![\"Donald](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5684.jpg\")
Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One on 20 May 2026. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin\/AP<\/p>\n
The White House said in early April<\/a> Trump\u2019s objectives in Iran was to \u201cobliterate Iran\u2019s ballistic missile arsenal and production capability, annihilate its navy, sever its support for terrorist proxies, and ensure the world\u2019s leading state sponsor of terrorism never acquires a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n While there is little doubt that waves of US and Israeli airstrikes heavily degraded Iran\u2019s military capabilities, many of Trump\u2019s core objectives remain unfulfilled and he is now essentially trying to get back to the status quo of the strait of Hormuz being freely open to international vessels.<\/p>\n A stockpile of highly enriched uranium is also still believed to remain buried following US and Israeli airstrikes last June, Iran still supports proxy militant groups such as Lebanon\u2019s Hezbollah and Yemen\u2019s Houthis and Iran reportedly retains much of its pre-war missile stockpile despite US-Israeli attacks.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.18 EDT<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Spain summons Israeli envoy over \u2018monstrous\u2019 treatment of Gaza flotilla activists<\/p>\n Spain is the latest nation to summon Israeli diplomats over Israel\u2019s treatment of the detained Gaza flotilla activists.<\/p>\n In a post<\/a> on X, Spanish foreign minister Jos\u00e9 Manuel Albares said the move is \u201cin response to the monstrous, undignified, and humiliating treatment by an Israeli minister toward the Spaniards and the rest of the flotilla members\u201d.<\/p>\n He also demanded the immediate release of the activists and an apology from the Israeli government.<\/p>\n Earlier on Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu criticised his national security minister<\/a> Itamar Ben-Gvir over a widely-condemned video he posted on social media showing him mocking detained activists from the Gaza flotilla, saying this was \u201cnot in line with Israel\u2019s values and norms\u201d.<\/p>\n The Israeli prime minister said he instructed the activists to be deported from Israel as soon as possible.<\/p>\n Israeli police on Wednesday forced activists who were aboard the Gaza-bound aid flotilla to kneel \u200bon the ground in rows with their hands tied behind their backs while a minister looked on, drawing criticism from foreign leaders and even from inside Israel\u2019s \u200cown government.<\/p>\n They were detained after their flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters on Tuesday and later taken to an Israeli port.<\/p>\n The flotilla had set sail from southern Turkey and was making a renewed attempt to deliver aid to war-devastated Gaza after earlier missions were also intercepted by Israel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>US military boards and releases Iranian-flagged oil tanker in Gulf of Oman<\/p>\n US Marines boarded Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker M\/T Celestial Sea in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday after suspecting it had violated a US blockade, US Central Command said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n US forces released the ship, which was headed toward an Iranian port, after searching it and directing its crew to alter course, the statement said.<\/p>\n There has been no immediate comment from Iran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.29 EDT<\/p>\n Trump also again touted the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as \u201csuccessful\u201d.<\/p>\n They call it the wall of steel, nobody goes through it \u2026 We have ships that tried to go through it \u2026 and they say DO NOT PROCEED FURTHER OR WE WILL SHOOT.<\/p>\n After painting an image of \u201ca young handsome captain\u201d telling ships not to proceed via \u201cthe greatest loudspeaker system\u201d, Trump then impersonated an Iranian man after his ship was hit by US forces, whilst mispronouncing \u201cIran\u201d, and said the ship turned around. \u201cNobody violates it, nobody,\u201d Trump went on.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear what incident Trump was referring to in these surreal remarks.<\/p>\n While the US Central Command has successfully intercepted and redirected dozens of ships during the blockade, several Iranian-linked and dark fleet vessels have slipped through.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says US ‘may have to hit Iran harder \u2013 or maybe not’<\/p>\n In further remarks on Iran, Trump told cadets he thought Tehran \u201cso badly\u201d wanted to make a deal, but added:<\/p>\n We will not let Iran have a nuclear weapon. It\u2019s very simple. We will not let that happen.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll see what happens. We hit them very hard. We may have to hit them even harder \u2013 but maybe not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump on Iran: ‘Do we finish it up or do they sign document?’<\/p>\n Donald Trump has been briefly speaking about Iran during a commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy. His comments come as a durable peace deal seems increasingly elusive and amid warnings that the US is weighing up restarting military attacks. This is from my colleague Lucy Campbell:<\/p>\n Alongside his usual boastful claims that Iran\u2019s navy and air force are \u201cgone\u201d, Donald Trump said the only question now is whether the United States goes back to finish the job or if Iran<\/a> will sign a document.<\/p>\n double quotation markEverything\u2019s gone. Their navy\u2019s gone. Their air force is gone. Just about everything. The only question is, do we go and finish it up? Are they going to be signing a document? Let\u2019s see what happens.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.40 EDT<\/p>\n The Turkish foreign ministry has strongly condemned the treatment of activists who were on board the Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli naval forces earlier<\/a>.<\/p>\n The ministry said Turkey is helping to try to secure the immediate and safe release of the detained Turkish nationals and other activists who were on the flotilla.