Iran said it has retaliated by targeting a US air base during the early hours of Thursday after the US struck military sites near Bandar Abbas airport.
Donald Trump’s military launched new strikes targeting a military site that was believed to have posed a threat to American forces and commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that any repeat of what they called aggression would draw a "more decisive" response and said responsibility for the consequences lay with the "aggressor".
The attack comes after Trump said he was not yet satisfied with a deal with Iran. “Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal,” he said at a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “So far they haven't gotten there ... we're not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that or we’ll have to just finish the job”.
Meanwhile, Kuwait's army said on Thursday that its air defences were intercepting hostile missile and drone threats, but did not say where they were coming from.
Key Points
- US carries out fresh strikes against Iran: report
- Breaking: Iran's Revolutionary Guard warns of 'more decisive' response
- Donald Trump threatens to 'finish the job'
- Kuwait says air defences intercepting hostile missile and drones
Watch: Trump says he doesn't care about midterms when asked about Iran negotiations
05:00 , Rachel Dobkin
Oil prices jump after renewed US attack on Iran
04:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Oil prices jumped about 2 per cent in early trading after the US military launched additional strikes overnight on an Iranian military site, escalating tensions even as Washington and Tehran negotiate to end their three-month conflict.
Brent crude futures rose $1.90, or 2.02 per cent, to $96.19 a barrel, while the more active August contract gained $1.64 or 1.78 per cent, to $93.89.
The July contract is set to expire on Friday.
US imposes sanctions on Iranian agency controlling Hormuz shipping
04:31 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The Trump administration has placed additional sanctions on Iran as part of a sprawling economic pressure campaign during the war, this time targeting the country’s newly created agency that is trying to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The sanctions were announced last night after US forces carried out strikes on an Iranian military facility after downing Iranian attack drones.
“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash,” treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
Breaking: Iran's Revolutionary says it struck American base in response to attacks
04:29 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Iran's Revolutionary Guard has warned the US this morning that any further attacks would trigger "a more decisive" response.
The US military carried out new strikes targeting an Iranian drone operation that posed a threat to US forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, an American official said.
The Revolutionary Guard, which is separate from the Iranian military, said it targeted a US airbase in response to the attack near Bandar Abbas airport.
US shoots down Iranian drones near Strait of Hormuz
04:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
US forces have shot down four Iranian drones around the Strait of Hormuz after Donald Trump's military launched a fresh wave of strikes this morning.
The US military has also struck a ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone, Reuters reported.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” an unnamed US official said.
Kuwait says air defences intercepting hostile missile and drones
04:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Kuwait's army said this morning that its air defences were intercepting hostile missile and drone threats, but did not say where the attacks were coming from.
The army said any sounds of explosions heard in the country were the result of air-defence systems intercepting the attacks.
Full story: US launches new strikes on Iran days after targeting missile sites and mine-laying boats, officials say
04:00 , Rachel Dobkin
The US has launched new strikes on Iran, days after targeting the country’s missile sites and mine-laying boats, according to officials.
US Central Command had shot down four Iranian drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil passageway in the Middle East, a US official told The Independent.
An Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas, where a fifth drone was going to be launched, was also targeted, according to the official.
Bandar Abbas is a city located on the coast of the Strait of Hormuz and is home to a key Iranian naval base.
The official described the strikes as defensive and suggested the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran that has held for nearly two months is still in effect.
Read on...
US launches new strikes on Iran, officials say
What are Iran's assets frozen by the US?
03:00 , Jane Dalton
Senior foreign affairs reporter James Reynolds reports:
Iran has long been burdened by Western sanctions, limiting its ability to earn revenue from its lucrative oil and gas.
There are primary sanctions, by which a sanctioning country or bloc, like the EU, bans its companies and citizens from doing work with Iran. And then there are secondary sanctions, or extraterritorial sanctions, which bar entities in third countries from doing business with Tehran.
Washington’s secondary sanctions have resulted in companies suspending payments to Tehran, as international banking restrictions have made transfers illegal under rules set out by the US treasury department.
