Trump delays Iran attack as diplomatic push intensifies: Military ready at 'moment’s notice’

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) shared a video on X on Monday showing U.S. military personnel serving across the Middle East.

“Thousands of brave Americans in uniform continue to serve across the Middle East,” the X post said.

In the montage, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said no task was too great for the command.

“It's long been my belief that every success we have begins and ends with our people” Cooper said in the video.

“There is no adversary too determined, no mission too difficult, and no task too great for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians, and coast guards,” he said. 

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter branded J Street as a “cancer within the Jewish community” while taking aim at the dovish Middle East lobby over its calls to restrict U.S. aid to Israel because of its treatment of Palestinians.

“The worst thing about J Street is its duplicitousness,” Leiter said at a gathering of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism at Washington’s Museum of the Bible, according to the Times of Israel.

“How can you be pro-Israel and advocate for an arms embargo on a state that’s fighting a seven-front war against Iranian proxies?” he added, referring to J Street’s description of itself as the “political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy Americans.”

“If they said that they were pro-Palestinian, I wouldn’t have a problem meeting with them. I meet with pro-Palestinian groups,” Leiter said.

Earlier this month, Leiter also criticized several mainstream American Jewish organizations for co-sponsoring an event with the Spanish government, which has been critical of Israel.

A video showing Iranian news presenters firing Kalashnikov rifles during live TV broadcasts has emerged, with one presenter seen firing at a UAE flag.

Footage from one programme on the Ofogh channel showed an instructional segment on handling a rifle, in which a masked trainer in military-style clothing demonstrated how to prepare and fire the weapon to the host.

The first segment shows a presenter being trained with the gun in the studio.

In the footage, the presenter can be heard saying: “I’m ready,” with the trainer telling him to “establish your sight alignment.”

“Yes. Let me aim at the UAE flag,” the presenter says before the trainer congratulates him.

“Alright,” the presenter says. After he is told to establish his sight alignment, the trainer says: “Hold your breath. In the name of God.”

“In the name of God,” the presenter replies before asking if he should test the gun.

“Test it,” the trainer says before the presenter fires the gun at the flag.

“Alright,” the trainer adds.

In another TV segment two presenters from Iranian State TV are also shown handling another gun.

“Why are you pointing it at people?” one presenter asks.

“Can you fire one-handed? Like this?” the other says.

“No, it’s loaded. Hey, don’t do anything.”

“Come on, I know it’s loaded,” the other replies.

Local media reported that the TV segments were linked to the presenters’ readiness to volunteer in a “Sacrifice Life for Iran” campaign, Reuters reported.

More than 31 million people have already signed up for the voluntary programme in response to the war with the U.S. and Israel, according to reports.

The footage was released around the time of drone attacks on the UAE, including a strike targeting a nuclear power plant in the country.

Iran’s strikes on Gulf states in response to the U.S.-Israeli attacks have targeted the UAE more than its neighbours, hitting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities.

President Donald Trump said Monday that gas prices would fall sharply once the conflict with Iran comes to an end, while also vowing that Tehran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Speaking during a call-in to Rep. Andy Barr’s rally in Kentucky, Trump sought to reassure supporters that the U.S. would prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities.

“Gasoline is going to come tumbling down as soon as the war is over,” Trump said.

“Iran wants it to end soon,” he added before stating Tehran “cannot have a nuclear weapon to blow up Kentucky and to blow up every place else.”

“We're not going to let that happen. As soon as we get this finished, you're going to see gasoline and energy prices come tumbling down because we have the highest stock market we've ever had,” he said.

Trump went on to say that Washington has to “get rid of Iran’s nuclear capacity.”

“We can't let that happen to the world. We can't,” he said.

President Donald Trump said Monday he would be looking into the San Diego mosque shooting “very strongly.”

Speaking to reporters at a healthcare affordability event, Trump described Monday’s shooting at a California mosque complex as a “terrible situation” after two gunmen killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego.

“At the mosque, they’re giving a briefing. It’s a terrible situation,” Trump said. “I’ve been given some early updates, but we’re going to be going back and looking at it very strongly.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham said Monday that any agreement between the United States and Iran must be submitted to Congress for approval.

