President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected claims that Iran has gained the upper hand in the Middle East conflict, insisting that U.S. forces have decisively crippled its military.
The president also warned that such reports undermine American efforts.
“When the Fake News says that the Iranian enemy is doing well, militarily, against us, it’s virtual TREASON in that it is such a false and even preposterous statement,” Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.
“They are aiding and abetting the enemy! All it does is give Iran false hope when none should exist.”
“These are American cowards that are rooting against our country,” he added.
“Iran had 159 ships in their Navy — Every single ship is now resting at the bottom of the sea. They have no Navy, their Air Force is gone, all Technology is gone, their ‘leaders’ are no longer with us, and the Country is an Economic Disaster. Only Losers, Ingrates, and Fools are able to make a case against America!” he said.
Iraq and Pakistan are said to have made deals with Iran to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, according to reports.
Citing sources, Reuters reported that this demonstrated Tehran’s ability to control energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
The deal between Baghdad and Tehran came as Iraq secured safe passage for two very large crude carriers carrying about 2 million barrels of crude each that passed through the strait on May 10.
Iraq is working to secure Iran’s approval for more transits, an official familiar with the matter told the outlet, as the government looks to safeguard the oil revenues that make up 95% of its budget.
Two tankers carrying Qatari LNG are are also headed to Pakistan under a separate agreement between Islamabad and Tehran, two sources also told Reuters.
Australia agreed to a France- and U.K.-led defensive mission to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Richard Marles said Tuesday.
Australia will contribute an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft that has already been deployed to the Middle East, Marles said following a meeting Tuesday that included 40 countries.
“Australia stands ready to support an independent and strictly defensive multinational military mission, led by the United Kingdom and France, once it is established,” Marles said in a statement.
{{#rendered}}The church bells still ring in Rmeish on the Lebanon-Israel border.
While much of southern Lebanon has suffered destruction during the war between Israel and the terror group Hezbollah, the predominantly Christian border town close to Israel remained largely untouched.
Churches are still standing. Homes remain intact. Residents say the village avoided Israeli strikes because locals refused to allow Hezbollah fighters to operate from inside the town.
"There was more than one attempt for them to come to the outskirts or the entrance of the village to launch rockets from there," one resident told Jusoor News.
"The young men of Rmeish confronted them and prevented them from entering." "That led to the protection of Rmeish from any Israeli attacks," the resident said. "The Israelis do not target aimlessly. They target launch sites."
The account offers a rare public glimpse into open resistance to Hezbollah inside southern Lebanon, where criticism of the Iranian-backed terrorist group is often met with accusations of treason or collaboration with Israel.
Tarek, a Christian social activist from Rmeish who spoke by phone with Fox News Digital, said residents of the town have long-faced pressure because they refused to align with Hezbollah."
After 2000, when Israel left, we were always labeled as collaborators of Israel," Tarek said. "We suffered a lot from this stigma."
He said Hezbollah supporters accused the town of cooperating with Israel simply because it escaped the destruction seen in neighboring villages.
This is an excerpt from a report by Fox News' Efrat Lachter
Iran ranks second globally behind China in the number of jailed writers, with 53 imprisoned, including the highest number of women worldwide, according to PEN America’s 2025 Freedom to Write Index.
The report also found that Iran recorded the sharpest increase in detained writers, driven by arrests tied to peaceful expression, criticism of authorities, and online activity following the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests and the 2025 war.
Most of those detained are facing national security–related charges stemming from nonviolent speech.
Overall, the index identified 401 jailed writers across 44 countries. China remains the world’s leading jailer of writers, with 119 cases.
Iran has expanded its definition of the Strait of Hormuz into a "vast operational area" far wider than before the Iran war, according to reports.
Citing Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the IRGC Navy, the state-affiliated Fars news agency said Tuesday that the strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands.
Instead, it has been enlarged in scope and military significance, Akbarzadeh said, according to Reuters.
"In the past, the Strait of Hormuz was defined as a limited area around islands such as Hormuz and Hengam, but today this view has changed,” Akbarzadeh said, the outlet reported.
{{#rendered}}Iran signaled Tuesday it won’t back down from its uranium enrichment program, insisting its “right” to continue must be preserved, despite talks with the United States stalling.
President Donald Trump had warned Monday that the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran may be on the verge of collapse, as negotiations appear to be breaking down over the nuclear issue.
“In a session of the parliament’s National Security Commission, a report was presented by the head of the Atomic Energy Organization indicating that our beloved Iran stands strong and powerful,” Iran’s head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Ebrahim Azizi, said in a post on X.
