Live
Issued on: 21/05/2026 – 05:28Modified: 21/05/2026 – 07:08
US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One in Connecticut, in Maryland, May 20, 2026 © Evelyn Hockstein, Reuters
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States was ready to proceed with further attacks on Tehran if Iran did not agree to a peace deal, but suggested Washington could wait a few days to “get the right answers”. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
21/05/2026 – 06:51South Korea says nationals held by Israel released after Gaza aid vessel seizure
South Korea’s presidential Blue House has said me of its nationals who had been in held in Israeli custody have been released.
Seoul, which had earlier expressed strong regret over Israel’s seizure of an aid vessel bound for Gaza and the arrest of its nationals, welcomed their release, a presidential spokesperson said.
21/05/2026 – 06:49EU’s Costa ‘appalled’ by Israeli minister’s treatment of flotilla members
European Council President Antonio Costa has he is “appalled” by the treatment of aid flotilla members attempting to enter Gaza by Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir.
“Appalled by the treatment of flotilla members by Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir. This behaviour is completely unacceptable. We call for their immediate release,” Costa said in a statement on social media website X.
Costa was referring to a video clip posted by Ben-Gvir on Wednesday that showed Israeli police forced activists from the aid flotilla to kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs as the Israeli minister heckled them.
21/05/2026 – 06:43Australia condemns Israel’s ‘degrading’ treatment of flotilla activists
Australia’s foreign minister has condemned Israel’s “degrading” treatment of detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla, after footage showed protesters bound and on their knees.
“The images we have seen posted by Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir — who Australia has sanctioned — are shocking and unacceptable,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.
“We condemn his actions and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained.”
21/05/2026 – 05:33Asian stocks surge on Iran hopes
Shares surged in Tokyo, Seoul and other Asian markets Thursday, fuelled by hopes of a Middle East peace accord.
Japan’s Nikkei index jumped more than 3.5 percent after Iran said it was examining a new US proposal to end the Middle East war.
President Donald Trump described on Wednesday the talks as being on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed attacks.
Cautious hopes rippled quickly through financial markets. Oil fell more than five percent Wednesday, while US stocks rose.
21/05/2026 – 05:17
21/05/2026 – 04:51Iran has ‘received US views and are reviewing them’, foreign ministry says
The Iranian state-run agency Nour News quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying “We have received US Views and are reviewing them” Pakistan continued to mediate exchanges of messages between Tehran and Washington, adding that several rounds of communication had taken place based on Iran’s original 14-point framework, he added.
Iran said on Wednesday it was examining a new US proposal to end the Middle East war, as President Donald Trump described the talks as being on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes. The US military said Wednesday that it boarded an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of trying to violate the American blockade. The US ambassador to Israel sharply criticised far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday, after he posted a video showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)