Washington DC [US], May 5 (ANI): In a stern warning to Tehran, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth officially defined the parameters of Project Freedom on Tuesday, characterising the mission as a temporary but 'locked and loaded' defensive measure to end Iranian interference in global shipping.
Lebanon open to European troops after Unifil withdrawal, president says Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said he is open to France and other European countries maintaining a military presence in southern Lebanon following the planned withdrawal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon later this year. In comments shared by the presidency on X, Aoun said Lebanon “welcomes the willingness of France and other European countries to keep their forces in the south after the beginning of the withdrawal of UNIFIL, in order to help the Lebanese army maintain security and stability, provided that the framework under which these forces will operate is defined in consultation with the concerned countries and the United Nations”.
Conflict appears to have reached painful stalemate, but leaders in Tehran and Washington seem to think victory is near The month-old ceasefire between Iran and the US appeared to be in new peril on Tuesday with a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles reported to have targeted the United Arab Emirates as US naval forces pressed ahead with efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz. The Iranian strike on the UAE was the second in 48 hours, and came shortly after the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted the shaky truce which has paused the war in the Middle East was intact, despite the new increase in violence. Continue reading...
From research reactors and Western contracts to blockades and threats of war, Iran's nuclear history is also a history of Western reversal What's 3,000 people killed in Iran, 2,020 killed in Lebanon, 23 in Israel, and more than a dozen in Gulf states after the US launched its war against Iran?
IRGC warns vessels against unauthorised routes in Strait of Hormuz Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has warned ships not to pass through the Strait of Hormuz using routes it has not approved, saying any violations would prompt a “decisive response”. “We warn all vessels that intend to transit the strait, the only safe route… is the corridor previously announced by Iran,” the IRGC Navy said in a statement carried by Fars news agency. “The diversion of vessels to other routes is unsafe and will face a decisive response from the IRGC Navy.
The president is trying to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, but Iran’s government is unlikely to make a deal without a big, face-saving compromise.
US says Hormuz ‘Project Freedom’ is temporary operation A US Central Command spokesperson said the military’s “Project Freedom” initiative in the Strait of Hormuz is a temporary operation aimed at securing maritime transit. Speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic, the spokesperson said the plan is establishing a “safe corridor” and a “security umbrella” across the waterway. They added that shipowners and insurance firms have reacted positively so far, noting that the operation has “just begun”.
ABU DHABI, 5th May, 2026 (WAM) -- Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority, affirmed that the anniversary of the unification of the UAE Armed Forces this year carries profound significance that goes beyond commemorating this pivotal milestone in the nation's exceptional journey, offering clear evidence of present capability and the strength of readiness for the future.
Insurers assess shipping risks amid uncertainty in Iran war Marcus Baker, global head of marine, cargo and logistics for insurance broker and risk adviser Marsh Risk, said it would take a few days to see how the insurance market reacts. “We just have to see what happens, whether the Iranians keep the peace, whether the Americans keep the peace, and exactly what that’s going mean for shipping,” he said. Broker added: “There’s rhetoric from both sides on this, and we’ve just got to be mindful of that.
Pakistan says there's ‘significant progress’ in efforts to end war on Iran Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said there has been “significant progress” in ongoing negotiations in the US-Israeli war on Iran, adding that steps have been taken to prevent attacks on Gulf states. “Consultations are ongoing to end the conflict, and we are hopeful that with the support of several capitals, we will succeed in ending the conflict. The goal is to end the conflict in a win-win way for both sides,” Dar said.
Israeli strikes kill two Palestinians near Gaza City At least two Palestinians have been killed and several others wounded in Israeli strikes near Gaza City, according to Wafa news agency. Bombing in the area of Bahloul Station, west of the city, killed a child and injured a number of people. Another strike near Kuwait Roundabout left one person dead and three others wounded, the report added.
Called the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, it adds laser guidance to a weapon first used in the Korean War.
The U. S. and Iran both claimed to have control over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday after the U.
From economic woes to concerns that war could break out again at any moment, underlying worries run deep In the weeks since the fragile ceasefire with the US and Israel took hold, life in Tehran has – on the surface at least – largely returned to something like pre-war normality. Many security checkpoints have been taken down, coffee shops are bustling, parks are full of people gathering for picnics, musicians are playing again in the streets, highways are jammed with traffic and the metro - free to use since the war - runs packed. But underlying worries run deep, and many Iranians fear the war could return at any moment.
Trump claims US has ‘completely destroyed Iran’s army’ US President Donald Trump commented briefly on Washington’s role in the US-Israeli war on Iran while signing a proclamation on children’s physical fitness at the Oval Office in Washington, DC. “We beat them very badly, now they’re reduced to little boats with machine guns on the front of them”, the president said of Iran, repeating earlier claims about the destruction of its navy. “Every single ship they had is resting underwater at the bottom of the sea”, he said.
Trump says US has ‘completely destroyed Iran’s army’ US President Donald Trump commented briefly on Washington’s role in the US-Israeli war on Iran while signing a proclamation on children’s physical fitness at the Oval Office in Washington, DC. “We beat them very badly, now they’re reduced to little boats with machine guns on the front of them”, the president said of Iran, repeating earlier claims about the destruction of its navy. “Every single ship they had is resting underwater at the bottom of the sea,” he said.
US intel says war on Iran has not set back Iran's nuclear programme: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 05/05/2026 - 16:41 US assessment of Iran's timeline to make a nuclear bomb is still roughly one year, despite two months of war A man holds a poster of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, and his son Ayatollah Mojataba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, during a rally to show solidarity with the new leadership, in Tehran, on 29 April 2026 (AFP) Off The US-Israeli war on Iran has caused only “minimal damage” to Iran’s nuclear programme, meaning that the time Iran would need to build a nuclear weapon has not changed since last summer, according to a US intelligence assessment reported by Reuters. US intelligence agencies had assessed that before the US’s June 2025 attack, Iran could likely produce enough bomb-grade uranium for a weapon and build a bomb in around three to six months, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two sources. As a result of the US bombing the Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan nuclear complexes, US intelligence pushed back their timeline from about nine months to a year.
Iran strikes UAE for second day in a row, says Emirati defence ministry Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 05/05/2026 - 16:23 Abu Dhabi said it was dealing with missile and drone attacks, a day after it said Tehran struck an oil refinery in Fujairah A man walks along Dubai's Creek Harbour, with the Burj Khalifa visible in the background, 3 April 2026 (Fadel Senna/AFP) Off Iran has launched missiles into the UAE for a second day in a row, the Emirati defence ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry said the country’s air defences were “currently dealing with missile and drone attacks originating from Iran”. It added that sounds heard across the Emirates were “the result of the UAE’s air defence systems intercepting ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones”.
Donald Trump has launched a new operation, dubbed ‘Project Freedom’, to try to open the strait of Hormuz. Could it spark a re-escalation of the war with Iran and bring an end to the ceasefire? Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior international correspondent Julian Borger Continue reading...
The US defence secretary outlines Donald Trump's 'Project Freedom' during a press briefing at the Pentagon on Tuesday. Pete Hegseth says the US has established a 'powerful red, white and blue dome' across the strait of Hormuz as a 'gift to the rest of the world'. He adds that the US blockade remains 'iron-clad' Middle East crisis live Continue reading...
