Bessent says Oman has ‘no plans’ to impose Hormuz tolls US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says Oman’s ambassador to Washington, Talal Alrahbi, assured him the Gulf state has “no plans for tolling the strait”. Bessent told reporters at the White House that he spoke with the envoy earlier on Thursday. His comments came a day after President Donald Trump warned Oman against entering any agreement with Iran to share control of the Strait of Hormuz, saying the US would “have to blow them up”.
Bessent says US and Iran still ‘going back and forth’ in talks US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Tehran are still “going back and forth” in negotiations, but declined to directly address the current state of talks. Speaking at a White House briefing, Bessent said President Donald Trump would not accept an unfavourable agreement. “He’s not going to take a bad deal,” Bessent said of the US president.
Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli troops in Biyyada and Rashaf In a series of posts on Telegram, Hezbollah said it carried out two attacks targeting Israeli soldiers gathered in the village of Biyyada in occupied southern Lebanon. The group also said its fighters launched a rocket barrage at Israeli troops in the town of Rashaf.
UN expert says adding Israel to sexual violence blacklist is ‘long overdue’ Reem Alsalem, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, says the decision to add Israel to a UN blacklist of countries accused of committing sexual violence is “long overdue”. “This listing could not have come soon enough,” Alsalem wrote on X. “I had in the past expressed my disappointment that Israel was not listed already, given the systematic, large-scale and horrific sexual violence perpetrated by Israel against Palestinian women, men and children that have been independently documented and verified,” she added.
White House confirms draft Iran agreement still unsigned The White House has confirmed reports that a memorandum of understanding exists regarding a possible deal with Iran, though President Donald Trump has not yet signed it. According to the reported framework, the agreement would include a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian commitment to clear all mines within 30 days. Iran would also pledge not to build a nuclear weapon, while the US would discuss sanctions relief and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
White House says Iran and US agreed to 60-day ceasefire extension, awaiting Trump's approval Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 18:12 Extension paves the way for stickier talks on Iran's nuclear programme and sanctions relief An Iranian man rides his motorbike past a billboard bearing the images of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, left, the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, right, and his son, the current supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, centre, along a street in Tehran, on 28 May 2026 (AFP) Off US and Iranian negotiators have reached a deal for a 60-day ceasefire extension that would allow them time to negotiate a full end to the war on the Islamic Republic, but the deal must be approved by US President Donald Trump, the White House said. Iran's top leadership also has yet to give the final seal of approval. The announcement comes as the current ceasefire between the two sides came under pressure with the US launching multiple strikes on Bandar Abbas port and Iran retaliating by striking a US military base in Kuwait.
Israeli army struggling to counter Hezbollah drone attacks The Israeli army is facing mounting pressure over its inability to stop Hezbollah’s armed drone attacks, Al Jazeera reported. The drones have killed Israeli soldiers occupying southern Lebanon as well as troops in northern Israel. Earlier today, the Israeli military announced the death of another soldier in a drone attack.
CENTCOM says US has redirected 111 commercial vessels under Iran blockade US Central Command says the US military has now “redirected” a total of 111 commercial vessels as part of its blockade on Iranian ports. CENTCOM updates show 17 ships were blocked over the past week, including two since yesterday.
IRGC says Hamas commanders were part of 'the Islamic Resistance of Palestine' Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has commented on the killings of two Hamas military leaders following the assassination of Qassam Brigades commander Mohammed Odeh in Gaza City. The IRGC also referred to the killing of former commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed by Israel last week, along with his wife and three children. In a statement on Telegram, the IRGC said al-Haddad had “fought the Zionists for nearly four decades” as part of “the Islamic Resistance of Palestine”.
US extends TPS for Lebanese citizens in US through November Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 15:18 This is the first time the Trump administration has voluntarily extended protections for a group whose country is unsafe to return to A displaced Lebanese girl leans over a balcony at a school-turned shelter, near Sidon, Lebanon, on 17 May 2026 (Aziz Taher/Reuters) Off In an unexpected move this week, the Trump administration will announce that it is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Lebanese citizens in the US for another six months, until November. The decision, filed in the US Federal Register on Wednesday, is scheduled for publication on Friday. It is the first voluntary extension of TPS carried out since President Donald Trump returned to power in January 2025.
