According to Al-Arabiya: The final draft of the Iran-US agreement, brokered by Pakistan, could be published soon. The proposal calls for the lifting of the blockade and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, the creation of a joint mechanism for conflict resolution, and the start of negotiations within seven days. It also calls for the gradual lifting of US sanctions against Iran in exchange for compliance with the terms of the agreement.
According to rumors, the draft agreement between the United States and Iran calls for the cessation of military operations “on all fronts.” Al Hadath and Al Arabiya have published the clauses of the potential new agreement. Among them: the lifting of US sanctions in exchange for Tehran’s compliance with a series of conditions. Establish a joint mechanism for resolving future conflicts. Cessation of attacks on infrastructure and cyber warfare. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs. Guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz.
A Pakistani source told Al Jazeera that Iran and the United States’ insistence on raising their demands regarding enriched uranium and the Strait of Hormuz has led to a stalemate in negotiations.
Israeli sources told Reuters: “Trump promised Israel that enriched uranium would leave Iran and that any possible agreement would include this clause.”
It therefore appears that the uranium and Strait of Hormuz issues are holding up the negotiations. Trump himself did not clarify the issue, telling the press: “We are negotiating with Iran; we will reach an agreement one way or another. I want the Strait of Hormuz to be open, free, and tariff-free. The United States will take Iranian uranium; we will probably destroy it. The conflict with Iran will end soon. We will probably have to repay $149 billion in tariffs.”
Complicating the overall picture are accusations from US Secretary of State Rubio: “Trump is disappointed with some of our NATO allies and their response to our operations in the Middle East. They are well documented.” “Iran is trying to create a toll system in the Strait of Hormuz. They are trying to convince Oman to join this toll system in an international waterway. There is no country in the world that should accept this.”
In support of the American position, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have issued a joint statement condemning and rejecting Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz and urging vessels not to contact the Persian Gulf Straits Authority.
Internally, the Iran issue has claimed another victim: Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, one of the Trump administration’s top intelligence officials and an ally of Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, will resign from this important government post. Kennedy’s resignation is reportedly due to her opposition to Trump’s military intervention against Iran.
The Wall Street Journal: “Iran has used the cryptocurrency exchange Binance to evade sanctions and transfer billions to fund its military for years, including cryptocurrency transfers this month.”
Russia is Iran’s ally on the civil nuclear issue. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated Moscow’s firm position on Iran’s nuclear program, emphasizing that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic channels that fully respect Tehran’s interests. Zakharova stated that Iran’s right to develop the peaceful use of nuclear energy is firmly established and inviolable.
Furthermore, Moscow affirmed that Iran’s right to uranium enrichment must not be questioned or subjected to arbitrary restrictions to meet current needs, political agendas, or warnings from foreign nations. Zakharova also emphasized that it is solely up to the Iranian people to decide how to wisely exercise their enrichment rights, noting that Iran itself must decide the fate of its uranium stockpiles.
Recall that Iran’s Supreme Leader has reportedly issued a directive specifying that enriched uranium, brought to near-weapon levels, must remain in Iran, hardening Tehran’s stance on a key US demand in the peace talks, Reuters was told by two hi level sources.
Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, commented on the mistreatment suffered by Global Sumud Flotilla activists: “You are rightly outraged by how Ben Gvir treated your compatriots; think of how he treats ours.” “Over 100 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli custody in two years, due to torture, starvation, and medical neglect. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, have been arrested and disappeared, leaving their families without any information about their fate. Defense Minister Katz has announced plans to convert the UN compound in Gaza into Israeli military installations. Netanyahu has announced measures to consolidate the de facto annexation of the Jordan Valley only in recent days.” “The evidence of these horrors is undeniable. Those responsible are known and protected,” Mansour noted.
Regarding the abuse, a flotilla activist told a Turkish TV station: “These people are super sadistic, they were laughing all the time.”
German Chancellor Merz addressed the violence in the West Bank: “Settler violence in the West Bank has reached unprecedented levels. Together with the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, we call on the Israeli government to stop the expansion of settlements.”
The construction of the AN/FPS-132 long-range radar at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar took six to seven years and was completed in 2013. These radars can be manufactured using large quantities of gallium nitride, and with the destruction of many similar radars, demand for this substance will only increase. The main reason is that China has imposed sanctions on the United States and is preventing its sale to third countries. The United States does not have enough gallium nitride to replace all the destroyed radars and allocate it to other projects.
The United Arab Emirates has purchased two advanced warning aircraft from an Israeli company. The planes, equipped with listening stations, can intercept communications in the territorial waters of the Persian Gulf, Le Figaro reports.
