TOP STORIES
“Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the military’s Central Command, said on Monday that U.S. warships shot down cruise missiles and drones that Iran fired at the ships and commercial vessels the Navy was guiding through the Strait of Hormuz. Army Apache helicopter gunships also sank six Iranian military speedboats that threatened the vessels, he said, adding that none of the Navy ships or commercial tankers were damaged.”
Attacks on U.S. Warships in Strait Test Trump’s Desire to End Iran War | Wall Street Journal
“President Trump’s desire to end the Iran war is being put to the test after Tehran fired at American warships on Monday and violently disrupted a U.S. effort to revive shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. officials say Trump for days has toggled between two competing impulses: severely punishing Iran for failing to abandon its nuclear work, and avoiding a significant escalation that could draw the U.S. deeper into a Middle East conflict. Trump wants to avoid a fresh bombing campaign, officials say, preferring a negotiated end to Tehran’s nuclear advancements and the weekslong war that has raised gas prices and hurt the global economy. Now, Trump has little choice but to make a decision between ordering a fresh round of airstrikes against Iran or brushing off Tehran’s provocations and charging ahead with his diplomatic initiative.”
UAE Air Defenses Engaged 19 Missiles and Drones on Monday, Defense Ministry Says | CNN
“The United Arab Emirates said that its air defenses ‘engaged’ 19 Iranian missiles and drones on Monday. . . . Earlier, authorities in the emirate of Fujairah said a drone attack on an oil port caused a fire that injured three Indian nationals.”
UANI IN THE NEWS
Interview of UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky | Al Arabiya
“I believe that this is the beginning of a process that is going to culminate in the US attempting to open up the Strait of Hormuz militarily. The President is starting with a formation of a coordination cell and the Iranian regime is predictably trying to escalate to build some deterrence into that decision by the US to increase the cost on the US. But I don’t think President Trump is going to be deterred by these latest Iranian provocations. In fact, I think the US is expecting them to commence, which will provide a cassus belli for the US to open the Strait of Hormuz militarily.”
Interview of UANI Policy Director Jason M. Brodsky | i24
“I think the Islamic Republic is starting to feel pain from the US naval blockade, that is undeniable. Its position has been gradually softening in negotiations. . . . So I think it is incumbent on President Trump to keep the pressure campaign going, put the foot on the gas, to try to get the Islamic Republic to submit to the United States’ terms.”
Interview of UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | i24
“We should give a lot of credit to the [United Arab] Emirates, I’d say they have shown a lot of courage. Perhaps a little belated, but several developments show they are firmly and squarely within the US/Israeli orbit when it comes to this conflict. We saw a couple of weeks ago they’re cracking down on their permissive jurisdictions as a financial hub for Iranian banks. I think that is fantastic, that will really put the economic squeeze on further.”
Interview of UANI Research Director Daniel Roth | ILTV News
“The latest set of Iranian proposals reads like a fantasy wish-list rather than a serious set of proposals . . . [it] will be rightly tossed in the trash.”
MILITARY MATTERS
Danish Company Confirms Ship Transited Strait of Hormuz with US Military Protection | CNN
“Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk confirmed Monday that one of its ships traversed the Strait of Hormuz with US military protection and said that all of its crew members are ‘safe and unharmed.’”
2 U.S. Navy Destroyers Transit Strait of Hormuz After Dodging Iranian Onslaught | CBS News
“Two U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, according to defense officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters. The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of coordinated threats during the passage, the defense officials said. Iran launched small boats, missiles and drones against them in what officials described as a sustained barrage. Despite the intensity of the attacks, neither U.S. vessel was struck. Military officials said that defensive measures, bolstered by air support, successfully intercepted or deterred each incoming threat.”
Israeli Air Defense System in UAE Helped Intercept Iranian Missiles, Source Says | CNN
“An Israeli air defense system deployed to the United Arab Emirates was involved in intercepting Iranian missiles on Monday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. Israel had secretly deployed an Iron Dome aerial defense system — and the soldiers to operate it—to the UAE at the beginning of the war with Iran, bolstering the Persian Gulf nation’s defenses.”
Iran Warns UAE Against ‘Military Solution’ as Tensions Escalate | Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
“In a new message, Iran’s foreign minister has urged the United Arab Emirates not to resort to a “military solution” against the Islamic republic. . . . ‘While talks are progressing thanks to Pakistan’s generous efforts, the United States must be careful not to be dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. The United Arab Emirates must likewise remain vigilant,’ he added, referring to efforts by Islamabad to mediate in the conflict.”
Seoul Reviews Trump’s Hormuz Navigation Plan After Explosion on Korean-Operated Ship | Reuters
“South Korea is reviewing whether to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to help ships transit through the Strait of Hormuz, an official said on Tuesday, following an explosion and fire on a Korean-operated ship in the waterway. Trump blamed Monday’s incident on an Iranian attack, opens new tab, while Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel was towed back to port.”