“As I have said previously, any agreement reached between the United States and Iran must come before Congress for approval, as was the case for the JCPOA under President Obama,” Graham said in a post shared on X before adding that ending the conflict through “diplomatic means that achieve our national security objectives” would be a “major accomplishment.”

Graham went on to clarify President Donald Trump’s position, which included “no enrichment, American control of the approximately 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz without interference from Iran.”

Iran must abandon its long-range ballistic missile program and any effort to develop a nuclear weapon, and Iran must end its support for all terrorist proxies in the region, Graham said.

“But to say that I am skeptical that Iran will actually agree to the things necessary to make the deal substantially different than the JCPOA or enter into a deal that will withstand the test of time is an understatement. Time will tell,” he added.

This came as Trump told reporters Monday the delay on strikes against Iran would be for about “two or three days” as discussions with Tehran appeared to have restarted.

Trump also said Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE “think that they are getting very close to making a deal.”

The Republican majority in the U.S. Senate said the Obama and Biden administrations handed Iran billions in sanctions relief while letting its nuclear program advance unchecked.

“The Obama and Biden administrations chose to appease Iran, handing over billions in sanctions relief while allowing their nuclear infrastructure to advance,” the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate said in a post shared on X.

“President Trump has decimated their military and is using maximum economic pressure. Peace requires strength,” it added.

The commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, warned the United States and its allies against what he described as a “strategic miscalculation,” according to reports.

“Iran’s military forces are more prepared and stronger than before and are ‘with hands on the trigger,’” Iranian state media cited Abdollahi as saying on Monday, according to Iran International.

“Any further miscalculation would be met with a response far beyond previous conflicts,” he said. 

The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, based in Tehran, serves as the top operational command center for Iran’s armed forces.

Nearly 80% of Gazans are interested in leaving the Gaza Strip, according to a recent survey shared by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) with Israeli officials.

The findings, reported by The Jerusalem Post, point to growing frustration among Gaza’s civilian population as Hamas continues to reject disarmament.

As part of the survey, respondents were asked which topics they wanted “additional information about for the Palestinian public.”

Roughly 80% said they wanted more information about relocation options to third countries via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.

Another 17.5% expressed interest in food supplies and humanitarian aid, while only about 2.5% expressed interest in security and political issues, the report said.

The death toll from fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has risen above 3,000, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said the number of people killed has reached 3,020 amid the fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States.

Officials did not specify how many of the dead were fighters but said the toll includes 292 women and 211 children.

Reuters also reported May 4 that several thousand Hezbollah fighters were killed during the war, citing casualty estimates from within the group.

Air defense systems were activated Monday on Iran’s Qeshm Island and near the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports.

Mehr News Agency said air defense systems were activated on the island late Monday, Reuters reported.

Tasnim News Agency also said air defense units were activated to destroy what it described as “hostile targets” and as "micro drones" had been detected in the sky.

Severe shortages of opium syrup are disrupting addiction treatment across Iran, according to reports.

The shortages, according to a report by Shargh, came amid disruptions in the production and distribution of opium syrup, which is used in treating patients.

“These medications are essential for patients, and stopping access does not mean they stop using drugs,” addiction expert Habib Bahrami told the outlet.

“In many cases, they return directly to narcotics use, bringing social, economic, and family consequences.”

Drug prices have also jumped by 400% as shortages strain pharmacies.

Some clinics, according to the report, have seen supplies fall so sharply that only one out of every 100 eligible patients can obtain opium syrup.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that any talks with Washington do not signal surrender by the regime.

"Dialogue does not mean surrender," Pezeshkian said in a post shared on X.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran enters into dialogue with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation's rights, and under no circumstances will it retreat from the legal rights of the people and the country," he said.

"We will serve the people with logic and with all our might, to the end, and safeguard the interests and honor of Iran," Pezeshkian added.

His remarks came ahead of President Donald Trump saying he had called off a planned strike on Iran on Tuesday after an appeal from Arab leaders.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also warned he had instructed the U.S. military to be prepared to launch a “full, large-scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has defended a video he posted for Nakba Day after Jewish organizations condemned its messaging, according to reports.

“Nakba,” the Arabic word for “catastrophe,” refers to the displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. Critics of the Nakba narrative argue it challenges Israel’s existence as a Jewish-majority state.