Europe could face a severe shortage of gas reserves if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for at least another month, Reuters reports, citing a statement from Norwegian company Equinor. Currently, Europe’s underground and aboveground gas storage facilities are just over 35% full, about 50% below the seasonal norm. EU countries must fill their reserves to 90% by October-December to prepare for winter.
Esmaeil Baqaei has been appointed spokesperson for the Iranian negotiating delegation. The team is called “Minab 168” in honor of the children killed in the Israeli-American attack on the Minab school. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: “At this stage, negotiations are focused on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon. Claims regarding the nuclear issue, including enriched material or the issue of enrichment, are merely media speculation.”
Iranian authorities have called on the European Union to impose sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his treatment of Resistance Flotilla activists. Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya confirmed that Mojtaba Khamenei’s final decision is not to transfer enriched uranium to Washington.
And now a look at the military scenarios unfolding in the Middle East and West Asia. The aircraft carrier CVN 71 Theodore Roosevelt recently completed the integration of F-35C Lightning II fighters into its air group. The aircraft carrier is likely to replace the CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln and its air group in ongoing operations against Iran in the coming weeks. The United States lost 20% of its MQ-9 Reaper drones during the operation against Iran, Bloomberg reported. The agency estimates the total damage caused by the destroyed drones could reach $1 billion.
U.S. Navy Chief of Staff Daryl Caudle on potential U.S. escort operations through the Strait of Hormuz: “If we were to attempt escort operations, we have evaluated the possibility. It is a very challenging mission in that narrow strait when it is contested. We will need to arrive at a situation where the strait is open and there is a generally accepted ceasefire before we can implement them on a large scale. Providing escort services through a contested strait, in my militarily opinion, would exceed the Navy’s capabilities to do so effectively.”
The Yediot Ahronot newspaper writes: “Satellite images show that the Ramat David was bombed in two places during the war with Iran. It also appears that one of the areas was likely used for rescue vehicles and equipment, while the other was a refueling and maintenance point for fighter jets.” And again: “Damage to a defensive site at the Nevatim air base. According to image analysis, damage was clearly visible at a defensive site inside the base on March 25, following an Iranian attack. Other satellite images “indicate damage inside the northern military intelligence base, Mishar, near Safed, following an attack.” Israel declared on May 22 that some of its military positions had been bombed by Hezbollah drones in northern Israel and described the event as very serious. The wounded soldiers were taken to the hospital.
News reports on May 22 reported that two fighters crossed Israel’s Yellow Zone. They were killed in a drone attack. A Hezbollah drone crossed the border undetected before directly hitting the Israel Defense Forces’ Iron Dome launcher in the settlement of Shomera, northern Israel.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, as of May 21, 3,089 people had been killed and 9,397 injured in the attacks. US-backed Israeli forces have been attacking Lebanon since March 2. Repeated attacks against southern Lebanon were also recorded on May 22. Two new attacks on the town of Al-Mansoureh, and the government hospital in Tebnine suffered severe damage from Israeli bombing. Yediot Aharonot also reports that satellite images show a large fire breaking out in the Shamshon camp, near Tiberias, starting on March 10, the day Hezbollah announced the attack on the site with a swarm of drones. According to image analysis, the fire continued for several days and spread over an area of approximately 200 meters inside the Israeli base.
Paramedics from southern Lebanon were killed in an Israeli attack. According to Lebanese sources: “Israel no longer has a clear target on Hezbollah fighters, who are now invisible on the battlefield. All they hear is the drones buzzing.
An attack was reported on an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters on the border with Lebanon. At least three wounded Israeli soldiers were taken to the hospital. According to a Lebanese source, the attack on the Branit base targeted another Iron Dome. Six Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed. Official confirmation is pending. According to a third Lebanese source: “FPVs appear to have targeted both Al-Rahib and Branit bases on the Lebanese-Israeli border.”
According to US estimates, 100 Revolutionary Guard officers have arrived in Lebanon in recent months, actively engaged in the rearmament and training of Hezbollah, according to Al Arabiya.
The army of the HTS-led regime in Jolani is participating in military exercises with NATO members for the first time. This participation is part of Turkey’s EFES 2026 exercises, which involve Forces from 50 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
Large-scale troop movements in Iraq and Afghanistan are becoming dangerous due to the widespread use of attack drones on the battlefield, said the commander of the United States Army Southern Command, Marine General Francis Donovan. “We need to be harder to detect and harder to hit.” “The key point, I think, is that we’ve made ourselves more vulnerable because of our needs, particularly logistical ones, because when you’re forced to strengthen and build a logistics base for your needs, you become more vulnerable,” Donovan said.
The UKMTO reported receiving information about a security incident involving an oil tanker in waters near the island of Socotra.
Fourteen Indian ships are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, an Indian government spokesperson said.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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