For example, Iran has sought the release of $6bn now held in Qatar. Those funds stem from Iranian oil sales to South Korea that were blocked in South Korean banks after Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 and scrapped a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme.
The figure had been due for release in 2023, under Joe Biden, as part of a US-Iranian prisoner swap before being effectively frozen again in the wake of the October 7 attacks on Israel by Iran’s ally, Hamas.
While no comprehensive public ledger is available, trackers estimate there are around $100bn (£74.4bn) worth of frozen assets around the world, representing between a third and a quarter of Iran’s GDP.
These are mostly held between China, India, Japan, Qatar and Iraq, with smaller amounts tied up in Europe and the United States.
Trump’s Iran war costs more than $29bn in three months
02:00 , Jane Dalton
US-Iran war in numbers: Trump’s war costs more than $29bn in three months
US carries out fresh strikes against Iran: report
01:20 , Rachel Dobkin
The US military has launched new strikes on Iran.
The overnight strikes targeted a military site that was believed to have posed a threat to American forces and commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters.
Deal must be perfect, Trump insists
01:00 , Jane Dalton
A deal to end the war with Iran has “got to be perfect”, Donald Trump has said, arguing he did not go through the three month-long conflict to “get a crummy agreement”.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, the US president claimed Tehran was “negotiating on fumes” and wanted to reach a settlement, but pointed out issues remained as he again raised the threat of renewed attacks to “finish the job”.
Some Republican Trump allies have said the terms of the draft dal seem too favourable to Tehran.
They are balking at aspects of the deal that have emerged publicly that they say too closely resemble the nuclear agreement reached with Iran by Democratic President Barack Obama, which Trump scrapped during his first term.
Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ another sovereign nation over Hormuz dispute
Thursday 28 May 2026 00:15 , Jane Dalton
Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ another country in off-the-cuff Cabinet meeting remark
Hormuz remains sticking point, says Iranian official
Wednesday 27 May 2026 22:50 , Jane Dalton
A senior Iranian official has said reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains a sticking point.
“As long as we have not agreed on all issues, we consider that nothing has been agreed,” Iran’s deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Bagheri Kani, told reporters on the sidelines of an International Security Forum in Moscow when asked about a deal on reopening the waterway.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Navy said on Wednesday that 23 ships including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels passed through Hormuz with its permission in the previous 24 hours, a fraction of the daily 125 to 140 vessels passing through before the conflict.
How Iran war is affecting UK households
Wednesday 27 May 2026 21:45 , Jane Dalton
How Iran war is affecting UK households: From energy bills to petrol prices
Analysis: Trump may face unsatisfactory end to war
Wednesday 27 May 2026 20:40 , Associated Press
President Trump gathered with his Cabinet today at a precarious moment for talks aimed at ending the war with Iran and asserted that the Iranian side was "negotiating on fumes".
Trump’s confidence that a deal is near comes just days after he insisted that his administration and Tehran had "largely negotiated" a settlement - but with the negotiations still in a state of flux.
The president is looking for a settlement that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and provide him a credible argument that Iran's nuclear capability has been diminished enough to declare victory, winding down a conflict that's been politically unpopular for Republicans.
But as things stand, Trump also risks finding closure to his war of choice comes with an unsatisfactory ending.
The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the Republican president to fierce criticism — even from some of his own supporters — that Iran's hard-line leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened.
Deal in chaos as White House rejects Tehran’s report of draft - full report
Wednesday 27 May 2026 19:45 , Jane Dalton
Iran deal in chaos as White House rejects Tehran’s report of draft as ‘fabrication’
‘He loves war’: Trump slaps Pete Hegseth’s biceps and praises his ‘central casting’ secretary in Cabinet kickoff
Wednesday 27 May 2026 19:15 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
President Donald Trump on Wednesday started off the 12th cabinet meeting of his second term with some locker-room-style banter as he praised the physical appearance of the ex-television host he put in charge of the Pentagon and his war in Iran.
Trump was working his way through lengthy prepared remarks at the top of the meeting when he rattled off a list of Cabinet members from whom he wanted to hear, including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“We have great people, and the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Central Casting,” said Trump, before adding: “He loves war”.