Nakba Day demonstrations in New York City on May 15 and 16 also included protesters waving Hezbollah and Hamas flags, the Times of Israel reported.

Mamdani had shared a City Hall-produced video on May 15 featuring a “Nakba survivor” who said the “catastrophe” associated with Israel’s founding “continues to this day.”

Jewish leaders criticized the video as a one-sided account of Israel’s War of Independence that fuels antisemitism. National Jewish organizations also joined the backlash

“I was proud to commemorate Nakba Day, which is an annual day on May 15, that commemorates the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from 1947 to 1949 during the creation of the State of Israel and for the year that followed,” Mamdani said at a press conference.

“We wanted to ensure that the focus of this was just to hear from a New Yorker herself, on her own memories about what it means to be expelled, what her life has been like, and how she has found a home in New York City,” Mamdani said.

He added that he had intended to appear in the video himself, but “did fall sick” and did not want to “create any kind of complications” for the woman featured in the video.

Hundreds of participants, led by Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze religious leaders, marched toward Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate on Monday in an interfaith demonstration calling for “human rights and peace,” according to reports.

The Times of Israel reported that the march, in its fourth year, is organized by progressive religious groups as an alternative to the annual Jerusalem Day Flag March, which has often been marked by nationalist rhetoric and violence in the Old City.

Several hundred coexistence activists gathered at the Jerusalem YMCA before proceeding along King David Street.

Many carried signs reading “Justice,” “Peace” and “Soul” in Hebrew, Arabic and English.

A group of Romanians allegedly acting on behalf of the Iranian government carried out a knife attack on a London-based journalist working for the Persian-language media outlet Iran International, British prosecutors told a court Monday.

The journalist, Pouria Zaratifoukolaei, is a British-Iranian reporter. He was stabbed three times in the leg near his home in southwest London in March 2024, according to reports.

Opening the trial of two of the three suspects accused in the attack, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said the men specifically targeted Zeraati because of his work for Iran International.

The Saudi-backed broadcaster has been labeled a terrorist organization by Tehran.

Iran denied any involvement in the incident.

Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, both deny charges of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding.

The third man accused of involvement, David Andrei, was arrested in Romania but is not involved in the trial.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced the launch of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) on Monday.

The PGSA's first post on X read: “In the name of God. The official X account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority is now live. Follow us for real-time updates on Hormuz Strait operations and latest developments.”

The PGSA later posted that it would serve as “the legal and official representative authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for managing transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”

“Navigation within the introduced boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz, which were previously determined by the Armed Forces and authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is contingent upon full coordination with these entities, and passage without permission will be considered illegal,” the PGSA said.

Meanwhile, Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI also said Iran would “soon unveil a transit toll mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz via the new PGSA.”

“With reported fees hitting $2 million and new OFAC warnings on secondary sanctions, the corridor is a high-stakes compliance minefield,” the firm said in a post shared on X. Iran's Press TV had earlier described the body as “a system to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing the idea that Israel should eventually move away from U.S. military aid, telling CBS's "60 Minutes" that Israel should “draw down to zero the American financial support” for its military and shift instead toward jointly funded U.S.-Israel defense projects.

Under the current U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding, signed in 2016, Washington provides Israel with $3.8 billion a year through fiscal 2028, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

That includes $3.3 billion in foreign military financing and $500 million for cooperative missile defense programs. Most of that funding must be spent in the United States, meaning the aid also supports American defense manufacturers.

There is a reasonable long-term case for evolving the U.S.-Israel relationship away from a traditional aid model and toward a more equal strategic partnership. Israel has a strong economy, a world-class defense sector and a growing defense budget. Its 2026 budget includes roughly $49 billion for defense, about 6% more than in 2025.

But a near- or medium-term phaseout would not be simple. Israel is already spending about 7% of its GDP on defense, far more than any NATO member and more than double the U.S. share. Replacing billions in annual U.S. support would likely require either even higher defense spending, cuts elsewhere or delays in major procurement.

Netanyahu may see political value in arguing for greater Israeli self-reliance.

U.S. Central Command says at least 84 commercial vessels have been diverted away from Iranian ports as part of President Donald Trump's ordered blockade on the country as of Monday.

