US-Iran War Highlights: No Iran-US deal reached yet, but gaps have narrowed, says senior Iranian official

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A Palestinian man was wounded by live ammunition during an Israeli military raid on the town of Anabta, east of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, according to the official Wafa news agency.

Emergency teams treated the man at the scene after he suffered shrapnel injuries from live fire.

Wafa reported that Israeli forces entered the town with military vehicles and deployed along the main street, where troops stopped civilian cars, questioned passengers and later opened fire towards residents during the incursion.

Iran has reportedly destroyed more than two dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by US forces since the start of the current conflict, according to Bloomberg News.

Citing unnamed sources, the report said the losses are estimated at around $1bn, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the Pentagon’s pre-war inventory of the unmanned aircraft.

Several drones were reportedly shot down by Iranian air defence systems during operations, while others were destroyed in missile strikes on US bases or lost in operational incidents, Bloomberg quoted a source with direct knowledge as saying.

The report added that US congressional assessments show at least 42 aircraft were damaged or destroyed during the war, with overall equipment losses estimated at about $2.6bn.

Hezbollah said it launched 16 separate attacks on Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon on Thursday, using rockets, attack drones, quadcopters and artillery fire.

In a statement, the Lebanese armed group said the strikes targeted Israeli troop gatherings, artillery sites and armoured vehicles across several southern border areas, including Rachaf, Bint Jbeil, Naqoura and Deir Seriane, Al Jazeera reported.

Al Jazeera Arabic reports that four people were killed after an Israeli air strike targeted an ambulance and emergency response centre in the southern Lebanese town of Hanouiyeh.

A senior Iranian source told Reuters that no final deal has been reached yet between Iran and the United States, although gaps in the negotiations have narrowed.

The source said Iran's uranium enrichment programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz remain key sticking points in the talks.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on regional tensions and ongoing efforts to prevent renewed escalation in the Middle East. According to Qatar's Foreign Ministry, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations along with recent regional developments, including the US-Iran ceasefire and diplomatic mediation efforts.

The ministry said Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of all sides responding positively to mediation initiatives to help secure "a sustainable agreement that prevents renewed escalation".
 

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah says it carried out multiple drone attacks on Israeli military positions in southern Lebanon on Thursday evening. In a statement, Hezbollah said its fighters targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles near the port area of Naqoura as well as positions in Tayr Harfa and Dibil using "attack drones".

The attacks come amid continued cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israeli forces despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent wider escalation in the region.

The United States says its latest sanctions against Hezbollah-linked individuals are meant to send a direct warning to Lebanese political, business and security figures accused of supporting the group. Washington accused the sanctioned individuals of aiding Hezbollah and undermining Lebanon's sovereignty.

US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the measures were designed to pressure Lebanese elites allegedly cooperating with Hezbollah.

"Fundamentally, what this is saying is that if you're in politics, business, or the security services – and you have been aiding Hezbollah and undermining the sovereignty of the Lebanese government – think twice, there will be real consequences," Pigott told Al Jazeera.

The sanctions come as the United States continues pushing for Hezbollah's disarmament amid ongoing diplomatic efforts linked to Israel-Lebanon tensions.

The United States has imposed sanctions on nine people in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing ongoing peace efforts linked to Israel-Lebanon talks. The US Treasury Department said the sanctions target individuals allegedly involved in undermining efforts to disarm Hezbollah and interfering with the political process in Lebanon.

"Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and must be fully disarmed," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

"Treasury will continue to take action against officials who have infiltrated the Lebanese government and are enabling Hezbollah to wage its senseless campaign of violence against the Lebanese people and obstruct lasting peace," he added.
 

Ahead of his first visit to New Delhi, beginning May 23, Marco Rubio said Washington wants to sell India "as much energy as they'll buy" as uncertainty grows over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio," he said. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE

Opposition to the US-Israel war on Iran is rising across the United States, adding new political pressure on President Donald Trump as concerns over the economy continue to grow.

A new Fox News poll found that 60 per cent of Americans now oppose the war, up from 55 per cent last month. The survey also showed that 91 per cent of respondents believe the conflict is contributing to economic turmoil, including rising fuel prices and inflation.
 

US President Donald Trump said the United States wants the Strait of Hormuz to remain "free" and without tolls after Iran proposed charging vessels passing through the key shipping route. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump claimed the US blockade in the region had given Washington "total control" over the strait.

"We have total control of the Strait of Hormuz, as you know, with our blockade," Trump said.

"The blockade has been 100 percent effective. Nobody has been able to get through it; it's like a steel wall."

Trump also rejected the idea of Iran imposing transit fees on ships using the waterway.

"We want it free, we don't want tolls. It's international, it's an international waterway," he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump is "very disappointed" with NATO's response during the US-Israeli war on Iran, pointing to Spain's refusal to allow Washington to use its military bases. Rubio said the decision had added to growing frustration inside the Trump administration over the value of the alliance for the United States.

"I know why NATO is good for Europe, but why is NATO good for America?" Rubio told reporters. "Because it gives us bases in the region that allow us to project power during a contingency in the Middle East or somewhere else," he said.

Rubio then directly criticised Spain over its refusal to allow US access to military facilities during the conflict with Iran.

"So when that is the key rationale for why you're in NATO and then you have countries like Spain denying us the use of these bases, well then why are you in NATO? That's a very fair question."

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Iran conflict with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin shared an idea with Xi that would involve transporting and storing Iran's enriched uranium in Russia, according to Russia's Interfax news agency.
 

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says 31 commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours under the coordination and protection of the IRGC Navy. In a statement carried by Iran's Tasnim News Agency, the IRGC said the vessels included oil tankers, container ships and other commercial cargo vessels.

Leading OPEC+ members are expected to approve another increase in oil production targets for July despite continued disruption linked to the Iran war, according to news agency Reuters.

Seven core OPEC+ countries are likely to agree to a modest production hike when they meet on June 7. Sources said the group is expected to raise output targets by around 188,000 barrels per day.

OPEC+ kept production steady during the first quarter of 2026 but has increased output targets every month since April despite instability in the Middle East and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz. According to OPEC figures, the group’s oil production fell to 33.19 million barrels per day in April from 42.77 million barrels per day in February. Output from Gulf producers alone dropped by nearly 9.9 million barrels per day.

The US military says 94 commercial vessels have been "redirected" and four others "disabled" as part of Washington's naval blockade targeting Iranian ports. US Central Command, or United States Central Command, said the measures were aimed at enforcing the blockade imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration. Washington launched the blockade to pressure Tehran into accepting a deal to end the war and curb tensions in the region.
 

The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that the global oil market could enter the "red zone" in July or August as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to disrupt supplies. IEA chief Fatih Birol said the market faces growing pressure due to a lack of new exports from the Middle East and falling stockpiles during the peak summer fuel demand season.

Birol said the situation could improve only if the Strait of Hormuz is fully reopened. Before the Iran war, around one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies passed through the key Gulf shipping route. In March, the IEA agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves held by member countries to help ease rising prices linked to the conflict.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza says at least 72,775 people have been killed and more than 172,750 wounded since the start of Israel's war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. The ministry added that 883 people have been killed and 2,648 wounded since the "ceasefire" announced in October, as Israeli attacks continue across the territory.