(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). Strait of Peril: Trump, Tehran and The New Battle for Hormuz. ummid.com The United States and Iran appear locked between diplomacy and military escalation as tensions over the Strait of Hormuz intensify.
(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). Trump's War on Iran is a Symptom of Unchecked US Military Power. juancole.com By George Yancy | This article was originally published by Perhaps some things should never be spoken — for, when they are, they leave us aghast, in a state of horror. Think here of the ghostly figure in Edvard Munch's "The Scream." During the height of the war on Iran, Donald Trump threatened: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." Those are words that elicit something frightening, terrifying. Let's be frank. The words, which clearly constitute a geno…
(2026-05-21). Iran propaganda push seeks to project unity despite internal divisions. al-monitor.com By Parisa Hafezi and Angus McDowallDUBAI, May 21 (Reuters) – Iran's leaders are splashing propaganda posters across Tehran boasting of national unity and victory over a global superpower, just months after crushing protests with mass killings and as war worsens economic pain for their people.Alongside the images of Revolutionary Guardsmen and a blockaded Strait of Hormuz, authorities are staging military-themed mass weddings and public gun training sessions in mosques to vaunt a spirit of national resistance.
(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). 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.
(2026-05-21). 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). Tehran reviewing US response to its latest proposal: FM Spokesperson. tribune.com.pk 
Iran's Nour News Agency reported on Thursday that Washington and Tehran exchanged messages through Pakistan over the wording of a proposed ceasefire document, according to Al Jazeera. | "Based on the original text of Iran's 14 points, the exchange of messages has been carried out on several occasions," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to Nour. | "We have received the views of the American side and are reviewing them," Baghaei said. | Baghaei made the remarks during Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's visit to Iran. | Pakistan is helping to mediate talks between Washington and Tehr…
(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). Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei issues warning on Raisi's death anniversary, hints at final showdown. hindustantimes.com Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei used the anniversary of former President Ebrahim Raisi's death to deliver a fiery political message aimed at the United States and Israel, declaring that Iran is engaged in a "unique historical resistance" against what he described as hostile foreign powers. During the commemoration, Mojtaba praised Raisi's leadership, diplomacy and connection with ordinary Iranians while portraying him as part of Iran's long line of revolutionary "martyrs." He also honoured former foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who died alongside Raisi in the 2024 helicopter crash near Varzaqan.
(2026-05-21). Trump vows U.S. will retrieve uranium from Iran. al-monitor.com WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump vowed on Thursday that the United States will eventually recover Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium despite comments from Iran that it will not hand over the material."We will get it. We don't need it, we don't want it. We'll probably destroy it after we get it, but we're not going to let them have it," Trump told reporters at the White House.Iran is believed to possess about 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, which Trump says was buried by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes nearly a year ago.
(2026-05-21). Socialist Equality Group and IYSSE hold successful meeting in New Zealand 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). Explained: Multi-dimensional Implications of US/Israel War on Iran. ummid.com Far from reviving American supremacy, the Iran conflict exposed the limits of coercive power in an age where history is no longer shaped by a single empire, but by competing centres of influence struggling to define a new world order.
(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). 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). Trump says Iran talks 'in final stages' as U.S. waits for 'right answer'. ecns.cn Trump says Iran talks"in final stages"as U.S.waits for"right answer".S.attack could take place in the coming days if no agreement is reached.
(2026-05-21). US Media Reports Growing Likelihood of Military Invasion of Cuba. orinocotribune.com US leaders are taking the military option regarding Cuba more seriously than ever before, as attempts to provoke "regime change" in Cuba through harsh economic sanctions and an energy blockade are failing, US media reports indicate. | "The initial idea regarding Cuba was that the leadership was weak and that the combination of a stricter enforcement of sanctions—effectively an oil blockade—and the clear military victories of the United States in Venezuela and Iran would frighten the Cuban population, leading them to negotiate. But the situation in Iran has become complicated and the Cubans are proving…
(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). Iran's Hormuz authority declares control over ports in UAE, Oman: What to know. al-monitor.com The Persian Gulf Strait Authority released a map showing its "areas of oversight" extending to the United Arab Emirates' ports, eliciting a rebuke from a senior Emirati official.
(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.
(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). Bond Market Is Flashing a Warning Over Iran, Former White House Official Warns. indybay.org Summary: | Bond markets are flashing stress signals as Iran tensions push oil higher and long-term yields surge toward 5%, raising fears that inflation and borrowing costs are entering a new, more permanent phase.
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). Can the Davutoglu "Middle Powers Plan" Reopen Hormuz? juancole.com Chicago (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) — The geopolitical deadlock in the Strait of Hormuz represents one of the most perilous stalemates in contemporary international relations. Standard unilateral enforcement mechanisms and Western-led naval coalitions have reached a point of diminishing returns, frequently viewed by regional actors as provocative or inherently partisan. Breaking this dangerous cycle of escalation requires a paradigm shift away from traditional big-power coercion and toward trusted, multi-aligned diplomatic mediation. | Former Turkish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davut…
(2026-05-21). New UAE oil pipeline bypassing Hormuz 50% complete ahead of 2027 start. geo.tv 
An Emirati man is seen near the logo of ADNOC in Ruwais, United Arab Emirates May 14, 2018. — Reuters Oil flows may take 4 months to return to 80% of pre-war levels.Full flows may not return before first half of 2027: ADNOC chief. UAE planned decade ago infrastructure…