CENTCOM delivered the update in a post on X, saying U.S. forces have also disabled four vessels that tried to run the blockade.

"U.S. Sailors stand watch in the combat information center aboard USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) as the ship transits the Arabian Sea supporting the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran. As of May 18, CENTCOM forces have redirected 84 commercial vessels and disabled 4," CENTCOM wrote.

Actor Javier Bardem accused President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of pushing "f---ing male toxic behavior" over their actions in Gaza and Iran.

While promoting his new film, "The Beloved," at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, Bardem described the dangers of toxic masculinity and how leaders like Trump have demonstrated it by attempting to "bomb the s---" out of other countries.

"There is an average of two women killed monthly by their ex-husbands or ex-boyfriends or ex-husbands," Bardem said. "Which is horrible, just that amount of women being murdered. It’s unbelievable, and we kind of normalized it. I mean, are we f---ing nuts? We’re killing women because some men think they own them?"

He continued, "And that problem also goes to Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin and Mr. Netanyahu, those big-balls men saying, ‘My c--- is bigger than yours, and I’m going to bomb the s--- out of you.’ It’s a f---ing male toxic behavior…so yeah, we have to talk about it. And we are talking about it because we are more aware of it, thankfully."

Bardem, who has been an outspoken anti-Israel critic, also reiterated the importance of celebrities calling out the Jewish nation's "genocide" despite fears of being blacklisted.

"Everyone is beginning to realize — thanks to the younger generation who is more aware of situations we’re experiencing quite directly on our phones and on other screens — this is unacceptable," Bardem said. 

"It cannot be justified. And there can be no reason, no explanation for this genocide," he continued. "Therefore, I think what is happening is quite the contrary. I believe that those who are drawing up the so-called blacklists will actually be exposed, and they will be the ones suffering the so-called consequences, at least on a public and social level. And this is a major change."

Bardem added, "You can fight against it, you can try to justify it, explain it. That is a fact. You can be against it, or you can justify it… If you justify it with your silence or with your support, you are pro-genocide. Those are facts, for me."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick.

Retired Gen. Jack Keane says the U.S. needs to reignite "full throttle" combat operations against Iran on Monday.

Keane made the statement during an interview on Fox News, saying the return of aggression is the only way to ensure Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs are fully destroyed.

“We are on the cusp of returning to full throttle combat operations," Keane said.

President Donald Trump himself warned Iran that the "clock is ticking" on the window to make a deal with the U.S.

President Donald Trump lashed out at the media's coverage of the war in Iran on Monday, saying certain major outlets are constantly spinning developments in Tehran's favor.

Trump made the statement in a post on his Truth Social account, arguing the media has gone "absolutely crazy."

"If Iran surrenders, admits their Navy is gone and resting at the bottom of the sea, and their Air Force is no longer with us, and if their entire Military walks out of Tehran, weapons dropped and hands held high, each shouting 'I surrender, I surrender' while wildly waving the representative White Flag, and if their entire remaining Leadership signs all necessary 'Documents of Surrender,' and admit their defeat to the great power and force of the magnificent U.S.A., The Failing New York Times, The China Street Journal (WSJ!), Corrupt and now Irrelevant CNN, and all other members of the Fake News Media, will headline that Iran had a Masterful and Brilliant Victory over The United States of America, it wasn’t even close," Trump wrote.

"The Dumacrats and Media have totally lost their way. They have gone absolutely CRAZY!" he added.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted that Iran has "suffered harm" from U.S. attacks and urged his fellow officials to "face reality.

Pezeshkian made the comments during a meeting of the Government Information Council televised by Iranian media.

Iran's leaders "should avoid any tone or voices that create division, but we must also face reality; It is not the case that we have not suffered harm," Pezeshkian said.

"Anyone in a position of leadership must speak honestly and transparently to their society and their people," Pezeshkian told officials. "Misleading information, false messaging, or portraying a reality in which 'they are collapsing while we are prospering' is unacceptable. The truth is that both we and others face challenges."

Pezeshkian nevertheless said that Iran "will not bow to pressure."

"We will not sacrifice our country's dignity and honor for comfort or convenience. We have valid reasons and clear justification, and we are fully capable of defending our nation's rights with strength, backed by our people," he said.

