(2026-05-24). U.S. media say Iran deal may include ceasefire extension, reopening Hormuz. ecns.cn A proposed agreement the United States and Iran are close to signing involves a 60-day ceasefire extension during which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, Iran would be able to freely sell oil, and negotiations would be held on curbing Iran's nuclear program, Axios quoted a U.S. official as saying on Saturday.
(2026-05-24). How Chinese traders in Iran are keeping business afloat as war capsizes naval shipping. scmp.com As the US-Israel war on Iran stretches past its 80th day and continues to upend global naval shipping, a growing number of Chinese investors in Iran are turning to railway and overland transport routes to keep their businesses afloat. | While disruptions to ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz show little sign of abating, many are hoping that transcontinental freight links across Eurasia could become a more reliable option.
(2026-05-24). Trump says framework of Iran deal 'largely negotiated,' with provision to reopen strait. geo.tv 
US President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves Marine One to board Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, as he departs Morristown Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, US, May 22, 2026. — ReutersTrump says Strait of Hormuz reopening under emerging deal.Pakistan…
(2026-05-23). Trump says peace agreement with Iran 'largely negotiated'. ecns.cn Trump says peace agreement with Iran"largely negotiated".
(2026-05-24). The World cannot contain Iran forever outside the Global Order. juancole.com That figure —
(2026-05-24). From Iran to Ukraine, lasting Ceasefires remain Elusive. juancole.com
(2026-05-23). How Iran Destroyed the Myth of US Military Supremacy. thealtworld.com "The Iranian people and the state are ready for another round." | As the US-Israeli war on Iran nears its three-month mark, tensions remain at a breaking point with Trump threatening renewed bombing while negotiations stay deadlocked. | Tehran-based journalist Navid Zarrinal joins Rania Khalek and Zoe Alexandra to discuss the "resilient" mood on the ground, Iran's military readiness and the recent reports involving potential regime-change efforts around former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He also discusses the evolving roles of China and Russia in the wider confrontation and why the next phase of escalation cou…
(2026-05-23). Iran says US 'betrayals, contradictions, excessive demands' disrupting talks. tribune.com.pk 
Iran on Saturday attributed difficulties in the Pakistan-mediated negotiations between Tehran and the United States to what it described as Washington's repeated failure to uphold its commitments, contradictions, and excessive demands, according to Press TV. | It stated that Iran's UN mission warned that the US's excessive demands and obstructionism pushed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty into "free fall." | The mission stressed that without genuine progress on nuclear disarmament, the NPT had no future. "The NPT Review Conference failed for the third consecutive time due to obstructionism by the United St…
(2026-05-23). Trump says negotiators are getting closer to Iran deal. tribune.com.pk 
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that negotiators for the United States and Iran were "getting a lot closer" to finalising an agreement to end the war, according to an interview with CBS News. | He said a final agreement would prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and would ensure that Iran's ‚Å enriched uranium would be "satisfactorily handled", according to CBS. | "I will only sign a deal where we get everything we want," Trump was quoted as saying. | Iran, the US and media…
(2026-05-23). UN event on nuclear non-proliferation treaty stumbles, US and Iran clash. scmp.com A four-week United Nations conference reviewing the treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons ended on Friday without agreement as the United States and Iran sparred over Iran's nuclear programme. | Vietnam's UN Ambassador Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced that there was no consensus among the 191 parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on even a watered-down final document. He did not say which country or countries blocked a consensus.
(2026-05-23). Iran deal 'largely negotiated': Trump. tribune.com.pk 
Iran and the US are inching closer to signing an interim agreement aimed at ending the war after Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, undertook what is being described as the most consequential trip during the ongoing mediation efforts. | While there was no formal announcement yet from either side regarding a breakthrough, there were enough indications suggesting that an interim deal was not far off. | US President Donald Trump said a deal with Iran had been "largely negotiated", with the proposal including opening the crucial Strait of Hormuz, though the agreement…
(2026-05-23). Alexander Zevin: Trump's Gulf War. newleftreview.org Asymmetries of the US-Israeli assault on Iran, as an uneasy balance holds between Tehran's tourniquet on the Strait of Hormuz—and the world economy—and the enormous firepower of the aggressors, at the end of the first round.
