Khamenei Says U.S. Military Incursion Would Cause “Irreparable Damage”
Israeli strikes on Iran appeared to have hit two nuclear centrifuge production sites, the UN nuclear watchdog said (NYT)
Trump is due to meet today with the army chief of Pakistan; Islamabad has expressed openness to mediating in the Middle East (Bloomberg)
Gulf Arab states and Jordan are also among those trying to de-escalate tensions (Guardian)
Meanwhile, hundreds of ships traveling through the Persian Gulf have experienced interference with their signaling systems in recent days, shipping analysis firm Windward said; the practice sometimes occurs in war settings as militaries seek to mask the location of ships that could be potential targets (Reuters)
Trump Calls for Iran’s Unconditional Surrender in Social Media Post
Trump also wrote that he knew the location of the country’s top leader (Truth Social)
As Israel-Iran air attacks continue, Trump is weighing a U.S. strike on Iran, unnamed U.S. officials told multiple news outlets; Trump met with his national security team and spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu afterward (WSJ)
The United States is moving additional fighter jets to the region, unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters; the Pentagon did not immediately comment (Reuters)
Iran is prepared to strike U.S. bases in the Middle East should the United States join Israel’s military campaign, unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times (NYT)
On the other hand, Trump publicly contradicted a recent assessment from his intelligence community that Iran was not actively building nuclear weapons; his statement echoed a central Israeli claim to defend its strikes—that Iran is rushing to make a nuclear bomb (NYT)
U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a resolution that would require congressional approval for the U.S. military to offensively attack Iran (NYT)
Fourteen additional lawmakers immediately supported the measure, all of them Democrats, Massie’s office said (Massie)
Iran-Israel Conflict Enters Fourth Day
Attacks have killed at least twenty-four people in Israel and at least 224 in Iran, according to authorities on each side; more senior Iranian officials were among them (AFP;AP)
Attacks since Friday have damaged portions of two Iranian nuclear sites but did not immediately cause a spike in off-site levels of radiation, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog said; he added that an advanced enrichment facility called Fordow, among other key Iranian facilities, appears undamaged (IAEA)
Thousands of people began fleeing Tehran after Israel’s military issued evacuation orders for three hundred thousand residents and Trump posted on social media that “everyone” should leave the city of nearly ten million people (AP)
A U.S. aircraft carrier group began moving from Asia to the Middle East (Politico)
Trump told reporters that he was seeking something “better than a ceasefire,” while still voicing openness to talks with Iranian leaders (FT)
World leaders discussed the conflict today at a Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada; all members signed a statement supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, calling Iran “the principal source of regional instability and terror,” and urging that “the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation” in the Middle East (PMOC)
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he is willing to play a role in facilitating an end to the conflict (AFP)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with Netanyahu, calling for de-escalation (Times of India)
Iran has been sending messages to the United States seeking de-escalation, unnamed European and Middle Eastern sources told the Wall Street Journal(WSJ)
Trump Says U.S. “Could Get Involved” in Israel-Iran Conflict
In an interview with ABC News, Trump said there was a possibility that the United States could get involved in the conflict; he said he hoped an agreement between Iran and Israel could end the fighting, but that both countries may need to “fight it out” (France24; Reuters)
While U.S.-Iran nuclear talks slated for the weekend were cancelled, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said yesterday that Tehran still sought a deal (NYT)
Israel killed the intelligence chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said (EuroNews)
Iran hit sites in the cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa, while Israel also attacked Iran’s foreign ministry and Iranian oil and gas facilities, sparking concerns about potential oil supply disruptions (Reuters;FT)
Unnamed U.S. officials told multiple news outlets that Trump rejected an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s top leader; when asked about the reports, Netanyahu said he was “not going to get into that” (Reuters)
Trump said he discussed the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is considering mediating between Iran and Israel (Reuters)
Israel, Iran Continue to Escalate Attacks
Israel has launched 150 strikes in the last forty-eight hours, while Iran has traded about 200 ballistic missiles (NYT)
The Iranian military announced that two more military commanders were killed in strikes (WSJ)
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said a total of seventy-eight people had been killed since Israel initiated its attack (Times of Israel)
Seven Israelis have been killed in Iranian strikes (CNN)
In a video address, Netanyahu said Israel will “strike every site and every target of the Ayatollah’s regime” (TIME)
He also said Israel’s attacks created, for Iranians, an “opportunity to stand up” to their government (Fox News)
CNN reported that White House officials believe Israel’s operation against Iran will last weeks, rather than days, and that Israel is proceeding with implicit approval from the United States (CNN)