The United Arab Emirates condemned a weekend drone attack on one of its nuclear power plants on Monday.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, issued a statement condemning the attack by Iran, but did not name the country.

"The targeting of Barakah is a terrorist attack on a peaceful project, built to the highest safety standards, that powers homes, hospitals, and industries across the UAE, and on the right of every nation to build, to progress, and to deliver clean energy to its people. Barakah will keep running," Jaber wrote.

"The UAE will keep building. Our resolve only grows stronger," he added.

Iran has repeatedly targeted its Arab neighbors with missile and drone attacks on their energy infrastructure in recent weeks.

The IDF urged Lebanese citizens to evacuate their homes in certain areas in Lebanon on Monday, announcing plans for more airstrikes on alleged Hezbollah targets.

"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah party violating the ceasefire agreement, the Defense Army is compelled to act against it forcefully. The Defense Army does not intend to harm you," IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on X.

"For the sake of your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the villages and towns for a distance of no less than 1000 meters to open areas," he added.

Israeli Defense Forces eliminated a top Islamic Jihad commander with an airstrike in Lebanon, the IDF announced Monday.

The IDF says its strike eliminated Wael Mahmoud Abd al-Halim, who served as the Islamic Jihad's Commander of the Beqaa region in Lebanon. 

"Al-Halim led the integration of Islamic Jihad terrorists into combat operations alongside Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon and operated to advance terrorist attacks against IDF soldiers in recent weeks," the IDF said in a statement.

The strike that eliminated Abd al-Halim was one of 30 Israel caried out over the past 24 hours in Lebanon.

The IDF said the strikes targeted a "weapon storage facility, observation posts, and structures from which the Hezbollah terrorist organization operated in order to advance terror attacks against IDF soldiers and the State of Israel."

Retired Navy Seal Mike Sarraille joined Fox News to discuss the potential for renewed military action against Iran this week.

Sarraille argued that Iran has little cability to counter the U.S. after more than a month of airstrikes on its most capable assets.

Iranian state media reported that Tehran has sent a new 14-point plan for Pakistani mediators to present to the U.S. on Monday.

Tasnim News Agency wrote that a source close to Iran's negotiating team confirmed the development Monday, saying the proposal focuses on ending the war and "confidence-building measures by the American side," according to a translation.

Tasnim's report makes no mention of any concessions regarding Iran's nuclear program, which has been at the center of President Donald Trump's demands for a peace deal.

Trump warned Iran that it was running out of time to make a deal on Sunday.

"For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post."TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"

The U.S.-brokered alliance designed to counter Iran in the Middle East is showing signs of strain amid tensions between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, an analyst says, as the possibility of a broader conflict with Tehran intensified Sunday.

The friction first surfaced May 13 after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he held a "historic breakthrough" meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a "secret visit" to Al Ain near the Oman border.

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a swift denial following the announcement.

The ministry said, "Its relations with Israel are public and were established within the framework of the well-known and publicly declared Abraham Accords. These relations are not based on secrecy or clandestine arrangements."

It added, "Therefore, any claims regarding undisclosed visits or arrangements are baseless unless issued by the relevant official authorities in the UAE."

"The stakes are high," Middle East Institute analyst Natan Sachs told Fox News Digital.

"I imagine the Israelis are working overtime to mend relations with the UAE, but it is too early to tell," he said.

President Donald Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Sunday as tensions over Iran escalated and with the Israeli leader saying he was "prepared for every scenario."

The leaders discussed the possibility of renewing the war with Iran as well as Trump’s recent trip to China, according to the Times of Israel.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Bussey.

President Donald Trump is expected to convene a Situation Room meeting with his top national security advisers on Tuesday to discuss potential military options against Iran, according to reports.

The meeting, first reported by Axios, comes as Trump intensified pressure on Tehran over the weekend, warning Sunday that “the clock is ticking” for Iran and declaring that “there won’t be anything left of them” if Iranian leaders do not “get moving, FAST.”

The United States and Iran appear locked in a standoff after Trump rejected Tehran’s latest response to a U.S. peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” while declaring the ceasefire to be on “life support.”

The standoff centers on Iran’s nuclear program and weapons ambitions.

Fox News' Emma Bussey contributed to this report.