Day 82 | Trump says attack on Iran possible in ‘two or three days’ if no deal is reached
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US President Donald Trump said Iran has just “two or three days” to reach a deal to end the war, warning that failure to do so could trigger renewed military strikes.
An Iranian official responded by saying Washington’s threat of a large-scale assault at any moment would be met “resolutely,” stressing that Tehran is fully prepared to confront any military aggression.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that “dialogue does not mean surrender,” adding that Tehran entered negotiations with “dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation’s rights.”
At the same time, international condemnation is mounting after 'Israeli' forces reportedly intercepted additional aid flotilla vessels bound for the Gaza Strip, with reports indicating around 47 boats were seized in international waters and hundreds of activists detained.
Day 83 of the US-‘Israeli’ war on Iran
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Read more: Day 83 | Iran accuses US of secret moves toward new assault
Iran announces “controlled maritime zone” in Hormuz Strait
Iran announced on Wednesday the creation of a “controlled maritime zone” in the Strait of Hormuz.
The announcement came by what Iran calls the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority”; a newly formed body that Iran says will manage the vital waterway.
According to the published photo, the zone is the “line connecting Kuh-e Mobarak in Iran and southern Fujairah in the UAE at the eastern side of the strait, to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm Al Quwain in the UAE at the western side of the strait.”
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— PGSA | نهاد مدیریت آبراه خلیج فارس (@PGSA_IRAN) May 20, 2026
جمهورى اسلامى ايران محدوده نظارتى مديریت تنگه هرمز را به این شرح تعيین کرده است: «خط اتصال كوه مبارك درايران وجنوب فجيره درامارات در شرق تنگه تاخط اتصال انتهاى جزيره قشم درايران و ام القيوین امارات درغرب تنگه.» pic.twitter.com/3ELSwYx5Bp
VIDEO - Hezbollah drone targets Iron Dome battery near border
Footage from May 19 released today by Hezbollah showing what it says is an attack drone targeting an ‘Israeli’ Iron Dome battery near the ‘Israeli’-Lebanese border.
VIDEO - US marines board Iranian-flagged oil tanker
The US military said Marines had boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of attempting to violate Washington's blockade of Iran.
"American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship's crew to alter course," said Central Command, which oversees US forces in the region, in a post on X.
It said that US forces have now redirected 91 commercial ships to ensure compliance with the blockade.
US marines board Iranian-flagged oil tanker: CENTCOM
The US military said Marines had boarded an Iranian-flagged oil tanker on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of attempting to violate Washington's blockade of Iran.
"American forces released the vessel after searching and directing the ship's crew to alter course," said Central Command, which oversees US forces in the region, in a post on X.
It said that US forces have now redirected 91 commercial ships to ensure compliance with the blockade.
Earlier today in the Gulf of Oman, U.S. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit boarded M/T Celestial Sea, an Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker suspected of attempting to violate the U.S. blockade by transiting toward an Iranian port. American forces released the… pic.twitter.com/1AVT0MudKY
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 20, 2026
Iran says examining new US proposal
Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that it is examining a response from the United States within the framework of talks aimed at ending the war, as it welcomed Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, whose country is leading mediation efforts between the two sides.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told state television, “We have received the views of the American side and are currently reviewing them. The visit of the Pakistani interior minister is intended to facilitate the exchange of messages with the United States.”
Baqaei also reiterated the conditions set by the Islamic Republic, including “a definitive end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” in addition to “the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to acts of piracy against Iranian commercial ships,” referring to the US blockade on Iran’s ports.
Trump told reporters he could 'run for prime minister in Israel'
US President Donald Trump claimed he is “at 99% in Israel” and joked that he could “run for prime minister” there after leaving office, while also praising Benjamin Netanyahu as a “great guy” who “does whatever I want him to do” and criticizing 'Israeli' President Isaac Herzog for treating Netanyahu “very poorly” amid the 'Israeli' leader’s ongoing corruption trial.
Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do,” says Trump
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do”.
When asked on what he said to Netanyahu about holding off the strike on Iran, Trump said: “He’s fine. He’ll do whatever I want him to do. He’s a very... very good man. Uh, he’ll do whatever I want him to do and he’s... he’s a great guy.”
“To me, he’s a great guy. Don't forget, he was a warrior.”
Trump also added that he and Netanyahu are on “the same page” regarding Iran.
'Israeli' army says officer severely injured in drone strike in southern Lebanon
The 'Israeli' military said an officer was severely injured and two others were wounded, including a reserve officer moderately and a non-commissioned officer lightly, after an explosive drone struck southern Lebanon on Wednesday, with all injured soldiers evacuated to hospital and their families notified.
Iran chief negotiator Ghalibaf says US 'seeks to start new war'
Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Wednesday said the United States was seeking to restart the war and still hoped the Islamic republic would surrender.
"The enemy's movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war," Ghalibaf said in an audio message carried by Iranian media.
"Close monitoring of the situation in the United States reinforces the possibility that they still hope for the surrender of the Iranian nation," he said.
Pakistani Interior Minister travels to Tehran for talks
Pakistan's Interior Minister, Senator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, has departed for Tehran to meet with officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This marks his second visit to the country in less than a week, knowledgeable diplomatic sources in Islamabad reported today.