Pakistan foreign minister to meet Rubio in Washington Pakistan says Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, tomorrow to discuss “regional and global developments”, including Islamabad’s recent peace efforts. Pakistan has taken on a key mediation role between the US and Iran in recent months during the war in the Middle East, including helping negotiate a temporary ceasefire in April. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the two officials will “review bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest”.
Oil prices rebound as markets watch war on Iran Oil prices recovered some of their steep losses from earlier in the week on Thursday, while US stocks remained close to record highs as major companies continued reporting strong profits. The S&P 500 slipped 0. 1 percent from the all-time high it reached a day earlier.
Why Jordan cannot be stripped of Al-Aqsa custodianship Submitted by Mustafa Abu Sway on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 15:55 Tampering with the Hashemite status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites would put the region and the world on a collision course The author is pictured with Father Nabil Haddad at the Royal Hashemite Court in Amman, Jordan, in December 2025 (Supplied photo) Off Despite Washington’s long-standing recognition of Jordan as the custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, Middle East Eye has reported that the US and Israel are “actively working” to dismantle this arrangement. The failure of the war on Iran to achieve its goals, the upcoming US midterms this fall, and the Israeli legislative elections slated for October - which could take place even earlier if the coalition government falls - might be driving American and Israeli leaders to look for other “achievements”. US President Donald Trump recently dangled another red herring, threatening not to sign a deal with Iran if Saudi Arabia and other countries do not join the Abraham Accords.
Trump circulates draft Iran peace deal to Israeli and allies US President Donald Trump has circulated a draft agreement to allies including Israel as efforts continue to prevent further ceasefire violations from derailing talks on ending the war on Iran. The proposal reportedly mirrors a framework already circulating in the region for several days. It would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, lifting the US blockade on Iranian ports and granting Iran access to up to $12bn in frozen assets.
Arsenal fired me on Christmas Eve for opposing Israel. This is why I'm suing | Mark Bonnick Submitted by Mohamed Hashem on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 16:35 ‘I regret losing my job. Not what I said’ Mark Bonnick worked at Arsenal for 22 years.
US senator says Trump’s Oman remarks show Iran war ‘off the rails’ US Senator Chris Murphy has criticised President Donald Trump’s apparent threat to “blow up” Oman, saying it is “just one more sign of why this war has gone off the rails”. “They are in constant panic mode making mistake after mistake,” the Democratic senator from Connecticut wrote on X. Trump has faced growing criticism in recent days from both Democrats and Republicans over his handling of the war on Iran.
US threatens to ‘aggressively’ target Oman if it facilities tolls for Hormuz US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that Oman should know that the US will “aggressively” punish any actors involved in helping Iran set up tolls on the Strait of Hormuz as part of a ceasefire agreement. “The United States Government will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz,” Bessent said in a post to X, adding that “any willing partners will be penalized”. This comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to “blow up” Oman if it agreed to work with Iran to impose fees on ships transiting through the strait.
Israel’s Gaza offshore gas plans condemned as illegal resource grab Submitted by Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 05/28/2026 - 15:16 Rights groups say exploration licences violate Palestinian sovereignty, while environmental advocates warn of risks A platform in the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, seen from the northern Israeli coastal town of Caesarea, on 29 August 2022 (Jack Gues/AFP) Off Israel ’s plans to explore for gas off the coast of Gaza have drawn condemnation from rights groups and environmental advocates. Since 2024, Israel has granted exploration licences for natural gas in areas considered part of Palestine ’s maritime boundary off Gaza’s shores. In February, energy minister Eli Cohen approved Israel’s fifth offshore gas licensing round in the Mediterranean.
EU sanctions Israeli settlers The European Union Council announced on Thursday it will impose sanctions on four entities and three individuals for abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The list includes what the EU described as "extremist Israeli settlers and organisations that support them", according to a statement. “They are responsible for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank,” the Council added in a post to X.
Netanyahu orders military to take control of '70 percent' of Gaza Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he has ordered the Israeli army to increase their control of the occupied Gaza Strip to 70 percent in order to “squeeze Hamas”, in violation of their ceasefire. “We now control 60 percent of the territory on the strip,” from having previously controlled 50 percent, and now “my directive is to move to…70 percent,” the Israeli Prime Minister said in a conference in an occupied West Bank settlement. This comes as medical sources in Gaza announced the death toll from Israeli aggression has risen to 72,819, with over 170,000 injured since the start of Israel’s genocidal onslaught on the region.