You can read the full report below:
‘He loves war’: Trump slaps Hegseth’s biceps and sends praise in Cabinet kickoff
Trump says US not satisfied yet on deal with Iran
Wednesday 27 May 2026 18:41 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he was not yet satisfied on a deal with Iran, adding that the US was not discussing easing sanctions on the country.
Speaking to reporters at a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump said that Iran wants to make a deal.
"Iran is very much intent, they want very much to make a deal. So far they haven't gotten there ... we're not satisfied with it, but we will be. We will be either that or we'll have to just finish the job," Mr Trump said.
He added that under a potential framework deal with Tehran, the Strait of Hormuz would open immediately but that it would not be controlled by anybody.
"We'll watch over it, but nobody's going to control it. That's part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it. Nobody's going to control it. It's international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we'll have to blow them up," Mr Trump said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Trump's comment on Oman. Oman's embassy in Washington also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel warns south Lebanon residents to evacuate to north of Zahrani River
Wednesday 27 May 2026 18:26 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Israel's military on Wednesday issued an evacuation warning telling residents of southern Lebanon to move to the north of the Zahrani River, saying it would act "with great force" against Hezbollah over what called repeated ceasefire violations.
The military, posting on X, urged civilians to stay away from Hezbollah operatives, facilities and weapons sites, adding that all areas south of the Zahrani river should be considered a combat zone.
The $24bn of frozen Iranian assets standing between Trump and a peace deal
Wednesday 27 May 2026 18:12 , Jane Dalton
The $24 billion of frozen Iranian assets standing between Trump and a peace deal
Trump says no country will control Strait of Hormuz
Wednesday 27 May 2026 18:06 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the Strait of Hormuz will be open to everyone and not controlled by any country under any deal reached with Iran.
"We'll watch over it, but nobody's going to control it. That's part of the negotiation that we have," Trump told a meeting of his cabinet.
He added he is “not talking” about easing sanctions on Iran, and that he is “not comfortable” with Russia or China taking Iran’s stockpile of uranium.
Trump says 'I don't care about the midterms' when asked about Iran
Wednesday 27 May 2026 18:00 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
US president Donald Trump has said said Tehran was “trying to outwait” him until after the midterms were over during a cabinet meeting.
"They thought they were going to outwait me. You know, ‘we'll outwait him’,” Mr Trump said, parroting Iran’s leaders. “‘He's got the midterms’.
“I don't care about the midterms. Look what happened last night. That was the prelude to the midterms.
“People understand that they know that very simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I'm doing that for the world."
Progress made in talks, says Rubio
Wednesday 27 May 2026 17:47 , Jane Dalton
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday there has been some progress in negotiations with Iran toward a deal.
"I think there's been some progress and some interest, and we'll see over the next few hours and days whether progress could be made," Rubio said at a meeting of President Donald Trump's cabinet.
Iran expands curbs on global media news outlets
Wednesday 27 May 2026 17:29 , Jane Dalton
Iran expands restrictions on distribution of news content by international media outlets
Peace deal in chaos as White House rejects Tehran’s report of draft - full report
Wednesday 27 May 2026 16:59 , Jane Dalton
Iran deal in chaos as White House rejects Tehran’s report of draft as ‘fabrication’
Iran talks 'proceeding nicely' – White House
Wednesday 27 May 2026 16:44 , Jane Dalton
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales has said negotiations with Iran are proceeding nicely, adding that President Trump has made his red lines clear.
Trump’s Board of Peace is flailing – just like the president
Wednesday 27 May 2026 16:28 , Jane Dalton
Chief international correspondent Bel Trew examines what there is of significance - if anything - is behind Donald Trump’s bombastic claims of finding peace deals for Gaza and Iran:
Trump’s Board of Peace is flailing – just like the president
White House denies Iranian deal report
Wednesday 27 May 2026 15:48 , Jane Dalton
The White House has dismissed a report from Iranian-controlled media on a memorandum of understanding, saying it was not true and was “a complete fabrication”.