<\/p>\n It said the Global Sumud Flotilla was unlawfully intercepted by Israel<\/a> while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. More than 50 boats taking part in the flotilla set sail from Turkey last week.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.26 EDT<\/p>\n Maham Javaid<\/p>\n In response to a question on Wednesday morning about how long Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel<\/a>, will hold on before re-starting strikes on Iran, Trump said: \u201cHe\u2019s fine. He\u2019ll do whatever I want him to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump also cited a poll that gave him 99% approval in Israel. Guardian US has not yet verified this poll.<\/p>\n \u201cI could run for prime minister, so maybe after I do this, I\u2019ll go to Israel and run for prime minister,\u201d he said. You can keep up with all the latest developments from the US here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards navy have said they allowed 26 vessels to transit the strait of Hormuz over the last day.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the past 24 hours, 26 vessels \u2013 including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels \u2013 transited the strait of Hormuz,\u201d the Guards\u2019 navy said in a social media post. It added that the ships passed after \u201ccoordination and security provided by the IRGC navy\u201d.<\/p>\n About a fifth of the world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes through the strait. But Iran closed the shipping route to so-called \u201chostile\u201d countries in response to being attacked by Israel<\/a> and the US on 28 February, causing global energy prices to surge.<\/p>\n Vessels sail through the strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, on 20 May, 2026. Photograph: Reuters<\/p>\n Iran effectively closed the strait by attacking \u2013 or just threatening to attack \u2013 some ships and told others not affiliated with the US or Israel that they could pass through it if they paid a toll.<\/p>\n Donald Trump imposed a counter-blockade of ships using Iranian ports on 13 April to try to pressure Tehran into accepting concessions to bring an end to the war \u2013 but this has ultimately failed as the strait is Iran\u2019s biggest leverage point.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.36 EDT<\/p>\n Fresh questions have been raised over the US and Israeli effort to depose the Iranian regime after it was claimed that Israel wanted to put the populist Mahmoud Ahmadinejad<\/a> in power.<\/p>\n Ahmadinejad\u2019s turbulent presidency from 2005 to 2013 was marked by incendiary attacks on Israel<\/a> but he recast himself as a critic of the regime and champion of the poor after falling out with the supreme leader Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n It is claimed that Israel<\/a> bombed a security building close to his Tehran home to help him escape house arrest but he became uneasy about the operation.<\/p>\n Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has recast himself as a regime critic after falling out with fellow Iranian leaders. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour\/Reuters<\/p>\n The plans reported by the New York Times<\/a>, were widely seen as implausible or disinformation put out by Ahmadinejad\u2019s supporters or the Israeli intelligence services.<\/p>\n However, the episode shows that the US and Israel overestimated opposition to the regime and their own ability to bring it down it with airstrikes. You can read the full story here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Irish foreign minister ‘appalled’ by video of detained Gaza flotilla activists<\/p>\n The Irish foreign minister, Helen McEntee, has joined in the condemnation of the footage showing detained Gaza-bound activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla with their hands tied behind their back kneeling as their heads touch the floor (see post at 14.11<\/a> for more details).<\/p>\n McEntee demanded the immediate release of the \u201cillegally detained\u201d activists, among whom is the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly. McEntee said she was \u201cappalled and shocked\u201d by the video, which was shared on X by far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir.<\/p>\n It was published after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla\u2019s vessels at sea and began detaining hundreds of foreign activists at the southern port of Ashdod. The Global Sumud Flotilla was attempting to deliver much needed aid to Gaza, which is under an Israeli maritime blockade.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran parliament speaker accuses US of ‘seeking new round of war’<\/p>\n Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran\u2019s parliament, has accused the US of \u201cseeking a new round of war\u201d as he vowed his country \u201cwill not bow down to force\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement on his Telegram channel, Ghalibaf said: \u201cThe enemy has imposed a difficult war on our beloved Iran, and today, more than ever, it is clear that we are in a war of wills, and whoever wins this war of wills will write Iran\u2019s history and determine Iran\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n His remarks came as US president Donald Trump threatened Iran with renewed military action<\/a>, saying he has given Tehran \u201ctwo to three days\u201d to reach a deal to end the conflict.<\/p>\n Ghalibaf said the US was still hoping Iran would surrender and respond favourably to Washington\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must strengthen our readiness to respond powerfully and effectively to possible attacks,\u201d he said, adding the US will \u201cregret attacking Iran again\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Trump says he is not in a hurry to end the war on Iran<\/p>\n According to the Reuters news agency, Donald Trump<\/a> has told reporters he was in no rush to bring his war on Iran to an end. The US president said achieving the mission\u2019s objectives was more important than setting a timeline for its conclusion.<\/p>\n Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One on 20 May 2026. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin\/AP<\/p>\n![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Patrick-Wintour,-R.png\")
Patrick Wintour<\/p>\n