening. Trump says he has canceled a scheduled trip for the US delegation to visit Pakistan, due to “infighting” among Iran’s leadership.
- April 27: Iran’s state media Fars reports that Araghchi gave a list of Iran’s “red lines” to be conveyed to the US during his trip to Pakistan. A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that Iran has put forward a new proposal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz but leaves the state of talks on key US demands unclear. Sources tell CNN that Trump signaled he is not likely to accept the new proposal.
- April 29: Trump says that he has rejected Iran’s proposal of lifting the US blockade and opening the Strait of Hormuz, saying he first wants some guarantees on curbing the Iranian nuclear program. He also says that negotiations to end the war with Iran are happening “telephonically.”
- May 1: Sources familiar with the negotiation process tell CNN that Iran has sent a proposal to Pakistani mediators, which Trump says he is “not satisfied” with. The US leader says his options are to try and make a deal with Iran or “go and just blast the hell out of them.”
- May 2: A senior Iranian military official says renewed conflict with the US is “possible” after Trump rejected Iran’s proposal. Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reports that Tehran has submitted a 14-point response to a US proposal, as Trump says he will soon review a new plan from Iran. He adds that he “can’t imagine that it would be acceptable.”
- May 3: Baghaei says the US has responded to Iran’s proposal and that Tehran is reviewing Washington’s reply, as US special envoy Steve Witkoff tells CNN that his country is “in conversation” with Iran. Trump announces that the US will begin guiding ships through the Strait of Hormuz the next day and says his representatives “are having very positive discussions” with Iran
- May 4: Iran says that “any foreign military force, especially the invading American army … will be attacked” if they try to approach or enter the Strait of Hormuz. Later in the day, US Central Command chief Adm. Bradley Cooper tells reporters that the US and Iran have traded shots in the waterway. Trump declines to say if the ceasefire with Iran is still in effect.
- May 5: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insists the “ceasefire is not over,” while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says his country’s combat operation launched in February against Iran has ended. Trump announces that the mission to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz will pause, citing “great progress” in talks with Iran.
- May 6: Trump issues another warning to Iran, saying if an agreement isn’t made, the “bombing starts” at a “higher level and intensity than it was before.” A source familiar with negotiations tells CNN that the US and Iran are moving closer to an agreement on a memorandum to end the war.
- May 7: Baghaei says his country is still reviewing “messages” from the US, according to Iranian semi-official media. Later in the day, US forces attack Iranian military facilities that US Central Command says targeted US warships. Trump says the ceasefire is still in effect.
- May 9: Witkoff and Rubio meet with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, according to the US State Department.
- May 10: Iranian state media reports that the country has sent its response to the latest US proposal. Trump says on social media that Iran “has been playing games” with the US and the world for “47 years,” and later calls Iran’s most recent peace proposal “totally unacceptable.”
- May 11: Iranian state media reports that Tehran’s counter-proposal to the US included recognition of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and a demand for compensation for war damages. Baghaei says the counter-proposal was reasonable and generous, following Trump’s comments.
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Kit Maher, Sophia Saifi, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Sophie Tanno, Kevin Liptak, Tim Lister, Aida Karimi, Riane Lumer, Alayna Treene, Elise Hammond, Nadeen Ebrahim, Adam Pourahmadi, Donald Judd, Alejandra Jaramillo, Mitchell McCluskey, Betsy Klein, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Nic Robertson, Max Saltman, Lex Harvey, Issy Ronald, Mostafa Salem, Natasha Bertrand, Isabelle D’Antonio, Billy Stockwell, Zachary Cohen, Aleena Fayaz and Xiaoqian Lin contributed to this reporting.