Netherlands to send minesweeper to Mediterranean Sea for possible Strait of Hormuz mission
Wednesday 27 May 2026 15:18 , Alex Croft
The Netherlands will send a minesweeper to the Mediterranean Sea as part of a Nato operation to ensure rapid deployment to the Strait of Hormuz is possible, ministers said on Wednesday.
The minesweeper will, contribute to Nato countermeasures group from mid-June after it departs this week, the letter from defence minister Dilan Yesligoz and foreign minister Tom Berendsen said.
Preparations are under way for a possible Dutch role in ensuring safe shipping routes in the Gulf region, they said.
Nato chief Mark Rutte has said several countries are "pre-positioning" logistical and other support such as minehunters and minesweepers near the Gulf to be ready for any possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global waterway for oil and gas transport.
Soldier killed in Israeli strike, says Lebanese army
Wednesday 27 May 2026 14:47 , Alex Croft
The Lebanese army said on Wednesday that a soldier had been killed in an Israeli air strike near his post in Bekaa and that it had retrieved his body.
It said the retrieval was delayed from the previous day due to the security situation in the area.
South Korea says ship attacked in Strait of Hormuz likely hit by Iranian missile
Wednesday 27 May 2026 14:21 , Alex Croft
An attack on a South Korean cargo ship operated by local shipper HMM in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month likely involved an Iranian anti-ship missile, the country’s foreign ministry has saud.
The ministry made the assessment at a briefing to announce the outcome of a government investigation into the May 4 attack on the bulk carrier, which caused a fire and damaged the lower stern hull.
"Various pieces of evidence point toward Iran," said First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, adding that Seoul had not conclusively determined who was responsible or whether the attack was intentional.
The probe looked at debris from unidentified objects that were found inside the ship after the attack on the vessel.
Read the full report:
South Korea says ship attacked in Strait of Hormuz likely hit by Iranian missile
In full: What does the US-Iran draft agreement contain, according to Tehran's state TV?
Wednesday 27 May 2026 13:55 , Alex Croft
As we’ve been reporting, Iranian state TV says it has received a draft of the unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran.
It is worth noting that we haven’t heard from the US side - this is only what we are hearing from Iranian state-controlled TV.
The memorandum framework is not yet finalised, state TV says.
Here is what it said about the agreement:
- US military forces would withdraw from around Iran and lift naval blockade on Iranian ports.
- Iran would restore the number of commercial transit vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within one month.
- Military vessels would not be included in the terms of the draft agreement.
- Iran, in cooperation with Oman, will handle the management and route of ship traffic through the Straight of Hormuz.
- If a full peace agreement is reached within 60 days, it will be approved in the form of a binding UN security council resolution.
Breaking: Draft agreement stipulates US withdrawal and reopening of Strait of Hormuz - Iranian state TV
Wednesday 27 May 2026 13:40 , Alex Croft
We’re getting lines in from Iranian state TV, which says it has seen a draft of the unofficial framework for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Iran.
According to the draft, US military forces would withdraw from the vicinity of Iran and lift its naval blockade on Iranian reports, it said.
In return, Iran has committed to restoring the number of commercial transit vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war levels within one month.
We’ll bring you more as it comes.
Watch: Rubio says Strait of Hormuz ‘will be open one way or another’ as US launches new strikes on Iranian naval base
Wednesday 27 May 2026 13:17 , Alex Croft
What are Iran's assets frozen by the US?
Wednesday 27 May 2026 12:49 , Alex Croft
Our senior foreign affairs reporter James Reynolds reports:
Iran has long been burdened by Western sanctions, limiting its ability to earn revenues from its lucrative trade in oil and gas.
There are primary sanctions, by which a sanctioning country or bloc, like the EU, bans its companies and citizens from doing work with Iran. And then there are secondary sanctions, or extraterritorial sanctions, which bar entities in third countries from doing business with Tehran.
Washington’s secondary sanctions have resulted in companies suspending payments to Tehran, as international banking restrictions have made transfers illegal under rules set out by the US treasury department.
By way of example, Iran has sought the release of $6bn now held in Qatar. Those funds stem from Iranian oil sales to South Korea that were blocked in South Korean banks after Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 and scrapped a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme.
