War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

A convoy of 70 Iraqi crude oil tankers has passed through the al-Yarubiyah border crossing into Syria, marking the first such shipment via the route in 14 years, Al Jazeera reports.

According to Syria’s SANA news agency, the convoy is bound for the Baniyas refinery on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

Feras Rustum, a Syrian official at the al-Yarubiyah crossing, said that “the reopening of the crossing after 14 years is a strategic move to boost the economic ties between Iraq and Syria”.

He added that the decision to reopen the crossing will “facilitate commercial and energy shipments more effectively” and “lead to a long-term partnership between the two countries”.

The shipment comes as Iraq seeks alternative routes for its oil exports while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi have held a phone call to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, IRIB reports.

A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) belonging to Iran’s National Iranian Tanker Company has successfully evaded the US Navy and reached the Asia Pacific, carrying more than 1.9 million barrels of crude oil valued at nearly $220m, according to TankerTrackers.com, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on X, the monitoring firm identified the vessel as “HUGE” and said it was last sighted off Sri Lanka more than a week ago. The tanker is currently traversing the Lombok Strait of Indonesia towards the Riau Archipelago.

TankerTrackers.com said that HUGE was in Iranian waters on April 13, when the US Navy announced its blockade on Iranian ports. It said HUGE had not transmitted on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) since March 20, when it departed the Strait of Malacca for Iran.

The report comes after Iranian state media claimed on April 29 that at least 52 Iranian ships had breached the US blockade. The US military, meanwhile, has said it has forced some 41 Iran-linked vessels to reverse course since the blockade began.

US President Donald Trump has said he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran, but was waiting for the exact wording, while warning there was still the possibility of restarting strikes on the country if Tehran misbehaves, Reuters reports.

When asked about Iran’s proposal before boarding a flight to Miami at West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump replied: “They told me about the concept of the deal. They’re going to give me the exact wording now.”

Asked if he might restart strikes on Iran, Trump replied: “I don’t want to say that. I mean, I can’t tell that to a reporter. If they misbehave, if they do something bad, right now well see. But it’s a possibility that could happen.”

US President Donald Trump has said he would soon review the latest peace proposal from Iran, but cast doubt on its prospects, AFP reports.

“I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity, and the world, over the last 47 years,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Hezbollah claims it has targeted a gathering of Israeli vehicles and soldiers in the town of al-Bayada with artillery shells at 10:15pm (2015 GMT), Al Jazeera reports citing a statement by the group.

The group claims that it achieved “confirmed hits”.

Saudi Arabia’s only official alcohol shop has run short of supplies ranging from ‌beer and wine to tequila, as the disruption caused by the Iran war has delayed shipments, Reuters reports citing visitors to the store.

Situated in Riyadh’s diplomatic district, the shop, which has no name and no sign, opened in 2024 ​to serve non-Muslim diplomats and last year expanded to cater for wealthy non-Muslim foreign residents.

For now, however, ​the shelves are mostly bare, with only expensive or little-known brands on offer, five people who ​have visited the Riyadh shop in recent days say.

One Western diplomat, who has spoken on condition of anonymity, says there was no white wine and “only a few bottles of super expensive red”.

“They also got a shipment of random ​beer,” the diplomat adds.

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Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has slammed recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who said “we act like pirates” when talking about seizing Iranian vessels.

“This was no verbal slip. It was a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international maritime navigation,” he writes on X.

“The international community, UN Member States, and the UN Secretary-General must firmly reject any normalisation of such blatant violations of international law.”

UN humanitarian aid chief Tom Fletcher has echoed a call by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to open the Strait of Hormuz urgently.

“[The] humanitarian community is working to keep lifesaving aid moving: we need governments and business to fast‑track customs and waive logistics, war & fuel surcharges for humanitarian goods,” he writes on X.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports that Israeli aircraft launched attacks on Mount Rihan and Basaliya, and also on the town of al-Sarira in the Jezzine area in the last few minutes, according to Al Jazeera.

A short while ago, Israel hit near a mosque in the town of al-Samaiya, the news agency says.

The foreign ministers of Iran and France have had a phone call, in which they discussed regional and international developments related to the US-Israel war on Iran, Al Jazeera reports citing a statement released by Abbas Aragchi’s team.