(2026-05-23). Trump says Iran deal and opening of Strait of Hormuz are 'largely negotiated'. scmp.com A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday, although the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim. | Trump posted on social media that the emerging agreement would reopen the strait, the vital shipping passage whose closure upended global energy markets after the conflict started in February when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran. He did ‚Äånot say what else would be included in…
(2026-05-23). Iran weighs peace proposal, accuses US of 'excessive demands'. newarab.com 
(2026-05-23). Rubio touts US energy on India trip. tribune.com.pk 
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed trade and energy with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on a visit aimed at shoring up relations battered by Washington's tariffs and engagement with New Delhi's rivals Pakistan and China. | Rubio – who said before the trip the U.S. wanted to sell India energy – pressed his case and told Modi that "U.S. energy products have the potential to diversify India's energy supply," according to a U.S. summary of the meeting. | Rubio "emphasized that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage," his office added. The energy crisis s…
(2026-05-23). Israel reportedly sidelined from US-Iran ceasefire talks. newarab.com 
The newspaper reported on Saturday, citing two unnamed Israeli security officials, that Israeli leaders had been denied information at the highest levels. | This has forced Tel Aviv to rely on conversations with regional leaders and diplomats, alongside carrying out reconna…
(2026-05-23). Israel thrusts reluctant UAE into open over defence ties. scmp.com For months, the United Arab Emirates had denied Iran's accusations that it was in league with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or hosting his country's military personnel. | Then, US ambassador to Israel Mick Huckabee handed Tehran a propaganda gift and Abu Dhabi a diplomatic headache all in a single sentence.
(2026-05-23). Haj pilgrim numbers surpass 2025 arrivals despite Middle East war. tribune.com.pk 
Over 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from outside the kingdom for the upcoming Haj, according to a Saudi official, exceeding the number of international visitors last year despite the war in the Middle East. | The conflict triggered by the US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February saw Tehran order waves of strikes on targets in Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, prompting widespread air traffic disruptions and causing travel costs to surge. | Major Gulf airlines in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain have worked to quickly restore much of their operational capacity after weeks o…
(2026-05-23). With signs of a possible Iran deal within reach, pressure is mounting on Trump to return to war. mondoweiss.net 
Political and economic realities are pushing Donald Trump to pursue a deal with Iran, but he will need to resist mounting pressure, including from Israel, to return to all-out war.
(2026-05-23). CDF Munir discusses regional developments, de-escalation efforts in meeting with Iran's FM Araghchi. tribune.com.pk 
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran on Friday as Islamabad steps up diplomatic efforts to help mediate between Iran and the United States, Iran's state media reported on Saturday. | Both sides exchanged views on the latest diplomatic initiatives aimed at preventing further escalation and ending the Iran war in talks that lasted late into the night, the report said. | Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir met Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran for talks on regional developments an…
(2026-05-23). CDF Munir meets Iranian President Pezeshkian for high-level talks to advance diplomacy. tribune.com.pk 
Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran for high-level talks to advance diplomatic initiatives, according to Press TV. | Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran for high-level talks to advance diplomatic initiatives. | Follow: t.co/B3zXG74hnU pic.twitter.com/YAt0muXJi4 | — Press TV üîª (@PressTV) May 23, 2026 | Reuters reported that Iran's top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also met Pakistani Army C…
(2026-05-23). COAS diplomacy ushers peace tidings. tribune.com.pk 
Hopes of a breakthrough between Tehran and Washington gained fresh momentum on Saturday, buoyed by the sustained diplomatic push of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who wrapped up a "short but highly productive" visit to the Islamic Republic. | During the visit, the Field Marshal held high-level engagements with Iranian leadership as part of ongoing mediation efforts aimed at promoting de-escalation and constructive engagement, amidst the regional tensions that have simmered after the ceasefire on 8th April, 2026, said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Publi…
(2026-05-23). Iran and the decline of U.S. imperialism: Which way forward? iacenter.org By Larry Holmes May 21, 2026 The writer is Workers World Party's First Secretary. Workers World Party's position on the Iran war is straightforward and premised on the theoretical tradition of Vladimir Lenin and Sam Marcy, the late chairperson of WWP. The Party unconditionally supports the Islamic Republic of Iran in this war. The political and strategic premise of our position is basic and revolutionary. It is to do what is required to aid the struggle and victory of the oppressed people, while forging solidarity between the working-class movement and the oppressed in a way that strengthens the class struggle an…
(2026-05-23). NATO considering resuming mission in Iraq after Iran war evac. newarab.com 
"The general staff is working on various options" to allow the mission to return to Iraq, said French General
(2026-05-23). 27 countries seek access to World Bank funds since Iran war. scmp.com Twenty-seven countries have moved since the Iran war started to put in place crisis instruments that could quickly access funding from existing World Bank programmes, according to an internal document viewed by Reuters. | The World Bank document did not name the ‚Äåcountries or the total amount of funds potentially being sought. The World Bank declined to comment.
(2026-05-23). Iran moves World Cup base camp to Mexico from the US. newarab.com 
The president of the governing body of Iranian football said Saturday that the nation's Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran had been scheduled to…