US Politics
Iran-US war latest: Tehran warns of ‘heavy assault’ if ships attacked as Trump awaits response to peace proposal
Iran warns countries complying with US sanctions will face Gulf transit difficulties
Vessels from countries that comply with US sanctions against Iran will from now on “undoubtedly face difficulties” crossing the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said.
Iranian lawmakers have said they are drafting a bill to formalise Iran’s management of the Strait of Hormuz, with clauses including forbidding passage to vessels of “hostile states”.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar10 May 2026 07:59
Israel continues to strike Lebanon

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar10 May 2026 07:42
Germany revives effort to buy US Tomahawks, FT reports
Germany is reviving efforts to buy Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of Berlin’s strategy.
The Tomahawk Land Attack Missile is a long-range cruise missile typically launched from sea to attack targets in deep-strike missions.
In February, the Pentagon said it had signed a seven-year deal with Raytheon to increase Tomahawk production as its stockpiles have been depleted by the war with Iran.
Berlin hopes to persuade the Trump administration to agree to the sale of the Tomahawks together with their Typhon ground launchers,the newspaper said.
Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius is planning a trip to Washington, the report said, in a bid to revive Berlin’s proposal to purchase long-range systems, which was first submitted in July last year. The US has yet to respond. The visit, however, hinges upon whether Pistorius can secure a meeting with Pete Hegseth, his US counterpart, unnamed sources told the FT.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar10 May 2026 07:39
UK authorities say cargo ship hit by unknown projectile near Qatar
A bulk carrier reported being struck by an unknown projectile while sailing 23 nautical miles northeast of Doha, Qatar, the UK Maritime Trade Operations said on Sunday.
The incident sparked a small fire that was extinguished, with the vessel’s master reporting no casualties or environmental impact, UKMTO said.
Authorities are investigating the source of the projectile, while vessels in the area have been advised to transit with caution. Ships were asked to report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.
Adam Withnall10 May 2026 06:39
Lebanon says 39 killed in intense Israeli airstrikes
Lebanon’s health ministry says a total of 39 people have been killed in intense Israeli strikes on Saturday.
Three Israeli drone strikes on vehicles just south of Beirut on Saturday killed four people while a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 13, including a man and his 12-year-old daughter, state media and the health ministry said.
The three drone strikes south of Beirut marked another escalation since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on 17 April. Both Israel and Hezbollah have continued their daily attacks despite the truce.
Adam Withnall10 May 2026 05:32
Recap: Iran can withstand Trump’s blockade for months, says US intelligence
New analysis by the CIA suggests that the Islamic Republic may be more resilient than expected and could withstand the economic pain of the blockade until later this year.
Adam Withnall10 May 2026 03:49
Iranians urged to limit electricity and gas
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian urged Iranians to limit electricity and gas after a US blockade interrupted the flow of shipments to Iran, state media reported.
“In the current situation, we must prevent pressure on the country’s energy grid through public participation and consumption management,” Pezeshkian said.
Andrea Cavallier10 May 2026 02:45
Qatari prime minister meets with Witkoff, Rubio
The Qatari prime minister met with Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday, CBS News reported.
A State Department spokesperson later confirmed Rubio’s meeting with the prime minister, saying in a statement that they “discussed U.S. support for Qatar’s defense, and the importance of continued close coordination to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East.”
Andrea Cavallier10 May 2026 02:15
Iran threatens to target U.S. sites in Middle East
The Iranian Revolutionary Guards threatened to target U.S. sites in the Middle East if Iran’s tankers come under fire, Iranian media reported.
“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial vessels will result in a heavy attack on one of the American centers in the region and enemy ships,” the Guards said.
Andrea Cavallier10 May 2026 01:33
Trump ends 7-hour hiatus from Truth Social with flurry of posts of AI Iran war pictures and golf tournament on TV
After a roughly seven-hour lull on Truth Social Saturday, President Donald Trump resurfaced with a burst of over a dozen posts featuring AI-generated Iran war images and golf tournament snapshots.
His account had been inactive through most of the morning and early afternoon, but at 3:51 p.m., the 79-year-old Republican shared an artificial image showing drones marked with Iranian flags plunging into the sea, describing them as “dropping like butterflies.”
Moments later, he followed up with another fabricated visual depicting a U.S. warship firing laser beams into the sky, triggering explosions. The caption read: “Bye Bye, Drones.”
Trump then shifted his focus to criticizing his Democratic predecessors — Joe Biden and Barack Obama — appearing to fault them for not taking military action against Iran.
A split-screen graphic showed a destroyed Iranian naval fleet under the label “Trump,” contrasted with intact vessels under “Obama/Biden,” echoing Trump’s statement last month that U.S. forces had sunk 159 Iranian ships.
Andrea Cavallier10 May 2026 00:10