The Iranian foreign minister has reportedly briefed his French counterpart, Jean Noel Barrot, on Iran’s strategic efforts to end the war, while the French foreign minister expressed France’s support for the ongoing diplomatic talks taking place, expressing hope these would lead to lasting peace and security in the region.

Maritime monitor TankerTrackers reports that Kuwait exported zero barrels of crude oil during the month of April.

According to the tracker, this is the first time since the end of the Gulf War in 1991 that Kuwait has exported no oil.

The Trump administration has fast-tracked billions of dollars in arms sales to Israel, Qatar<u>, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, CNN reports, citing statements released by the US State Department.

Cumulatively, the weapons are valued at more than $8 billion and include air defence systems for Kuwait and Qatar, and laser-guided rockets for Qatar, the UAE and Israel.

Included in the sales to Qatar are Patriot missiles.

In justifying the State Department’s bypassing of Congress to approve the weapons sales, each statement says that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the arms to the countries.

The White House confirms that Nick Stewart was added as an adviser to the team negotiating a deal to end the war with Iran, CBS News reports.

“Nick Stewart is a sharp, seasoned policy expert who is a valuable asset to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s talented team,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of leadership and Iran policy experience to the role — from serving at the Department of State in the first Trump Administration and on Capitol Hill — and is a trusted voice as Special Envoy Witkoff works in lockstep with President Trump and his entire national security team to make a deal that is good for the United States and the world.”

Stewart was brought on by Jared Kushner, US officials told CBS News, and formerly worked for the lobbying arm of Foundation for the Defense of Democracy — a hawkish group known to have been very supportive of military action against Iran.) reports.

“Nick Stewart is a sharp, seasoned policy expert who is a valuable asset to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s talented team,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales has said in a statement.

“He brings a wealth of leadership and Iran policy experience to the role — from serving at the Department of State in the first Trump Administration and on Capitol Hill — and is a trusted voice as Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff works in lockstep with President [Donald] Trump and his entire national security team to make a deal that is good for the United States and the world.”

US officials tell CBS News that Stewart was brought on by envoy Jared Kushner, and formerly worked for the lobbying arm of the Foundation for the Defence of Democracy — a hawkish group known to have been very supportive of military action against Iran.

The Trump administration has fast-tracked billions of dollars in arms sales to Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, according to statements released by the US State Department, CNN reports.

Cumulatively, the weapons are valued at more than $8 billion. They include air-defense systems for Kuwait and Qatar, and laser-guided rockets for Qatar, the UAE and Israel.

The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas for India, has crossed the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports citing India’s shipping ministry.

The vessel with 20 crew members on board, 18 of them Indian, is expected to arrive at the Indian port of Visakhapatnam on May 13, the ministry has said in a statement.

Iranian news agency Tasnim reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have had a phone call, during which they discussed the latest developments in the region, as well as issues related to a ceasefire and diplomacy.

In a post on X, Tajani said he had the call to “take stock” of the war on Iran and the broader situation in the Middle East.

“I wanted to highlight Italy’s strong concern over the increase in regional tensions, underscoring the need to avoid further escalation and to intensify efforts for an agreement on a ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, also to avert negative consequences on food security and stability in Africa,” Tajani says.

“I clearly confirmed that for Italy, the development of an Iranian nuclear program for military purposes represents a red line, with the concrete risk of triggering a dangerous nuclear arms race in the region.”

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports that the Israeli army has carried out an air attack on Burj Qalawiya in the Bint Jbeil district, and also carried out artillery shelling on the area, according to Al Jazeera.

The news agency also claims that the Israeli army has set fire to several houses in the border village of Khiam.

Iran’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hamidreza Haji-Babaei, says a new law will prevent Israeli ships from passing through the vital maritime route at any time, according to Al Jazeera.

He also says the bill will prevent ships from hostile states from passing through the strait unless the countries pay war reparations. However, it allows other ships to pass through after obtaining permission and approval from Iran.

“Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz will not return to what it was before the war,” Haji-Babaei says.

Iran says it is up to the United States whether or not to pursue a negotiated settlement or to return to open war, noting Tehran is ready for either outcome, AFP reports.

“Now the ball is in the United States’ court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi tells diplomats in Tehran, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

“Iran, with the aim of securing its national interests and security, is prepared for both paths,” he says.