Iran warned France, the United Kingdom, and the United States that it will target the military bases and ships of any country that defends Israel from Iran’s retaliation (WaPo)
Trump said in a social media post that he had spoken about the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that both agreed it should end (WSJ)
Oman, which was mediating talks between Iran and the United States scheduled for Sunday, announced that the meeting was cancelled (Reuters)
Israel Carries Out Major Strikes Across Iran Overnight
The attacks came days before Washington was due to hold the next round of its ongoing nuclear negotiations with Tehran on Sunday (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had “struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear enrichment program” and the attacks would continue for days (Bloomberg;NYT)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called them a “declaration of war,” and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged a “severe, wise, and strong” response (AFP;WaPo)
While U.S. officials said Washington did not participate in the attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media today that forthcoming “already planned” attacks would be “even more brutal,” and that “Iran must make a deal” on its nuclear program (Truth Social)
Senior Iranian commanders, including Revolutionary Guard head Hossein Salami, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Shamkhani, were killed in the attack, Iran’s state media said (CNN)
At least thirty-five women and children were transferred to a hospital in Tehran, Iranian state television said (AFP)
Iran launched around one hundred drones toward Israel in response, which the Israeli military said it was “working to intercept” (FT;CNBC)
An unnamed Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post that the attacks were carried out in “full and complete coordination” with Washington; U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States was “not involved” (Jerusalem Post)
Oman, which has been mediating the U.S.-Iran talks, called the escalation “reckless” and said it violated the UN charter and international law (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Russia also called the strikes a breach of international law (AP)
UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi said he was ready to travel to Iran to assess the situation “and ensure safety, security, and nonproliferation” (IAEA)
Iran Says It Will Open New Nuclear Enrichment Site
Tehran announced it would open a third, secret uranium enrichment site after the UN nuclear watchdog officially said it was in noncompliance with its nonproliferation obligations (WSJ). The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear watchdog, voted to formally declare that Iran was in violation of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in twenty years; Iran has condemned the decision, claiming it is “political” (BBC)
Meanwhile, officials in the United States and Europe believe Israel is preparing an attack on Iran that would likely further destabilize the region; the extent of the potential attack is unclear (NYT)
U.S. Mideast Evacuations
The United States authorized the departure of diplomats from its embassy in Baghdad and the departure of military family members from the wider region amid concerns over tensions with Iran, unnamed U.S. officials told multiple news outlets (NYT;CNN)
Israel has reportedly signaled its readiness to attack Iran, and Iran’s defense minister said that the country would respond to potential strikes by attacking U.S. bases in the region (Reuters)
Khamenei Pushes Back on U.S. Nuclear Deal
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that U.S. efforts to persuade the country to abandon its nuclear program were “100 percent against our interests” (Reuters)
While Trump has publicly said he seeks a deal in which Iran does not enrich uranium at all, multiple media outlets have reported that a U.S. proposal would allow some enrichment for a period of time (NYT)
Trump said that he spoke about the Iran talks with Putin, who suggested that he will participate in the discussions (Reuters)
Axios: Details of Nuclear Deal Proposal Contradicts Statements by U.S. Officials
Two unnamed sources told Axios that the deal shared with Iran on Saturday would allow Iran to continue enriching uranium at limited amounts, contrary to previous statements made over the weekend by unnamed U.S. officials (Axios)
The White House press secretary did not deny the details of the proposal, although U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media hours later that Washington would not allow enrichment (Times of Israel)
Iran Receives U.S. Nuclear Deal Proposal
The proposal called for Iran to stop all uranium enrichment and join a consortium to produce nuclear power that includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries, unnamed officials told the New York Times (NYT). A UN nuclear watchdog report circulated hours before the proposal’s delivery reportedly said Iran had grown its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium by around half in roughly three months, bringing it a step away from having fuel for multiple nuclear weapons (WaPo)
Iran Weighs Inspections
Tehran could permit the UN nuclear watchdog to send U.S. inspectors to monitor its nuclear sites if negotiations with Washington produce a deal, Iran’s nuclear chief said; he maintained that Iran’s demand to maintain uranium enrichment is a red line in the talks (Reuters)
Separately, Trump told reporters that he warned Netanyahu that striking Iran would be “inappropriate” while the United States is close to reaching an agreement (AP)
U.S., Iranian Negotiators Meet in Rome for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks
