Day 62 | Trump rejects Iran’s offer, says naval blockade will remain until nuclear deal

In an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto, 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk blamed Hezbollah for renewed fighting, saying it had repeatedly breached the ceasefire.

“Hezbollah is breaching the ceasefire. That’s not surprising, and we’re hitting them back very hard,” Falk said.

Falk accused the Iran-backed group of targeting Israeli civilians, saying Israel is responding by striking Hezbollah militants.

“Hezbollah … has taken Lebanon hostage for the past decade or so… and they target civilians and we target Hezbollah terrorists. That’s the main difference between us.”

The Trump administration is working to build a new international coalition aimed at ensuring safe passage for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the The Wall Street Journal.

The report said the initiative, outlined in an internal US State Department cable sent to American embassies, is intended to enhance coordination among partner countries in protecting one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes.

The effort has been described as “building maritime freedom of navigation,” and would involve intelligence sharing, diplomatic coordination, and enforcement of sanctions.

The US military is considering deploying a hypersonic missile system to the Middle East for potential use against Iran, according to a Bloomberg report citing officials.

The request was made by the United States Central Command, which has asked to position the Army’s long-range Dark Eagle system in the region to strengthen strike capabilities against targets deep inside Iranian territory, including ballistic missile launchers.

If approved, the move would mark the first time the United States deploys a hypersonic missile in an operational theater. The system has faced repeated delays and has not yet been officially declared fully operational.

The Dark Eagle program is part of the US effort to develop high-speed, long-range strike weapons designed to evade advanced air defenses.

Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz from the Arabian Sea side and will take “swift action” if US forces move forward, a naval commander warns.

“The enemy thought that in the shortest possible time – such as three days to one week – it could reach a conclusion in a war against Iran, and this assumption of theirs has become a joke in military universities,” Commander Shahram Irani said in a statement carried by the state-run broadcaster IRIB.

“We are united to the last drop of our blood to take revenge for our martyrs,” he added.

Earlier, an unnamed military official said the US faces “unprecedented action” if its blockade of Iranian ports continues, Iran’s Press TV reported.

The official said, “The restraint shown by armed forces so far has been intended to give diplomacy a chance, allowing the United States to learn of and accept Iran’s conditions for ending the war permanently.”

However, “if American obstinacy and delusions continue and Iran’s conditions are rejected”, the official warned, “the enemy should soon expect a different kind of response”.

Canada’s immigration agency says Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members are “inadmissible to Canada” after Iranian officials left the country before a FIFA Congress, citing the conduct of immigration officers.

Earlier, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported three Iranian federation officials arrived in Canada with visas to participate in Thursday’s congress, but returned on the next available flight.

Several outlets said the officials included Iran’s football federation president and deputy secretary-general, who left after “inappropriate behaviour of the immigration officials at the airport, and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian Armed Forces”.

The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by air strikes last year, the head of the UN nuclear agency says.

Rafael Grossi told The Associated Press that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has satellite images showing the effects of the latest US-'Israeli' air strikes in Iran and “we continue to get information”.

IAEA inspections at Isfahan ended when 'Israel' launched a 12-day war last June, which then saw the US bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The UN nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran’s highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since”, Grossi said.

“We haven’t been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals, -the IAEA seals-, remain there,” he said. “I hope we’ll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate.”

The US Navy’s carrier strike group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford is expected to leave the Middle East in the coming days, according to CBS News, which cited a US official.

The commander of Iran’s navy said the country will soon reveal new military capabilities that he claimed are feared by its adversaries, warning that the weapons would be deployed in close proximity to what he described as the “enemy.”

In remarks carried by Iranian media, the commander said Iranian naval vessels remain in continuous movement to and from the country’s ports as part of ongoing operational readiness.

He also said Iran has effectively sealed off the Strait of Hormuz from the Arabian Sea side, warning that Tehran would take action if any adversary “advances further.”

Oman’s Foreign Ministry says its top diplomat, Badr Albusaidi, spoke by phone with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the latest regional developments.

The two officials “emphasised the importance of intensifying international efforts to resume the security, safety, and freedom of maritime navigation, and to ensure the smooth flow of global trade in accordance with the rules of international law”, it said.

“They also stressed the necessity for all parties to exercise the required flexibility in order to reach practical solutions for settling disputes and prioritising the common interests of all,” the ministry added.

Oman has acted as a key mediator between the US and Iran and repeatedly called for de-escalation.

President Donald Trump has urged 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid a broad escalation in Lebanon and instead carry out only “surgical” military actions, according to a phone interview with Axios.

Trump told Axios he warned against widespread destruction, saying 'Israel' “has got to do it more surgically” and avoid leveling buildings, arguing such actions are “too terrible” and harm 'Israel’s' image.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says he spoke by phone with Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berry.

In a post on his official Telegram account, Araghchi said the two officials “discussed and exchanged views on the latest regional developments”.

As we reported, Araghchi also spoke by phone earlier with India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, discussing Iran’s ceasefire with the US and other regional and international developments.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has met UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and discussed the “urgent need” to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Although a temporary ceasefire had earlier halted fighting between the US and Iran, tensions in the region remain elevated and no lasting settlement has been reached.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade passes, remains a key concern for international energy markets.

'Israel' has asked the United States to set a clear timeframe for ongoing negotiations with Lebanon, with the deadline not extending beyond mid-May, according to a report by 'Israel’s' Channel 12.

For coverage of the previous day, visit the link below.

Read more: Day 61 | Iranian army remains on war footing as Gulf leaders convene