The figure had been due for release in 2023, under Joe Biden, as part of a US-Iranian prisoner swap before being effectively frozen again in the wake of the October 7 attacks on Israel by Iran’s ally, Hamas.
While no comprehensive public ledger is available, trackers estimate there are around $100bn (£74.4bn) worth of frozen assets around the world, representing between a third and a quarter of Iran’s GDP.
These are mostly held between China, India, Japan, Qatar and Iraq, with smaller amounts tied up in Europe and the United States.
Israel looking at laser defence systems to combat Hezbollah drones
Wednesday 27 May 2026 12:22 , Alex Croft
Israel's largest defence contractor is developing hardware to combat explosive Hezbollah drones that have killed Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, its CEO has told Reuters news agency.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has used the cheap, easy-to-assemble kamikaze drones to attack Israeli troops which have remained in southern Lebanon since an April 16 truce.
Difficult for air defences to thwart, the drones are also being used to deadly effect in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Under pressure to address the threat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday to escalate attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. But he did not spell out a plan to address the drones, which can evade Israel's high-tech jamming technologies.
In an interview, Bezhalel Machlis, chief executive of Elbit Systems said the defence giant was actively working with the Israeli defence ministry to develop a quick solution to the drone challenge.
This could include the use of laser-based defence systems, he said.
He said that could involve an "energy weapon solution," adding that the company is "very active in energy weapons such as lasers".
How UK households are paying the cost of Trump’s Iran war — with big energy bill increases on the horizon
Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:57 , Alex Croft
The announcement by Ofgem that energy bills will rise up to 13 per cent in July has come as another crushing blow to UK households as they continue to face the consequences of Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East.
Brits are being squeezed from all angles as a result of so-called Trumpflation, fresh on the back of another bout of tax rises brought in by the Labour government. British businesses are also feeling the pinch after rising employment costs and other cost increases over the past year – in addition to this new energy price uplift.
The cost of power, however, is only part of the problem – and one which feeds through into other areas of life including food, manufacturing and transport.
Experts are also warning that the cost-of-living crisis is only set to get worse, with painful energy prices ris es due to hit in October, when demand increases ahead of winter.
Business and money editor Karl Matchett reports:
How UK households are paying the cost of Trump’s Iran war
Iranians celebrate Eid al-Adha as countries fate hangs in balance
Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:55 , Alex Croft
Iranian Muslims are celebrating the festival of Eid al-Adha as the fate of the country hangs in the balance, with fears of a resumption of war with the US.
Muslim worshippers joined countrywide prayers on Wednesday morning for the celebration which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage,
The festival is one of Islam’s holiest, and is an official holiday in Muslim majority countries.
Bulletin | Dutch airline extends Middle East flight suspensions until at least August
Wednesday 27 May 2026 11:00 , Alex Croft
Dutch airline KLM has extended the suspension of flights to several Middle Eastern destinations, with services to Dubai grounded until at least 2 August and routes to Riyadh and Dammam until 12 July.
Read everything you need to know in just five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin:
Dutch airline extends Middle East flight suspensions until at least August
Tanker reports external explosion off Oman coast, crew safe, UKMTO says - ICYMI
Wednesday 27 May 2026 10:51 , Alex Croft
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday that a tanker had reported an external explosion on the vessel's port side, close to the waterline, 60 nautical miles off Oman's capital Muscat.
UKMTO said the vessel, identified as the Olympic Life, and its crew were safe, although the tanker reported some bunker fuel had been discharged into the sea. It said the cause of the incident was unknown.
According to MarineTraffic vessel-tracking data, the Greek-owned Very Large Crude Carrier was sailing past Muscat at around 0700 GMT, heading out of the Gulf of Oman, and was not carrying cargo.
The ship's technical manager, Springfield Shipping, said the vessel was struck by an unidentified object at about 0920 GMT, but remained stable and operational.
"An initial assessment indicated that there was damage to one of the vessel's bunker tanks. A sheen was reported in the water after the incident," it said in a statement to Reuters, adding that the spill had since been contained.
The vessel is owned by Athens-based Olympic Shipping & Management, the successor to Olympic Management founded by late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, according to the Onassis Foundation's website.
