US-Iran News Highlights: Only way out of war is to accept Tehran's demands, says Iran's Defence Ministry

US-Iran News LIVE: Updates to this blog have ended

Esmail Baghaei said that Iran’s priority at this stage is to bring an end to the conflict on all fronts, including Lebanon, as per AP.

He added that lifting sanctions on Tehran has been explicitly included in the negotiating text and remains a firm and non-negotiable position for Iran.

Donald Trump is reportedly “50/50” between finalising a diplomatic agreement with Iran and authorising renewed military strikes, according to Axios, increasing concerns over possible escalation.

Axios reporter Barak Ravid said he spoke with Trump over the phone, during which the US President described the odds as evenly balanced between reaching a “good” deal or choosing to “blow them to kingdom come.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, held a telephone conversation with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who serves as the United Arab Emirates’ top national security official, as per Al Jazeera.

During the call, the two leaders discussed Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed at bridging differences between Tehran and Washington. They also reviewed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Qatar and the UAE, along with broader efforts to strengthen regional security and stability.

Iran stated on Saturday that it has incorporated provisions for ending the ongoing US naval blockade and establishing arrangements related to the strategic Strait of Hormuz in a draft framework of a proposed agreement with the United States, according to AFP.

"The issue of the Strait of Hormuz is among the subjects addressed in this 14-point memorandum of understanding but more importantly, ending the piracy carried out by the United States against international navigation," said foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

The Pakistan army said in a statement that Asim Munir has ended a short but “highly productive” visit to Iran, during which he conducted “high-level engagements” with Iranian leadership, reported Al Jazeera.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “some progress” has been made in mediation efforts between Iran and US.

“There’s been some progress done, some progress made, even as ⁠I speak to ⁠you now, there’s some work being done,” Reuters quoted Rubio as saying.

He added, “There is ⁠a chance that, whether it’s ⁠later today, ⁠tomorrow, in a couple days, we may have something to ‌say.”

Baghaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the ongoing mediation process with the United States is "time-consuming” because “the hostility of the US goes back several decades”.

“Some points and wordings on which there were still disagreements were discussed and proposals were made, some of which are still being reviewed and opinions are being expressed,” IRNA quoted him as saying.

Authorities recently arrested 32-year-old Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national allegedly trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), over a reported assassination plot targeting US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, according to a report by the New York Post.

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Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani spoke with US President Donald Trump over the phone to discuss regional tensions and Pakistan-backed diplomatic efforts aimed at averting further escalation, according to a statement issued by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, reported Al Jazeera.

During the conversation, the two sides reviewed ongoing efforts to calm tensions and ensure regional stability, while also discussing Pakistan’s mediation role between the United States and Iran.

Iran has sentenced two women to a combined 53 years in prison on charges of spying for Israel, reported the IRNA news agency. One of the women received a 26-year sentence, while the other was handed 27 years in jail.

The chief justice of Semnan province mentioned they were in “active communication with hostile networks and sending video content and information needed by the enemy to direct harassing actions against the noble nation of Iran”.

“The fate of these two mercenaries is a lesson for all those who, under the pretence of being allies with the American-Zionist enemies, have targeted the security of the dear people of Iran.”

The IRGC’s navy has mentioned at least 25 ships have navigated through the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.

“In the past 24 hours, 25 ships, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after obtaining permission with the coordination and security of the IRGC Navy,” the IRGC said in a statement.

US Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent encouraging the administration to use existing authorities to sanction any entity assisting Iran with what he said was "illegally blocking the Strait of Hormuz, including the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA)".

— ANI

Iran's Defence Ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik on Saturday said that the US must accept Iran's demands to avoid further escalation, warning that continued confrontation would result in "further losses" for Washington and its allies, according to the Iranian state media Tasnim news agency.

According to the Iranian news agency, Talaei-Nik said, "The only way out of the third imposed war for the American-Zionist enemy, on both the battlefield and in diplomacy, is to secure the demands of the Iranian people."

He further warned that Washington's refusal to recognise Iran's "rights" would lead to further setbacks for US President Donald Trump and the broader American position in the region.

"While accepting Iran's proposal, Trump should also be mindful of preventing further losses and costs in the continuation of the war for the American people and the international community," he added.

— ANI

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said on Saturday that 25 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the last 24 hours, after obtaining permission from Iran.

— Reuters

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a phone conversation with Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi, on Saturday amid intensified regional diplomacy aimed at reducing tensions and securing a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States, according to the Iranian semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

According to the Tasnim news agency, the discussions took place during a flurry of diplomatic activity continuing from Friday evening into Saturday morning.

The news report said the foreign ministers discussed "the latest regional developments and the ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation of tensions and end the war, exchanging views and opinions."

— ANI

Persian Gulf nations and Pakistan stepped up efforts to transform a fragile truce in the Iran war into a permanent peace deal, with US President Donald Trump again signaling that the conflict may end soon.

Field Marshal Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief and the favored interlocutor between the US and Iran, visited Tehran Friday for discussions on an accord with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that lasted late into the night. Araghchi held separate talks with his counterparts in Oman, Turkey, Qatar and Iraq, and United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

A lasting peace deal has remained elusive so far, keeping global energy markets on edge and oil prices elevated above $100 a barrel.

The United Arab Emirates has joined Qatar and Saudi Arabia in appealing to Trump to allow more time for negotiations, according to several people familiar with the matter.

— Bloomberg

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Saturday highlighted what he described as fundamental disagreements between Tehran and Washington. He reiterated Iran's position on the 14-point plan previously submitted to the US.

"The reason we don't talk about the details of nuclear-related discussions is clear. We have done this twice, and the other party's greed led us into war. We cannot ignore this experience," said Baghaei, news publication Al Jazeera reported.

"Regarding nuclear issues, the matter is very clear - we are a member of the NPT [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] and we have the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," he added.

US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday said that it was preparing for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran, CBS News reported citing sources.

No final decision on strikes had been reached, the sources told CBS News.

Several members of the US military and intelligence community are said to have cancelled their plans for the Memorial Day weekend after the news of probable strikes.

Trump had planned to spend Memorial Day weekend at his golf property in New Jersey but will now return to the White House, as per CBS News.

Trump reportedly said that he will be missing his son Donald Trump Jr's wedding owing to geopolitical tensions.

In a post on Truth Social he said, "While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so. I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time. Congratulations to Don and Bettina! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told AntOnio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, that Washington's "excessive demands" are the main obstacle to ongoing peace negotiations, Al Jazeera reported.

Araghchi, in a telephonic conversation with Guterres, said the US had repeatedly undermined diplomacy through broken promises, contradictory positions, and military aggression, but Iran is engaging in the truce talks.

Guterres rejected the use of force against any state's sovereignty and called for diplomacy to restore stability in the region, according to Al Jazeera's sources.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday (local time) was preparing for a fresh round of military strikes against Iran, sources with direct knowledge of the planning told CBS News.

No final decision on strikes had been reached, the sources told CBS News.

— Inputs from ANI