“All of us, together with Dr. Eslami, agreed that Iran’s right to uranium enrichment must be preserved,” the former IRGC commander said.
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials have agreed that no country should impose shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department said Tuesday.
Iran has implemented a near-total closure of the strait since U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28 before adding shipping tolls into its framework.
According to Reuters, the State Department said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the toll issue during a phone call in April.
"They agreed that no country or organization can be allowed to charge tolls to pass through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told the outlet
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs criticized the United States Tuesday by accusing Washington of pressure tactics rather than genuine peace efforts.
“True peace cannot be built with a literature of humiliation, threats, and coercive score-settling,” Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post shared on X.
“When the party that has directly played a role in the war, siege, sanctions, and threats through brute force rejects Iran's response solely because it is not a letter of surrender, it becomes clear that the main issue is not peace, but the imposition of political will through the path of threats and pressure,” he added.
Gharibabadi went on to say that Iran had “emphasized clear principles: the permanent cessation of war and its non-repetition, compensation for damages, lifting of the siege, removal of illegal sanctions, and respect for Iran's rights.”
{{#rendered}}Top-level instructions have been given to Iran’s negotiating team which outline five prerequisites that must be satisfied before engaging in further nuclear talks with the United States, Al Jazeera reported Tuesday, citing a source.
These conditions include ending hostilities across all fronts, lifting all sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets, providing compensation for war-related damages and losses and formally recognizing Iran’s sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.
The U.K. government announced Tuesday that it would be contributing mine-hunting equipment, Typhoon fighter jets and the warship HMS Dragon to a defensive mission to help secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Defense Minister John Healey announced the move at a virtual summit with more than 40 of his counterparts from other nations.
“The U.K. is committing HMS Dragon, Typhoon jets, autonomous mine-hunting systems, backed by £115 million in new funding, to secure the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a post shared on X.
“Today, @JohnHealey_MP co-chaired the first ministerial meeting of a 40-nation coalition. Multinational, credible, and ready to act,” the ministry said.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States does not need support over Iran as he outlined his stance on the ongoing conflict.
Speaking on the White House lawn before leaving for China and Trump signaled he expected a long conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Well, I think number one, we’re going to have a long talk about it,” he said.
“I think he’s been relatively good, to be honest with you,” Trump said.
“You look at the blockade. No problem. They get a lot of their oil from that area. We’ve had no problem,” he added before declaring that Xi has “been a friend of mine.”
“He’s been somebody that we get along with, and I think you’re going to see that good things are going to happen. This is going to be a very exciting trip. A lot of good things are going to happen,” he said.
Turning to Iran and Trump dismissed the idea that the U.S. would need any support.
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran, and we’ll win it one way or the other,” he said.
“We’ll win it. We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise. The Navy’s gone. Their air force is gone. Every single element of their war machine is gone,” he added.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States is maintaining a firm stance in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, underscoring what he described as recent military success and economic leverage ahead of his trip to China.
Speaking to reporters before leaving, Trump drew a clear red line against Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons.
“Well, we're going to see, and we'll be thinking about it on the flight, and we'll be thinking about it for the next little while,” Trump said on Iran.
The president went on to highlight that the U.S. had “beaten their military very soundly. That's over with. The blockade is very effective. It's been 100% effective,” he said.
“And one way or the other, it's going to work out very well. It's going to work out very well,” he said.
On the topic of oil and the economy, Trump said the U.S. was going to have “so much oil.”
“You're going to have a gusher of oil like you've never had before. So when oil goes up a little bit, I thought it would go up much more,” he added.
Shifting to the key issue of Iran’s nuclear program, which has stalled talks between the two nations, Trump insisted:
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
“They will not have a nuclear weapon. They know that. They've agreed to that.”
“And that's not what they said to me when it came to — we don't play games. They're not going to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said during a Senate hearing on Tuesday that President Donald Trump should realize that Chinese President Xi Jinping is “propping up Russia and Iran.”
Graham made the comment while asking Secretary of War Pete Hegseth about Chinese purchases of Russian and Iranian oil.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News last week that “China has been buying 90 percent” of Iranian oil, while Graham said Tuesday that China is the largest buyer of Russian oil.
"So President Trump, when you go to China, realize that the person you're talking to is propping up Russia and Iran,” Graham said.
Trump is traveling to Beijing this week to meet with Xi.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., questioned Pakistan’s role Tuesday as a mediator in U.S.-Iran negotiations after a report emerged claiming Pakistan let Tehran park its military aircraft on its airfields.
"Secretary Hegseth, if the mediator is allowing reconnaissance aircraft of Iran to be parked in Pakistani air bases, do you think that's consistent with being a fair mediator?” Graham asked Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a hearing on the Trump administration’s budget proposal for the Pentagon.
