(2026-05-22). Iran deal collapsing while Cuba burns? Trump's top diplomat issues two front crisis warning | Watch. hindustantimes.com Marco Rubio has warned that any Iranian attempt to impose tolls or permanent control over the Strait of Hormuz would be "illegal" and unacceptable, as tensions between United States and Iran continue to rise. The top U.S. diplomat also hinted at broader security concerns beyond Iran, warning that Washington is increasingly focused on growing threats from rival powers and regional instability as global tensions escalate.
(2026-05-22). Protesting Trump's Targeting Iranian Visa Green Card Holders. juancole.com — | The Middle East Studies Association's (MESA) Task Force on Civil and Human Rights expresses our deep concern regarding the Trump administration's targeting of visa and green card holders from Iran, including Iranian academics and students, based on their familial ties and political views. While immigration-based targeti…
(2026-05-22). US pins hopes on mediator Pakistan in push to end Iran war. newarab.com 
(2026-05-21). Trump's indictment of Raúl Castro is pretext for war on Cuba. peoplesworld.org 
After kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the following month, President Donald Trump declared "Cuba is next." With the unsealing of a criminal indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro on May 20, the administration in Washington is preparing to make good on its threat. The …
(2026-05-21). Headlines for May 21, 2026. democracynow.org Iran Announces "Controlled Maritime Zone" in Strait of Hormuz , 20 Million in Sudan Face Acute Hunger as Rival Military Factions Continue Deadly Strikes, Cuba Promises "Fierce Resistance" as USS Nimitz Arrives in Southern Caribbean, Israel Continues Attacks on Lebanon Even After Agreeing to Extend "Ceasefire", Israeli Settlers Erect Illegal Outpost and Burn Palestinian Vehicles in Occupied West Bank, Israeli Drones and Bullets Kill Four Palestinians in Gaza, Video Shows Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir Taunting Handcuffed Gaza Flotilla Activists, Elon Musk's SpaceX and…
(2026-05-21). Trump's Iran mind games begin? 'Maybe, maybe not…' warning puts Mojtaba on edge again | Watch, USA. hindustantimes.com Donald Trump has once again kept the world guessing on America's next move against Iran, warning Mojtaba Khamenei while refusing to confirm whether fresh military action is imminent. Trump's "maybe, maybe not" remarks have intensified speculation over a possible U.S. return to conflict even after signals of de-escalation.
(2026-05-21). US and Iran still at odds on key issues, but Rubio sees some good signs. tribune.com.pk 
The US and Iran stuck to opposing stances on Thursday over Tehran's uranium stockpile and controls on the Strait of Hormuz, although US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there had been "some good signs" in talks. | Rubio told reporters a diplomatic solution would be unfeasible if Tehran implemented a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz. But he added that there had been some progress in talks. | "There's some good signs," Rubio said. "I don't want to be overly optimistic … So, let's see what happens over the next few days." | Oil prices whipsawed in a volatile trading session on Thursday, moving lower on…
(2026-05-21). UAE slams Iran's Strait of Hormuz control plan as 'pipe dream'. geo.tv 
A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen in this illustration taken June 22, 2025. — ReutersClaimed zone extends near UAE port.Ships told to seek Iranian approval.UAE fast-tracks Hormuz bypass pipeline.DUBAI/TEHRAN: A top UAE official denounced Iran's claim of control…
(2026-05-21). Chinese container ship among few vessels crossing Hormuz amid deadlock to open waterway. al-monitor.com LONDON, May 21 (Reuters) – A Chinese-operated container ship was among the few to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, data showed on Thursday, as uncertainty grows around reopening the critical waterway with talks over a deal between the U.S. and Iran deadlocked.Before the war on Iran began on February 28, shipping traffic through the strait averaged 125 to 140 daily passages. Due to the conflict, 20,000 seafarers remain stranded inside the Gulf on board hundreds of ships.
(2026-05-21). Iran's Hormuz authority claims control of waters south of UAE port. tribune.com.pk 
Iran's new body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz said its claimed area of control extends to Emirati waters, drawing a sharp rebuke from the Gulf neighbour. | Traffic through Hormuz, a vital global shipping conduit, has come under Iranian control since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States on February 28. | Iran, which has blockaded the strait since the war and is charging ships for passage, has insisted that vessels must obtain permission from its armed forces. | In a post on X on Wednesday, accompanied by a map, the newly-established Persian Gulf Strait Authority said it had outlined "the regu…
(2026-05-21). 2 Chinese supertankers join flotilla exiting Hormuz as stand-off appears to thaw. scmp.com Three fully laden supertankers — including two Chinese vessels — crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, in a possible sign that Tehran may be starting to open up the vital waterway to more shipping traffic. | The exit of the three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) came on the same day that Iran confirmed it had allowed 26 vessels to transit the strait — a hefty uptick compared with the level of traffic Iranian forces have generally permitted since the war began.