Trump Says Iran Attacks ‘Not Heavy Firing,’ Stops Short of Saying Ceasefire was Violated | CBS News
“President Donald Trump stopped short of saying the U.S.-Iran ceasefire has been violated, following reports of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and on oil infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates. ‘[It was] not heavy firing,’ Trump said . . . when asked if the ceasefire had been violated. ‘We’ll let you know. Ships are moving. You know, we moved quite a few last night—big ones. There was no firing. I guess there has been some recently. I’m looking into it.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry: ‘We Had to Defend Ourselves’ | ABC News
“Following strikes on the United Arab Emirates on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the Gulf states that Iran has ‘no animosity’ toward them but ‘had to defend’ itself. . . . ‘Now it’s an open secret that the United States used its military bases, its military assets and used the logistical support provided by some of these countries to further their act of aggression against Iran. So under international law, these countries are regarded as accomplices, as complicit in this act of aggression.”
Iran Can Strike Europe like Arab Countries, Hardline Daily Editor Says | Iran International
“The editor-in-chief of Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper said on Tuesday that Iran could strike Europe as it had struck Arab countries if European bases were used by the United States.”
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Laureate Needs Urgent Heart Treatment in Tehran | Reuters
“Imprisoned Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, who was taken from jail to hospital last week, requires urgent specialized medical care to treat a life-threatening heart condition. Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 while in prison for her campaign to advance women’s rights and abolish the death penalty in Iran. She suffered a suspected heart attack in late March and was taken to a hospital in northwestern Iran on May 1 amid rapidly deteriorating health, her family has said.”
Iran Secretly Buries Executed Swedish Citizen at Site Linked to Mass Graves | Iran International
“Iran's security agents secretly buried the body of Iranian-Swedish citizen Kourosh Keyvani in the Khavaran area outside Tehran after he was executed in March on charge of spying for Israel, sources familiar with the matter told Iran International. . . . Keyvani’s family later tried to mark the unmarked gravesite by placing stones nearby, but authorities removed them to prevent the burial location from being identified, the sources told Iran International.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
U.S. Warns China Over Iranian Oil as Sanctions Fight Intensifies | New York Times
“The United States on Monday urged China to push Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and said that its purchases of Iranian oil amounted to funding global terrorism, delivering a stern rebuke ahead of President Trump’s meeting in Beijing this month with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.”
HOSTAGES
Iran Bars Jailed British Couple from Seeing Each Other | Iran International
“British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman, sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges in Iran, have been barred from visiting each other in Tehran’s Evin prison for three weeks, sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.”
CYBERSECURITY
Cyber Expert Warns Iranian Hackers Target World Cup Fans and Infrastructure | Pymnts
“Hackers linked to Iran are likely to target World Cup fans and the event’s infrastructure, according to a report by ynet Global. . . . Hackers are likely to target World Cup attendees through cyberattacks and online fraud such as fake tickets, scam travel packages that aim to steal credit card details, and malicious streaming apps that claim to offer live streams of the event but install malware or surveillance tools, according to the report. They are also expected to target national infrastructure such as airports, transportation systems and other infrastructure through ransomware, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and influence campaigns aimed at public opinion, the report said.”
IRANIAN INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pezeshkian Brands IRGC Escalation ‘Madness’ as Tensions Rise in Tehran | Iran International
“According to sources familiar with Tehran’s deliberations, [President Masoud] Pezeshkian has expressed strong anger at actions by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, led by Ahmad Vahidi, describing missile and drone strikes on the UAE as ‘completely irresponsible’ and carried out without the government’s knowledge or coordination. Pezeshkian is said to have described the IRGC’s approach to escalating tensions with regional countries as ‘madness,’ warning of potentially irreversible consequences. Amid a worsening situation and the risk of the country sliding back into war, Pezeshkian has requested an urgent meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei to press for an immediate halt to IRGC attacks on Gulf states and to prevent further escalation.”
EUROPE & IRAN
Inciting Antisemitism Will Not Be Tolerated, Starmer Warns Iran | BBC News
“The prime minster has warned Iran that attempts to incite antisemitism in Britain ‘will not be tolerated’ at a summit in Downing Street. Sir Keir Starmer said his government was ‘fast-tracking legislation to tackle these malign threats.’”
UNITED NATIONS
Mike Waltz Pushes UN Resolution to Stop Iran Mining Key Global Shipping Route | Fox News
“The United States is advancing a new United Nations Security Council resolution targeting Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz as the administration seeks to reinforce its ongoing maritime operation with international backing. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Monday the effort is designed to hold Iran accountable for mining international waters, threatening global shipping and attempting to disrupt one of the world’s most critical trade routes.”