TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said US hostility toward the Iranian nation dates back not to 1979 but to the 1953 Anglo-American coup that overthrew the government of then prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh for defending Iran’s national sovereignty and resources.
Trump went to Beijing to talk Iran. He came back empty-handed Submitted by Marco Carnelos on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 18:20 While Washington doubles down on military force, Beijing is quietly weaving the Middle East together through infrastructure and diplomacy - on its own terms US President Donald Trump gestures towards Chinese President Xi Jinping while leaving after a visit to the Zhongnanhai Garden in Beijing, China on 15 May, 2026 (Reuters) On On the eve of the 14 May Beijing summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, there were understandably high expectations that the two great powers would find common ground on key issues. As Shanghai-based analyst Nelson Wong recently remarked in these pages : "Beneath the polished schedule lies a striking paradox...
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 20 for talks centered on deepening energy ties and presenting a united front against what both leaders cast as a Western-dominated global order.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping signed a series of agreements in Beijing aimed at deepening strategic and economic ties, as Moscow sought to turn the optics of the summit intotangible gainson energy cooperation amid turmoil in global oil and gas markets caused by the war in Iran.
New posts 13:26 Pakistani Interior Minister Heads To Tehran Again Amid IranUS Mediation Efforts Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (file photo) Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi is heading to Tehran for talks with senior Iranian officials, marking his second trip to Iran in less than a week.
Putin and Xi hold bilateral talks after ceremony in Beijing Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday before the two leaders began bilateral talks. The meeting comes amid heightened global tensions linked to the wars in Ukraine and Iran. The discussions are expected to cover energy security, trade and geopolitical developments, including the war in Iran.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): US President Donald Trump will attend the G7 leaders' summit in France in June, where discussions are expected to focus on artificial intelligence, trade and crime-fighting, Axios reported, citing a White House official.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): US officials have revealed that an early objective of the war with Iran involved an ambitious regime-change strategy centred on reinstating former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the country's leader, according to The New York Times report.
Even as Tehran engages in hardheaded diplomatic maneuvering with Washington, it is advancing a parliamentary proposal offering a €50 million reward for President Trump’s killing.
Trump says Iran eager to make deal as conflict continues US President Donald Trump said the war involving Iran would end “very quickly”, adding that Tehran was eager to reach a deal and that the United States would ensure Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump said Washington had done “an amazing job in Iran”, adding that he hoped for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Trump also predicted that oil prices would soon fall sharply due to an expected oversupply in global markets.
US: Anti-Aipac congressman unseated in most expensive House primary ever Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 21:26 Thomas Massie lost to the Trump-endorsed former Navy Seal, Ed Gallrein Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie is pictured at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on 29 April 2026 (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) Off Thomas Massie, the Republican congressman who voted down foreign aid packages and heavily criticised pro-Israel lobbying groups' influence in US politics, lost his primary race in Kentucky on Tuesday. It was the most expensive US primary race of all time as outside groups - namely pro-Israel political action committees - poured millions of dollars into anti-Massie ad campaigns to oust him from Washington. "Congratulations to US Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein for defeating anti-Israel incumbent Thomas Massie!
Russia says ready to assist Iran-US negotiations if requested Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow is prepared to assist negotiations between Iran and the United States if requested, but does not intend to impose its mediation services. In an interview with Russia’s TASS state news agency, Ryabkov said Russia was ready to provide “all possible assistance” in resolving the conflict. Ryabkov said Russia remained committed to resolving tensions through “political and diplomatic channels” and welcomed efforts by Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations.
Iran's UN mission accuses US of spreading 'lies and disinformation' Iran’s mission to the United Nations accused the United States of “spreading lies, false accusations, and disinformation” about Tehran and its nuclear programme during discussions at the Security Council. In a post on X, the mission also accused Washington of violating international law through maritime blockades and continued support for Israeli actions across the region. “In fact, the culprit and the thief are now playing the role of prosecutor and judge, trying to whitewash his own crimes,” the Iranian mission said.
UAE and France sign new defence cooperation agreement The UAE and France have signed a new defence cooperation agreement during an official visit by UAE Minister of State for Defence Mubarak bin Fadhel al-Mazrouei. “The two sides also witnessed the signing of a Defence Cooperation Agreement, reflecting the depth of bilateral relations and the shared commitment to advancing military and defence collaboration between the UAE and France,” the UAE Ministry of Defence said in a statement posted on X. “They discussed ways to strengthen defence and strategic relations between the two friendly nations,” it added.
Washington DC [US], May 20 (ANI): US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday (local time) said that Iran wants to reach an agreement with the United States and acknowledged that developing a nuclear weapon remains a 'red line' for Washington.
JD Vance says US seeks to ‘reset’ relations with Iran US Vice President JD Vance said Washington sees an opportunity to reshape relations with Iran after decades of hostility. “We have an opportunity here, I think, to reset the relationship that has existed between Iran and the United States for 47 years,” Vance told reporters. “That’s what the president has asked us to do, and that’s what we’re going to keep on working at.
US lobbied Saudi Arabia to release funds for Gaza 'Board of Peace' amid cash crunch Submitted by Sean Mathews on Tue, 05/19/2026 - 21:26 Israeli attacks and concerns about Palestinian representation have complicated Gulf funding for the board Youssef Rayyan mourns over the body of his son Ibrahim, killed in an Israeli strike, inside the morgue of Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on 17 May 2026 (Eyad Baba/AFP) Off A senior US official visited Saudi Arabia in April to shore up the kingdom’s $1bn pledge for President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Gaza , amid concerns that funding is not materialising, one Arab official and a US official familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye. Aryeh Lightstone, one of the key US officials overseeing the US’s post-war planning for Gaza, visited the kingdom, where he met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the financial pledge Saudi Arabia made to the Board of Peace in February. The board includes a committee of Palestinian technocrats approved by Israel to manage daily affairs in Gaza.
Lebanese army chief discusses post-UNIFIL phase with UN official Lebanese army commander Rudolf Heikel met UN Undersecretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud at army headquarters in Yarzeh to discuss “the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the post-UNIFIL phase”, according to a military statement. The Lebanese army said the talks focused on the security situation and future cooperation. During the meeting, Michaud “commended the efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces” and praised the army’s role in maintaining stability in the country.
The competing narratives surrounding the latest US-Iran standoff have become so stark that even basic questions—who is deterring whom, who wants talks and who fears escalation—now produce entirely different answers depending on which capital is speaking.
Rubio discusses Strait of Hormuz with UN chief US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the US State Department. The discussion focused on US efforts to prevent Iran from placing mines and imposing tolls in the waterway, including a proposed UN Security Council resolution on the issue. “The Secretary emphasized the overwhelming support of a broad base of UN members for these efforts,” US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
