Iran war day 81: Trump delays attack; Tehran says won’t ‘surrender’

The US president says helium held disconnected a scheduled onslaught connected Iran aft unit from Gulf allies arsenic renewed talks summation momentum amid tensions.

United States President Donald Trump said he postponed a planned attack connected Iran aft requests from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, adding that “serious negotiations are present taking place” down the scenes.

The comments suggest renewed diplomatic efforts are nether mode amid weeks of escalating tensions betwixt Washington and Tehran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended Tehran’s participation successful talks portion rejecting suggestions that the state was backing down nether pressure. “Dialogue does not mean surrender,” helium said, adding that Iran had entered negotiations “with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation’s rights”.

Meanwhile, determination is nary letup successful Israeli attacks connected Lebanon arsenic the decease toll crossed 3,000, with astatine slightest 7 radical reported killed connected Monday, according to section reports, contempt a US-brokered hold of the “ceasefire”.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its forces struck groups linked to the US and Israel successful the occidental state of Kurdistan, adjacent the borderline with Iraq. In a connection carried by the ISNA quality agency, it said groups from “northern Iraq and acting connected behalf of the US and the Zionist authorities were attempting to smuggle a ample shipment of American weapons and ammunition” into Iran.
• The IRGC said fibre-optic cables passing done the Strait of Hormuz could beryllium brought nether a strategy of permits arsenic Tehran tightens power implicit the waterway. “Following the imposition of power implicit the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, citing its implicit sovereignty implicit the furniture and subsoil of its territorial oversea … could state that each fibre-optic cables passing done the waterway are taxable to permits,” the IRGC said successful a societal media post.
• Mohsen Rezaei, a subordinate of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, mocked Trump for mounting and past cancelling a deadline for a subject onslaught connected Iran, saying Tehran would not surrender nether pressure. In a station connected X, helium said the “iron fist” of Iran’s equipped forces and radical would unit the US “to retreat and surrender”.
• Major-General Ali Abdollahi, commandant of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned the US and its allies against making different “strategic mistake oregon miscalculation”, according to the Tasnim quality agency. He said Iranian forces were stronger and much prepared than before, adding that immoderate renewed aggression would look a effect “far much powerful” than erstwhile confrontations.

War diplomacy

• Pakistan has been playing a cardinal role successful indirect negotiations betwixt Washington and Tehran, with Iran saying it delivered its effect to the latest US connection done Islamabad. Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has besides expressed enactment for Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed astatine resolving the situation done diplomatic means.

In the US

• The US president touted a “very affirmative development” in talks with Iran, which convinced him to postpone a planned subject attack. He said allies successful the Middle East told him “they are getting precise adjacent to making a deal” that would permission Iran without atomic weapons.
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US has extended its sanctions waiver for Russian lipid cargoes already astatine oversea by 30 days, arsenic planetary vigor prices proceed to surge owed to the war. The latest “temporary 30-day wide license” volition “provide the astir susceptible nations with the quality to temporarily entree Russian lipid presently stranded astatine sea,” helium said successful a societal media post.
• Matt Duss, enforcement vice president astatine the Center for International Policy, said Trump’s insistence that Iran judge zero uranium enrichment had made a woody impossible. In a station connected X, helium called the request a “poison pill” pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “warmongers” successful Washington who “wanted a war”, adding that negotiations could resume if Trump reversed the position.
• Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, said the warfare is becoming a increasing governmental occupation for Trump arsenic Americans look rising surviving costs and economical unit linked to the conflict. While Trump has dismissed concerns and insisted conditions volition amended erstwhile the struggle ends, Hanna said, galore voters stay unconvinced, with dissatisfaction threatening to signifier the November midterm elections and perchance wounded Republicans astatine the ballot box.
• Henry Ensher, a erstwhile US ambassador to Algeria, said Trump is nether increasing unit not to motorboat further attacks connected Iran due to the fact that determination are “no bully subject options”. He told Al Jazeera that a large-scale onslaught could “draw large disapproval if it fails to alteration Iran’s behaviour”.

In Lebanon, Gaza and Iraq

• Lebanon decease toll: Israeli strikes person killed more than 3,000 people successful Lebanon since March 2, the Ministry of Public Health said. “The full cumulative toll of the aggression from March 2 to May 18 is present arsenic follows: 3,020 martyrs and 9,273 wounded,” the ministry said, with 211 radical aged 18 and beneath and 116 healthcare workers among those killed.
• Hezbollah’s drone onslaught connected Israeli troops: The Lebanese radical said it attacked Israeli soldiers with drones successful the confederate municipality of Rachaf successful retaliation for deadly Israeli strikes connected villages successful the south. There was nary contiguous remark from the Israeli military.
• Western Iraq operations intensify: Iraqi forces carried retired large-scale sweeps successful occidental godforsaken areas pursuing unconfirmed reports of covert Israeli subject sites successful the region. Iraqi authorities person denied the beingness of immoderate unauthorised overseas bases connected their territory.
• Israeli raids successful Ramallah: Israeli forces stormed respective areas successful Ramallah successful the occupied West Bank, including the villages of al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah. According to the Wafa quality agency, determination were confrontations successful al-Mughayyir aft Israeli troops fired toxic state canisters.
• Gaza-bound assistance ships seized: Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla accidental Israeli forces continued to intercept vessels heading to Gaza successful planetary waters. They said the vas Perseverance, carrying volunteers from Australia, Belgium, Canada and France, was attacked and its unit detained. About 30 vessels stay en way aft astatine slightest 47 vessels were seized, they said. Malaysia, Qatar and Turkiye person condemned the Israeli action.