(2026-05-21). Trump-Netanyahu call turns tense over revised Iran peace proposal: report. geo.tv 
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after Trump's address at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, May 23, 2017. — ReutersPakistan, Qatar help refine proposal.Israel wants the war resumed.Iran reviewing updated peace draft.A revised Iran…
(2026-05-21). Russia, US increasingly see China as an anchor for peace and prosperity. scmp.com Beijing is increasingly seen as key to securing international stability and economic opportunities, a status which both Washington and Moscow are converging on. Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent foreign policy interactions with the leaders of the United States and Russia highlight China's rising strategic position — acting as a significant player in global affairs, from the conflict in Ukraine to the volatile situation with Iran. | Xi's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has…
(2026-05-21). US Blockade of Iran (and China) Continues. thealtworld.com 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) continues interdiction operations targeting Iranian maritime shipping. | The US Marine Corps under the Biden administration was specifically tailored into an anti-shipping force specifically to take part in operations exactly like this (as well as to outright sink ships once sufficiently up the escalation escalator). | Recall the 31st MEU was deployed amid the US war of aggression on Iran but before the US blockade was announced — meaning it was planned all along and not thrown together last minute due to the "ceasefire." | The US is repeating for Asia, including China, a…
(2026-05-21). The real lesson of Cuba's alleged drone build-up against the US. responsiblestatecraft.org In the tragic event that a sovereign state chooses to attack another, the party under attack will often shoot back. Russia experienced this after attacking Ukraine. The United States, Israel, and the Gulf Arab monarchies did as well after the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran. Now, the U.S. may bring this fate down upon itself once again — this time in the Gulf of Mexico, far far closer to home. At least that's what
(2026-05-21). Is the petrodollar a war casualty or death greatly exaggerated? responsiblestatecraft.org Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, the number of articles proclaiming the death of the petrodollar increased nearly as quickly as the price of oil. As a representative headline in the Japan Times
(2026-05-21). Meeting in New Zealand discusses socialist strategy to mobilise workers against Iran war. wsws.org Speakers at the Wellington meeting explained the real causes of the US-Israeli imperialist war and the need for a socialist anti-war movement based on the working class, independent and opposed to Labour, the Greens and all capitalist parties.
(2026-05-21). Trump, Netanyahu disagree on whether to resume attacking Iran in heated phone call: CNN. tribune.com.pk 
US President Donald Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday in a conversation that reflected their different views on how to proceed with the Iran war, a US official told CNN. | Earlier when the two leaders spoke on Sunday, Trump shared that he was likely to move forward with new targeted attacks on Iran early in the week, the official said — an operation that was expected to get a new name: Operation Sledgehammer. | Roughly 24 hours after that initial conversation, however, Trump announced he was halting strikes that he said were planned for Tuesday at the request of allies…
(2026-05-21). Is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu? US President claims Israel PM 'will do whatever…'. hindustantimes.com Donald Trump stirred fresh tensions after claiming Benjamin Netanyahu would "do whatever" he says, while sidestepping questions over reports of a tense call with the Israeli leader. Trump also signaled he is "in no hurry" to launch another strike on Iran, even as negotiations and military pressure continue side by side.
(2026-05-21). Efforts intensify for 'standby agreement'. tribune.com.pk 
Pakistan, along with other regional countries, is believed to have been pushing for a "standby agreement" aimed at bringing a formal closure to the Iran-US war while laying down a framework for resolving contentious issues that continue to divide Tehran and Washington, it emerged on Thursday. | As part of those efforts, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi continued his engagements in Tehran during his second visit within days, holding talks with key Iranian figures including Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni. | Iranian state media IRNA reported that Naqvi also met President Masoud…
(2026-05-21). US voices hope on Iran deal progress before Pakistan army chief visit. scmp.com US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope on Thursday of progress on ending the war with Iran, with mediator Pakistan's army chief due to arrive in the Islamic republic for talks. | The expected visit by Field Marshal Asim Munir, a powerful figure with a growing role in Pakistan's foreign relations, comes a day after US President Donald Trump warned that negotiations to end the war were on the "borderline" between a deal and renewed strikes.
(2026-05-21). UK firms report slide in activity due to Iran war. newarab.com 
British companies are suffering their most widespread drop in activity in over a year due to the economic fallout from Data company S&P Global's preliminary UK Composite Purchasing Managers' Index for May tumbled to 48.5 from 52.6 in April, its first reading below the 50.0 growth threshold since April 2025 and far below the 51.6 median in a Reuters poll. | A measure of activity among services firms plunged particularly sharply to its lowest since January 2021, w…
(2026-05-21). Trump eases curbs on planet-warming gases used in refrigerants. tribune.com.pk 
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the easing of curbs on a group of powerful greenhouse gases that drive climate change and are commonly found in refrigerators and air conditioners. | Republican Trump slammed the "ridiculous" rules introduced by his Democratic predecessor, president Joe Biden, on super-pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). | Trump said the move would reduce the cost of living for US consumers. His approval ratings are plummeting as disruption to oil supplies from the Iran war drives up prices. | Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he was "officially terminating the B…
(2026-05-21). Iran's new Hormuz authority discloses 'controlled maritime zone'. newarab.com 
The authority, which was set to manage the strait, set the zone as the "line connecting Kuh-e Mobarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the UAE at…
(2026-05-21). Iran says reviewing U.S. views as exchange of messages continues through Pakistan. ecns.cn TEHRAN, May 20 ⚪ Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that the exchange of messages between Iran and the United States is continuing through the Pakistani mediator and Tehran is reviewing the latest U.
presstv.ir (2026-05-19). Inside Iran's agricultural revolution and 85% self-sufficiency
According to Minister of Agriculture Gholamreza Nouri, 85 percent of food and basic commodities are produced domestically, and Iran possesses relative self-sufficiency in meeting the food needs of its population of over 86 million people.
(2026-05-21). UAE's new pipeline bypassing Strait of Hormuz nearly 50% complete, oil chief says. tribune.com.pk 
The UAE has completed nearly 50% of a second pipeline that will bypass the Strait of Hormuz, the head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Wednesday, as Gulf producers seek alternative export routes amid the prolonged closure of the key waterway. | "Right now, too much of the world's energy still moves through too few chokepoints," ADNOC CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said in an interview at the Atlantic Council. | The new pipeline is expected to double ADNOC's export capacity through Fujairah, a UAE port on the Gulf of Oman located beyond the Strait of Hormuz. | The construction of the project has bee…