"I wouldn't want to get in the middle of these negotiations,” Hegseth responded.
“Well I do,” Graham shot back. “I want to get in the middle of these negotiations. I don't trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them.
“If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate,” graham added. “No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere. So, you know, I appreciate all you've done. I'm very supportive of it. But when it comes to Pakistan and China. Enough already.”
{{#rendered}}Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine told lawmakers on Tuesday that Iran is “choosing to hold the world's economy hostage” with their actions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Caine made the remark after being asked by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to “explain to the American people who are facing these gasoline and diesel oil prices, what is going on in the Straits of Hormuz, where Iran, which was attacked by us, seemingly has the Straits of Hormuz at a standstill with 1,500 hundred tankers waiting for either permission or peaceful circumstances to navigate."
"Militarily it's a case where Iran is choosing to hold the world's economy hostage, through their use of military power across their southern flank. And so I would encourage Iran to reconsider that," Caine responded. “And I would encourage those allies and partners who have an opportunity to come assist with that tactical problem to do so."
"Could you explain to the American people why, with the vast investment we've made in national defense and military, how Iran, after they've been attacked by us, is still capable of stopping the traffic in the Straits of Hormuz?" Durbin then asked.
Caine described it as a “complex situation out there with a lot of different small boats that are out there and other capabilities.”
“I would encourage them to think wisely about their next moves and to take the opportunity to open the straits. They have that choice to make,” Caine added.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was interrupted by a protester on Tuesday as he was testifying to senators about President Donald Trump's 2027 budget request for the Department of War.
"The president's budget request reflects the urgency of the moment, addressing both the deferred maintenance of long standing problems as well as positioning our forces for current and future fights," Hegseth told the Senate Committee on Appropriations before a woman stood up behind him in the gallery and began shouting.
As the woman was being escorted out of the hearing room by security, she claimed that lawmakers who approve the budget are "complicit in the war crimes of this administration."
"If I may interject, I ask they we have order in the hearing room so we can proceed," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who was serving as the chair of the hearing, said following the outburst.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Tuesday that "We fight to win in every scenario, to include ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon."
Hegseth made the remark during a hearing about the Trump administrations fiscal year 2027 budget request for the Department of War.
"The $1.5 trillion FY 27 budget put forward by the president will build upon the historic $1 trillion FY 26 top line and will continue to reverse four years of underinvestment and mismanagement of the Biden administration," Hegseth said on Capitol Hill.
"The $1.5 trillion budget will ensure that the United States continues to maintain the most capable military in the most complex of environments," he added.
{{#rendered}}Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst told House lawmakers on Tuesday that the U.S. war against Iran is now estimated to have cost around $29 billion dollars.
"The joint staff team of the comptroller team are constantly looking at that estimate. And so now we think it's closer to 29," Hurst said, noting an increase from an estimate of $25 billion he disclosed in late April.
"That's because of updated repair and replacement of equipment costs and also just general operational costs keep people in theater," Hurst added.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that Israel has sent Iron Dome batteries and personnel to the United Arab Emirates.
The missile defense system was sent to the UAE to help it defend against Iranian attacks, a source told Reuters.
“Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them. How come? Because there's an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel based on the Abraham Accords,” Huckabee said Tuesday while speaking at Tel Aviv University.
“I'm very optimistic that we're going to see other nations join the Abraham Accords. It may not look like it right now because of the atmosphere that we've just gone through. But one of the things that I hope has resulted is that Gulf states have now understood that they're going have to make a choice. Is it more likely that they will be attacked by Iran or by Israel?” Huckabee also said.
“And I think they can look around and say, you know, Israel helped us. Iran attacked us. What's the lesson here? The lesson is that Israel is not your natural enemy. Israel is not out to destroy you. Israel is not trying to take over your land. It's not sending missiles into your civilian territories. Who's doing that? Iran is. Pick a side. Which side are you going to pick?” he continued.
“The U.S. And Israel represents one side. The Iranians and their radical Shia fanaticism represents another side. Which side do you want to be on?” Huckabee said.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Tuesday that Iran should "not use" the Strait of Hormuz as "a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries."
He made the remark while speaking alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, adding that the standoff in the key waterway is having economic impacts on countries in the region, according to Gulf News.
The comment comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Qatar’s prime minister on Saturday.
The State Department said the two “discussed U.S. support for Qatar’s defense, and the importance of continued close coordination to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East.”
{{#rendered}}U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that 65 commercial ships have been redirected and four have been disabled so far during the military blockade of Iranian ports.
