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14:10
Iranian Foreign Minister Traveling To China For Talks
Abbas Araqchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is traveling to Beijing for talks on May 5.
“During this visit, he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.
The meeting comes as the United States and Iran remain deadlocked in negotiations to end the war.
On May 4, the US Treasury secretary urged China to step up its diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Scott Bessent added that the issue will be raised during US President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in mid May.
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13:43
Robert Murrett: A US Vice-Admiral On The ‘Very Tough Challenge’ Of Hormuz
Our senior Washington correspondent spoke to US Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett about the challenges, concerns, and potential solutions regarding the crisis in the Strait Of Hormuz.
The US military posture is important in creating leverage for a diplomatic solution that would allow free and open navigation, he said.
Read morehere.
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10:04
Iran’s Nuclear Breakout Time Unchanged After Recent War, Reuters Reports
US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran’s nuclear breakout time has not changed since last summer, according to Reuters.
It had previously been assessed that the June 2025 US-Israeli strikes on Irans nuclear sites set back its breakout timeline by up to one year.
Reuters cited three sources familiar with the matter in reporting that the assessments conclude Iran’s nuclear program remains essentially intact following the recent conflict launched on February 28.
The assessments of Tehran’s nuclear program remain broadly unchanged even after two months of a war that US President Donald Trump launched in part to stop the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear bomb, Reuters reported on May 4.
During the recent war, reports emerged of Israeli strikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities.
Two sources told Reuters that US intelligence agencies had concluded — before the 12-day war — that Iran could likely produce enough uranium for a weapon and build a bomb within roughly three to six months.
The assessment states that meaningfully setting back Iran’s nuclear program would require the destruction of its remaining stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, which remain buried in underground sites struck last summer.
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09:36
UN Chief Urges Iran To Ensure Care For Nobel Laureate Mohammadi
Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi (file photo)
Antonio Guterres has expressed alarm over reports about the poor and deteriorating physical condition of the detained Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.
Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on the evening of May 4 that the US Secretary-General had expressed “deep concern” over Mohammadi’s medical condition and called on Iranian authorities to ensure that Mohammadi “receives, at the very least, urgent medical care as required by her current health condition.”
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, also wrote on X on May 5, highlighting abusive treatment of Mohammadi in prison “for telling the truth about the regimes abuse of women and political opponents” and urging Tehran to provide her with “the urgent care she needs.”
The Narges Mohammadi Foundation said on May 1 that the renowned human rights activist had been urgently transferred to a hospital in Zanjan due to a sharp deterioration in her condition.
According to the foundation, she lost consciousness twice and suffered a severe cardiac crisis, and her condition was described as extremely critical.
After her transfer from Zanjan prison to a hospital in the same city, the foundation said her condition remained unstable.
Her brother, Hamidreza Mohammadi, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda on May 2 that the family had been able to see her in the hospitals intensive care unit, adding that her condition was grave and that she was breathing with the aid of oxygen.
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08:35
Iran Warns UAE Against ‘Military Solution’ As Tensions Escalate
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (file photo)
In a new message, Irans foreign minister has urged the United Arab Emirates not to resort to a military solution against the Islamic republic.
Writing on X,Abbas Araqchi saidlate on May 4 that he believed there is no military solution to the current crisis.
While talks are progressing thanks to Pakistans generous efforts, the United States must be careful not to be dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. The United Arab Emirates must likewise remain vigilant,” he added, referring to efforts by Islamabad to mediate in the conflict.
Since the start of the United States and Israel’s with Iran on February 28, the UAE has been among the Persian Gulf countries particularly affected by Iranian strikes, which Tehran says are a response to the US-Israeli military campaign.
A day before Araqchis message, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei criticized what he called the UAEs inappropriate behavior since the conflict began, saying it had aligned with aggressors against Iran, creating many problems.
Iranian media have also been publishing reports claiming recent military cooperation between Israel and the UAE, including the deployment of advanced air defense systems.
Meanwhile, Emirati authorities said on May 4 that the country had come under Iranian missile and drone attack, condemning the strikes as a dangerous escalation and warning it will not hesitate to protect its security and sovereignty.
Authorities in the port of Fujairah said a drone strike hit an energy installation, causing a fire and injuring three people, while the defense ministry said four cruise missiles were launched, three of which were intercepted.
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08:18
South Korea Weighs Role In US Hormuz Mission After Ship Blast
Shipping vessels lie anchored in the Strait of Hormuz in May 4.
South Korea has said it would review its position on joining US-led operations in the Strait of Hormuz after Donald Trump blamed Iran for an apparent attack on a South Korean-operated vessel.
An explosion and fire struck the Panama-flagged cargo ship HMM Namu on May 4 while it was anchored in the vital waterway, which has been largely blocked since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East in late February.
South Koreas Foreign Ministry said on May 5 that all 24 crew members on the Namu were safe and that the fire had been extinguished, adding that the exact cause of the accident would be figured out after the vessel is towed and its damage is assessed.
Trump said Iran had fired on the ship and urged Seoul to join US efforts to escort stranded vessels, suggesting it was time for allies to contribute to securing the strait.
Seouls Defense Ministry said it would carefully review our position, citing international law, maritime safety, and alliance considerations. It also said that it had been “actively participating in international discussions on cooperation to ensure safe passage” through the strait.
Vanguard, a British maritime risk management company that monitors shipping threats, said authorities were investigating whether the blast was caused by an attack, a drifting mine or another external factor, as dozens of South Korean-linked vessels remain stranded in the crucial shipping lane.
With reporting by AFP and Reuters
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07:54
Trump Warns Iran Will Be ‘Blown Off Face Of The Earth’ If US Vessels Targeted In Hormuz
US President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump has threatened that Iran would be blown off the face of the earth if it targets US vessels seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions strain a fragile cease-fire between the two sides.
The warning comes as Washington pushes ahead with a naval operation to escort commercial traffic through the Persian Gulf, where more than 800 ships and around 20,000 crew remain stranded along the strait, which is critical for global oil flows.
Speaking to Fox News on May 4, Trump praised the effort as one of the greatest military maneuvers ever done and said Iranian officials had been far more malleable in recent talks.
Iran, however, has warned it will strike US vessels approaching the strait and has disputed US claims that it had destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian missiles and drones.
Washington says it has already redirected dozens of commercial ships amid the ongoing standoff.
With reporting by AFP and The Guardian
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00:05
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We’ll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
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00:04
‘Forced Confessions’: Iranian Prisoners Speak Amid Wave Of Executions
Iran announced the hanging of three more men on May 4 as a wave of executions continued amid the backdrop of Tehran’s war with the United States and Israel.
Before being hanged on the weekend, another two members of Iran’s Kurdish minority issued audio statements from prison. One human rights activist told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that there are concerns the rate of executions will increase as Iranian authorities attempt to instill fear in the population.
