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Iran said connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) it was examining the latest U.S. connection received from mediator Pakistan successful talks to extremity the West Asia war, contempt the 2 sides trading threats implicit resuming attacks.
It came aft U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Washington was successful the “final stages” of negotiations with Iran.
“We’ll either person a woody oregon we’re going to bash immoderate things that are a small spot nasty. But hopefully that won’t happen,” Mr. Trump said.
“I’m successful nary hurry. I just, ideally, I’d similar to spot fewer radical killed, arsenic opposed to a lot,” helium added.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the Islamic Republic had “received the points of presumption of the American broadside and we are presently examining them”.
He reiterated Iran’s demands, including the merchandise of Iranian assets frozen overseas and an extremity to the U.S. blockade connected Iranian ports.
Tehran’s main negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, had said earlier that the United States wanted to restart the West Asia war, aft Mr. Trump said helium would onslaught again unless Tehran agreed a bid deal.
Mr. Ghalibaf, who warned of a “forceful response”, was speaking aft Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said immoderate renewed warfare would dispersed acold beyond the West Asia.
“The enemy’s movements, some overt and clandestine, amusement that contempt economical and governmental pressure, it has not abandoned its subject objectives and is seeking to commencement a caller war,” Mr. Ghalibaf said.
‘Give diplomacy a chance’
A ceasefire connected April 8 brought a halt to the U.S.-Israeli struggle with Iran, which has roiled the planetary economy, but with Washington and Tehran seemingly reluctant to resume the fighting, a warfare of words has taken its place.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with renewed subject action, portion Iranian officials person deed backmost with their ain warnings.
The Revolutionary Guards said connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026): “If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised determination warfare volition this clip dispersed acold beyond the region, and our devastating blows volition crush you.”
Nevertheless, contempt sporadic bursts of violence, the 2 countries person continued to instrumentality portion successful diplomatic exchanges, mediated by Pakistan, aimed astatine bringing a ceremonial extremity to the war.
Citing diplomatic sources, Iran’s authoritative IRNA quality bureau announced a sojourn to Tehran by Pakistan’s Interior Minister, his 2nd successful little than a week.
Global lipid prices fell much than 5 percent connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) connected hopes of a deal.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan praised Mr. Trump connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) for his determination to “give diplomacy a chance” and urged Iran to prehend “the accidental to debar the unsafe implications of escalation”.
Israel’s service main Lieutenant Colonel Eyal Zamir, meanwhile, said the subject was astatine its highest alert level “and prepared for immoderate development”.
Under pressure
Mr. Trump is nether pressure, with rising vigor costs opening to wound astatine home.
While the ceasefire brought a halt to the fighting, it has not reopened the captious Strait of Hormuz, done which a 5th of the world’s lipid and liquefied earthy state usually pass.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) said they allowed 26 vessels, including lipid tankers, to transit the Strait of Hormuz implicit the erstwhile 24 hours, aft “coordination and information provided by the IRGC navy”.
The United States has imposed its ain blockade connected Iranian ports, and U.S. Central Command said Marines had boarded an Iranian-flagged lipid tanker connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) successful the Gulf of Oman that was suspected of attempting to interruption the blockade.
“American forces released the vas aft searching and directing the ship’s unit to change course,” CENTCOM said connected X.
It said U.S. forces person present redirected 91 commercialized ships to guarantee compliance with the blockade.
The aboriginal of the Hormuz strait is simply a cardinal sticking constituent successful negotiations, but without a woody fears are increasing for the planetary system arsenic pre-war stockpiles of lipid are utilized up.
The strait is besides a conduit for astir a 3rd of planetary fertiliser, the nonaccomplishment of which is pushing up nutrient prices and could origin shortages.
On Wednesday (May 20, 2026), the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned of “a terrible planetary nutrient terms crisis” and a “systemic agrifood shock” from the closure of the strait.
