(2026-05-31). US says capable of resuming war with Iran as deal remains elusive. al-monitor.com The United States warned on Saturday it was "more than capable" of resuming its war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons.The White House had signaled Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal, though Tehran denied there was a final agreement on ending the conflict.US sources had told AFP the deal was waiting on Trump's sign-off, but he made no decision after a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday.
(2026-05-31). Iran says does not trust US as Trump toughens terms. al-monitor.com Iran's chief negotiator warned on Sunday the United States was not to be trusted, saying Tehran would not agree to any deal with Washington unless it fully secured Iranian rights.Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's remarks came as reports emerged that US President Donald Trump had sent a tougher peace proposal back to Iran, and underlined the rift that the parties still need to close.
(2026-05-31). Trump seeks changes to Iran deal draft negotiated by envoys, Axios reports. tribune.com.pk 
US President Donald Trump has requested several amendments to a draft agreement negotiated by his envoys with Iranian counterparts, prompting a new round of discussions between the two sides, Axios reported on Sunday, citing a senior administration official and another source briefed on the matter. | According to Axios, Trump made the request during a Situation Room meeting on Friday, seeking to strengthen provisions he considers important, particularly those related to Iran's nuclear material. | The report said Trump wants the agreement finalised and expects a deal to be reached soon, but has asked his team t…
(2026-05-31). Israel troops capture Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon push against Hezbollah. al-monitor.com JERUSALEM, May 31 (Reuters) – Israeli troops have seized the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle and its strategic ridge in southern Lebanon, the military said on Sunday, a major advance against Iran-backed Hezbollah despite a ceasefire announced more than six weeks ago. It comes after Saturday, one of the heaviest days of Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel since the April ceasefire, prompting school closures and restrictions.
(2026-05-31). Israel PM says capturing Beaufort in Lebanon offensive. al-monitor.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military took over the medieval castle of Beaufort on Sunday, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah.The Iran-backed militant group, meanwhile, said it targeted Israeli army positions and infrastructure in Shlomi and Nahariya in northern Israel, while air raid sirens blared in the Acre area.
(2026-05-31). strongest card in nuclear talks: its highly enriched uranium. al-monitor.com By Francois MurphyVIENNA, May 29 (Reuters) – Iran and the United States are in discussions to extend their ceasefire so as to start negotiations on issues including Tehran's nuclear program, where Washington insists Iran must not be able to make a nuclear weapon.While much of Iran's uranium enrichment infrastructure was destroyed or badly damaged when Israel and the U.S. bombed it in June, a large part of the highly enriched uranium it amassed is thought to have survived. That is the biggest U.S. concern ahead of nuclear talks.
(2026-05-31). 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.
(2026-05-31). Iran Expresses 'Total Solidarity' With Oman. popularresistance.org Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed "solidarity" and support for the Sultanate of Oman on 29 May, after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb the Gulf country if it teams up with Tehran to manage the Strait of Hormuz. | The comments came during a phone call between Araghchi and Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidy. | "In very productive call with Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidy, I expressed Iran's solidarity with Oman in face of any threat," Araghchi said in a statement on X. "We discussed Hormuz and its future administration in line with our sovereign responsibilities and international law.
(2026-05-31). IMF, World Bank, others warn Middle East war is straining energy supplies. al-monitor.com May 29 (Reuters) – The heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization warned on Friday that the war in the Middle East was straining global energy supplies and hitting vulnerable economies hardest.The U.S.-Israel war on Iran has disrupted trade, rattled financial markets and raised concerns over global energy supplies, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and gas shipments.