The two sides have clashed in public comments about uranium enrichment in recent days, but a U.S. State Department spokesperson said yesterday that the meeting “would not be happening if we didn’t think that there was potential for it” (State)
The U.S. is being represented by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the State Department’s Policy Planning Director Michael Anton, and Iran by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (AP)
Iran Warns U.S. Against Israeli Strike, Rebuffs Zero-Enrichment Position
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a letter publicized by Iran’s mission to the United Nations that if Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran would consider the United States responsible; if Israel continues to threaten Iran, he wrote, Iran would take unspecified steps to protect its nuclear materials (X)
Trump discussed Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a call (The Hill)
Multiple Iranian officials publicly rejected the zero-enrichment position (Reuters)
Araghchi posted on social media that “zero nuclear weapons” meant there was a deal, while “zero enrichment” meant no deal (X)
U.S. President Donald Trump “wants to see a deal with Iran struck, if one can be struck,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said (White House)
CNN: Israel Considering Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
Unnamed U.S. officials said the United States has obtained new intelligence indicating that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities while Washington tries to negotiate a nuclear deal with Tehran; if Israel proceeds with its plans, the move could escalate a broader conflict in the Middle East (CNN)
Trump Envoy Says Uraniaium Enrichment Is a “Red Line”
Middle East envoy Witkoff described a U.S. “red line” that Iran should not be able to have “even 1 percent of an enrichment capability” (Reuters)
In prior weeks, some U.S. officials had suggested they might be able to accept a low level of enrichment (WSJ)
The strict anti-enrichment comments from U.S. officials intensified after more than two hundred Republican lawmakers wrote a letter on May 14 calling for such a stance (Senate)
Trump Says Iran Deal Is Close
Washington and Tehran are “getting close” to making a nuclear deal, Trump said today in Qatar; he added that Iran had “sort of” agreed to terms (Reuters)
Khamenei Says Iran Would Commit to Never Making Nuclear Weapons
A top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei told NBC that Iran would commit to never making nuclear weapons, eliminate highly enriched uranium stockpiles, and agree to inspections in exchange for sanctions relief (NBC)
U.S. Officials Considering Iranian Proposal to Enrich Uranium With Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
A spokesperson for U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff denied that the proposal was made in talks last weekend, while Oman’s foreign minister said the talks included “useful and original ideas” (NYT)
Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Begin Talks in Oman
Three hours of talks in Oman between U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were “difficult but useful,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said; Araghchi said Iran was willing to temporarily alter the total amount and the purity of its uranium enrichment to build confidence, but it would not forsake domestic enrichment completely (WSJ)
Meanwhile, U.S. officials close to the White House stated that U.S. President Donald Trump remains concerned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push for the United States to support military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities as U.S.-Iran talks are ongoing; Trump’s openness to accept Iran’s retention of its civilian nuclear program has also riled the Israeli leader (NBC)
Fourth Round of Nuclear Talks Expected This Weekend in Oman
Iranian state media listed May 11 as the likely date, while another source linked to Iran’s negotiating team stated that the talks could occur over two days; U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Washington hopes to carry out the talks this weekend (Reuters)
Trump Reiterates Call to Completely Dismantle Iran’s Nuclear Program
U.S. President Trump stated that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapons program under a deal, but he did say he remains open to the possibility of Iran maintaining a civil nuclear program (Axios)
U.S.-Iran Talks Postponed
Nuclear talks originally planned for this weekend have been postponed, host Oman said; Iran’s foreign minister cited “logistical and technical reasons” (AP)
The delay came after Washington announced new sanctions Wednesday against traders of Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products (State)
Trump wrote on social media that buyers of Iranian oil would face secondary sanctions, but no official announcement immediately followed (Truth Social)
Iran-E3 Nuclear Meeting
Iran will hold talks with France, Germany, and the UK on Friday ahead of its next round of nuclear negotiations with the United States on Saturday, Iran’s foreign minister said; the three European countries, a diplomatic grouping known as E3, were also party to a nuclear deal from which the United States withdrew during Trump’s first administration (Reuters)
France’s foreign minister said yesterday that if current nuclear talks fail, France would support reimposing UN sanctions on Iran (Reuters)
Port Explosion Kills At Least Forty People, Hundreds More Injured
An official said the explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran was caused by chemicals but did not specify which; an unnamed person with ties to Iran’s military told the New York Times that sodium perchlorate, an ingredient in solid fuel for missiles, exploded (NYT)