South Korea says cargo ship attack likely involved Iranian missile
Wednesday 27 May 2026 09:59 , Alex Croft
South Korea's Foreign Ministry has said an attack on a cargo ship operated by local shipper HMM in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month likely involved an Iranian anti-ship missile.
The Iranian embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
We’ll bring you more from the incident as it comes in.
Watch: Smoke rises over Lebanon as Israeli strikes kill at least 31
Wednesday 27 May 2026 09:36 , Alex Croft
The key issues preventing the US and Iran from agreeing a peace deal
Wednesday 27 May 2026 09:15 , Alex Croft
As negotiators continue to work on reaching a peace agreement, here are the key sticking points between Washington and Tehran:
Iran’s nuclear programme
Iran’s nuclear programme is the lingering issue that had troubled American negotiators in talks before the conflict erupted on 28 February.
Trump insisted this week that the US will eventually recover Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which Washington believes is destined for a nuclear weapon though Tehran says it is intended purely for peaceful purposes.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy militias, and its ballistic missile capabilities are eliminated.
But Iran has so far retained its stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium, and its ability to threaten neighbours with missiles, drones and proxy militias.
The Strait of Hormuz
The closure of the Strait through the war has created massive disruption to a vital channel of commerce that ordinarily carries a fifth of global oil and LNG. Iran has floated plans to continue charging some $2m for tankers post-war.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea says countries bordering straits cannot demand payment simply for permission to pass through.
But Iran has said it aims to reopen the strait to friendly countries that abide by its terms that could potentially include fees.
It emerged on Thursday that Iran and Oman have reportedly held discussions on enforcing a permanent toll on the Strait of Hormuz, despite Donald Trump’s warnings.
A ceasefire for Lebanon
Iranian state media reported earlier this month that Tehran was insisting upon the need to end the war on all fronts, especially in Lebanon, where proxy group Hezbollah continues to clash with Israeli forces.
Fighting has continued in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, despite a US-brokered ceasefire there announced on April 16.
What are Abraham Accords? The Trump-backed deal explained
Wednesday 27 May 2026 08:53 , Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said he asked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan to join the “Abraham Accords” as he tries to negotiate an agreement to end his war with Iran.
The US president has repeatedly said he wants to expand the accords, brokered by him during his first term in the White House.
Trump said he spoke on Saturday to leaders of those countries, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have already signed the accords, a set of agreements to normalise relations with Israel.
"I am mandatorily requesting that all countries immediately sign the Abraham Accords, and that, if Iran signs its agreement with me, as president of the United States of America, it would be an Honor to have them also be part of this unparalleled World Coalition," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The Abraham Accords were a series of diplomatic and commercial agreements forged with US influence between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco in 2020.
Peter Smith & Dan Haygarth report:
What are Abraham Accords? The Trump-backed deal explained
In pictures: Israel kills Hamas commander in attack on Gaza
Wednesday 27 May 2026 08:35 , Alex Croft
Israel says it killed Hamas military leader in Gaza strike
Wednesday 27 May 2026 07:55 , Alex Croft
The Israeli military says it has killed Hamas’ newly-appointed armed commander Mohammad Odeh in a strike on Gaza
Odeh, the leader of the al-Qassam Brigades - Hamas’ military wing in Gaza - was appointed to succeed Izz al-Din al-Haddad last week after the latter was killed in a similar strike on May 15.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Odeh had headed Hamas' intelligence division at the time of the October 7, 2023 cross-border attack into Israel and was appointed about a week ago to replace Izz al-Din al-Haddad.
Sources close to Hamas did not confirm Odeh's appointment as the new military chief but agreed he was seen as Haddad's possible successor, as the group's chief of military intelligence and possibly the last remaining living member of the armed wing's higher leadership council.
Projectile from Lebanon lands in Israel, no injuries reported
Wednesday 27 May 2026 07:26 , Alex Croft
A projectile launched from Lebanon fell in an open area in Israel, the military said on Wednesday morning.
Sirens sounded in several northern areas during the attack and no injuries were reported, it added in a statement.