(2026-05-31). Trump Admin Uses Iran War Oil Shock to Push Drilling in Alaskan Wilderness. truthout.org The Trump administration and fellow Republicans are citing the Iran war as a pretext for oil drilling in Alaska, in an attempt to rapidly implement longstanding policy goals in the state. In April, President Donald Trump declared that the Strait of Hormuz blockade could be a boon for U.S. oil production, including in Alaska. This narrative was celebrated by Alaska Republicans… |
(2026-05-31). Iran chief negotiator says no deal with US until Iranian rights secured. newarab.com 
Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that Tehran will not agree to any deal with the United States that fails to secure the rights of Iranians. | "We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," Ghalibaf said, in a video broadcast on state television. | He added that Iranian negotiators "neither trust the enemy's words nor its promises." | His remarks came as Iran and Washington continue to exchange proposals over a framework for a deal to end the war that broke out on 28 February, engulfing the Middle East. | On Saturda…
(2026-05-31). APEC Suzhou Meeting Highlights Global South Role and Multipolarity After Iran War. moderndiplomacy.eu The significance of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers' meeting, held on May 22-23, 2026, in Suzhou, eastern China, lay in the issuance of the Suzhou Declaration and the adoption of a new roadmap for the services sector. These outcomes represent important economic and trade results that will contribute to the informal summit of …
(2026-05-31). Pentagon chief says U.S. ready to restart strikes on Iran if no deal. al-monitor.com SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) – The U.S. is ready to restart attacks on Iran if a deal cannot be reached, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday, as negotiators from Washington and Tehran worked to bridge major differences blocking an agreement."Our ability to recommence if necessary…we are more than capable," Hegseth said in Singapore."Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we're in a very good place," he added.
(2026-05-31). US military says it turned away blockade runner trying to reach Iranian port. al-monitor.com By Raphael SatterMay 30 – The U.S. military says it fired a missile into the engine room of a vessel trying to get through the U.S. blockade of Iran on Friday.Here are some details: • In a statement on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said it fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Gambia-flagged Lian Star as it was "transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman."• Before the attack, U.S. forces issued "more than 20 warnings" informing the vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade, according to Centcom.
(2026-05-31). How hardening rhetoric signals uneasy path for US talks. al-monitor.com Iran's leadership is increasingly portraying negotiations with Washington not as compromise but as a continuation of confrontation by other means.
(2026-05-31). Irán anuncia derribo de dron estadounidense. cubadebate.cu La Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica de Irán (CGRI) eliminó una aeronave no tripulada, presuntamente originaria de Estados Unidos, informó la agencia de noticias 'Tasnim', que citó a la agrupación. De acuerdo con el medio, el dron era tipo MQ-1 Predator, y cayó en las aguas territoriales del país persa.
(2026-05-31). Trump's Violent Memes Expose Long-Simmering Truths About US Imperialism. truthout.org It seemed on brand for our meme-obsessed President that the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury with an epic video mashup. While Trump never bothered to articulate a real justification for waging war on Iran, he gestured toward a righteous mission with a montage of dramatic violent scenes, featuring heroic and antiheroic characters from Braveheart to Walter White of "Breaking Bad… |
(2026-05-31). US issues new Iran-related counter-terrorism sanctions. al-monitor.com May 29 (Reuters) – The United States issued new counter-terrorism sanctions on Friday targeting Iranian individuals and entities, among others, a notice on the Treasury Department website showed.(Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis)…
(2026-05-31). US says capable of resuming war with Iran, deal remains elusive. newarab.com 
The The White House had signaled
(2026-05-31). UK foreign minister due to visit China and India to discuss global issues. al-monitor.com LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) – British foreign minister Yvette Cooper will travel to China on Monday, and then onwards to India later in the week, with the visits to focus on global issues from the Strait of Hormuz and the Russia-Ukraine war to the recent Ebola outbreak.Cooper will meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on June 2, before travelling to the southern tech hub of Shenzhen for a programme focussed on science and technology a day later, the government said.
(2026-05-31). Drone hits Ukraine's captured nuclear plant Zaporizhzhia: IAEA. newarab.com 
A drone hit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, the UN nuclear agency has said, citing local officials. | The International Atomic Energy Agency posted on social media that the Russian-run plant's operator informed it that a drone had hit the turbine building on Saturday, "reportedly causing a hole in its wall". | Russian media carried a statement from state-owned nuclear power firm Rosatom accusing Ukraine of a deliberate attack – a claim strongly denied by Kyiv. | Close to the front line in southern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia is the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe. | M…