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) continues operations in the Arabian Sea, including enforcement of the U.S. blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM wrote on X alongside a photo of the aircraft carrier.
The U.S. military blockade went into effect on April 13.
CENTCOM announced Friday that a U.S. fighter jet disabled the vessels M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda as they were trying to violate the blockade.
Kuwait announced Tuesday it arrested four "infiltrators" who allegedly confessed to belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and attempting to enter Bubiyan Island by sea to carry out "hostile acts," according to government statements.
Kuwait's ministries of defense and foreign affairs said the group clashed with Kuwaiti Armed Forces on May 1, wounding two of the "infiltrators" and one Kuwaiti service member.
During an interrogation, the group allegedly confessed to belonging to the IRGC and "confessed to being tasked with infiltrating Bubiyan Island aboard a fishing boat that had been specially chartered to carry out hostile acts against Kuwait," the defense ministry said, according to a translation.
The foreign affairs ministry "emphasizes the State of Kuwait's demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran immediately and unconditionally cease its unlawful hostile acts that threaten the security and stability of the region and undermine regional and international efforts aimed at de-escalation," according to its statement.
It added that Kuwait "reserves its full and inherent right to self-defense in accordance with Article (51) of the United Nations Charter, and to take such measures as it deems appropriate to defend its sovereignty and protect its people and residents on its territories, in accordance with international law."
Bubiyan Island hosts Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, which is being built as part of China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, according to The Associated Press.
Tuesday's allegation brought by Kuwait comes as President Donald Trump is expected to visit Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this post.
The Trump administration is ramping pressure on China over what U.S. officials describe as Beijing’s economic and material support for Iran and Russia ahead of President Donald Trump’s upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A senior administration official told reporters Sunday that Trump already has spoken "multiple times" with Xi about "the revenue that China provides to both those regimes and therefore as well as dual use goods, components and parts, not to mention the potential of weapons exports."
"I expect that conversation to continue," the official said during a White House preview call ahead of Trump’s trip to Beijing.
The comments underscore how deeply Iran and Russia have become intertwined with the broader U.S.–China relationship, with the administration increasingly framing Beijing not only as an economic competitor but also as a critical enabler of adversarial regimes.
"You've seen some actions, meaning sanctions coming out from the U.S. side just in the last few days that I'm sure will be part of that conversation," the official added.
China ordered firms in early May to ignore U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian oil, a direct test of the U.S. crackdown.
A new directive, issued through China’s Commerce Ministry Sunday, invokes a 2021 "blocking statute" that prohibits firms from complying with foreign sanctions deemed illegitimate. The order applies to several Chinese refiners accused by the U.S. of purchasing Iranian crude, including major independent processors known as "teapot" refineries.
{{#rendered}}
President Donald Trump is increasingly leaning toward resuming military operations against Iran following what he described as disappointing negotiations, according to Iran International, citing reports from Israel’s Channel 12.
“Trump is going to hit them a bit,” one administration official reportedly said.
“We wanted an agreement, but now everyone understands where this is heading," another senior official added.
The warning comes just hours after Trump rejected Tehran’s peace proposal, calling the offer “unacceptable” and “a piece of garbage,” while calling the fragile ongoing ceasefire “unbelievably weak.”
The potential move to renew military action comes after Trump was briefed at the White House on military options by U.S. Central Command, according to The Times of Israel.
Yesterday's Fox News Digital liveblog has additional coverage of the Iran conflict.
President Donald Trump elaborated on his rejection of Iran's latest peace proposal on Monday, adding that the ongoing ceasefire with Iran is on "life support."
Speaking at the White House during a press event, Trump told reporters that Tehran's offer was "unacceptable" and said he had a plan for further negotiations.
"You mentioned that you're meeting with the generals on Iran. You rejected a deal on the weekend. Can you tell us anything about that proposal? And what, if any, effort is made to break the stalemate?" a reporter asked.
"It was just unacceptable. You know, a lot of people said, well, does he have a plan? Yeah, of course they do have a--I have the best plan ever. And Iran has been defeated militarily. Totally. they have a little left they probably built up during this period of time. We'll knock that out in about a day. But I have a plan. You know, that's a very simple plan. I don't know why you don't say it like it is. Iran can not have a nuclear weapon. They're very dangerous. They're very volatile," Trump said.
Asked about the status of the ceasefire with Tehran, Trump said it is "unbelievably weak."
"I would say I would call it the weakest right now. After reading that piece of garbage they sent us. I didn't even finish reading it. They said, I'm not going to waste my time reading it. I would say it's one of the weakest right now," he said.
Coverage for this event has ended.