TOP STORIES
Iran’s New Offer Is Insufficient, Risks War Resumption: Senior U.S. Official | Axios
“Iran has given an updated proposal for a deal to end the war, but the White House believes it isn't a meaningful improvement and is insufficient, a senior U.S. official and a source briefed on the issue told. . . . U.S. officials say President Trump wants a deal to end the war but is considering resuming it due to Iran’s rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear program."
“President Trump told The Post on Monday he is ‘not open’ to any concessions for Tehran after receiving the latest disappointing Iranian response on peace deal talks. And in an ominous foreshadowing, Trump said Iran knows ‘what’s going to be happening soon.’ In the brief phone interview with The Post, Trump seemingly shut the door to Iran’s Sunday offer for diplomatic talks. Asked about his Friday remark that he’d be willing to accept a 20-year moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment, Trump interjected: ‘I’m not open to anything right now.’”
“President Donald Trump said Monday he is calling off a plan to attack Iran on Tuesday after the heads of three regional powers in the Middle East asked him to ‘hold off.’ . . . The president claimed in the post that those leaders had asked for the planned attack to be postponed ‘in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.’”
UANI IN THE NEWS
“In Iran, ambulances are no longer always trusted, especially in times of crisis. During protests, people have watched emergency vehicles move through streets not to rescue the injured, but allegedly to transport security forces, arrest demonstrators, or move detainees. This image says something larger about the Islamic Republic. The regime does not only repress society from outside, but enters civilian life, uses its institutions, borrows its vehicles, hides behind its buildings—and then presents itself as the victim when those same spaces are caught in the consequences of conflict.”
Iran Stockpiles Oil on Ageing Tankers Anchored in the Gulf | Financial Times
“About 39 tankers laden with Iranian oil and petrochemicals are currently in the Gulf, compared with 29 before the US blockade coming into force on April 13, according to data from United Against Nuclear Iran — with a major build-up of ships now moored near the Kharg Island oil export terminal. . . . The FT and UANI have also identified a further 13 suspected tankers moored off Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, just within the theoretical blockade line of the US Navy. . . . Few ships appear to have passed the blockade. One, the Iranian-flagged tanker Huge, which loaded at Kharg on March 31 and left from the Gulf of Oman on April 14, appears to have taken an uneconomical route to apparently avoid the US Navy, passing through Indonesia’s Lombok Strait and on towards China, according to ship-tracking by UANI.”
Malaysia Flags Major Barrier to Stopping Iran-Linked Oil Transfers near Its Waters | The Week
“In its analysis of satellite imagery, US-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) alleged that there had been 42 ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil conducted in the EOPL anchorage since the war began on February 28. However, the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency has responded to what the UANI calls Malaysia’s ‘inaction against ... dark fleet actors,’ claiming that the analysis did not ‘reflect the operational realities of maritime enforcement conducted by the MMEA.’ . . . However, given the UANI’s allegations and the possibility of war resuming in the Gulf, the illegal transfers are likely to continue until either the US or Malaysia take maritime action.”
US Blockade Forces Iran to Store Oil on Ships in the Gulf | Shipping Watch
"The FT and UANI have also identified a further 13 suspected tankers moored off Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, just within the theoretical blockade line of the US Navy."
Full Traffic Jam at Iran's Main Oil Port | Finansavisen (translated from Norwegian)
“The tankers were either anchored around Kharg or at loading docks for crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). They were visible in satellite images taken on May 16, which were reviewed by Bloomberg and confirmed by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a US-based advocacy group focused on Iran. “Ships are congregating at anchorages around the island, indicating increasing delays and bottlenecks in Iran’s crude oil and oil product export system,” Charlie Brown, an advisor at UANI, told Bloomberg.”
MILITARY MATTERS & STRAIT OF HORMUZ CRISIS
Trump Threatens Iran and Then Pulls Back, All in the Same Day | New York Times
“President Trump said Monday that he had authorized a new wave of attacks against Iran this week but that he was holding off to make room for “serious negotiations,” after he said three Gulf leaders requested more time to work out a nuclear deal.”
U.S. And Israel Prepare for Potential Return to Full-Scale War with Iran | NPR
“Photos and videos circulating out of Tel Aviv International Airport show about 40 to 50 U.S. Air Force aerial tankers deployed currently at the airport, which is quite an uptick from what we had in the past several weeks of the ceasefire.”
National Security Meeting on Iran Planned for Tuesday: Official | ABC News
“President Donald Trump is expected to hold a meeting of his top national security advisors in the Situation Room on Tuesday, according to an administration official familiar with the plans. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss next steps on Iran and the potential for new military action against the country, the official said. Over the weekend, Trump met with members of his national security team at his golf club in Virginia to strategize on Iran, the official said, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff participated in the meeting, the official said.”
Iran Starts Bitcoin-Backed Ship Insurance for Hormuz Strait | Bloomberg
“Iran has started a Bitcoin-backed insurance service for Iranian shipping companies that want to transit the Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing documents obtained from the country’s Ministry of Economy and Financial Affairs. According to a screen shot of the insurance company’s website, dubbed Hormuz Safe and shared by Fars news, it “provides Iranian shipping companies and cargo owners with fast, verifiable, digital insurance.”
Iran Sets up Hormuz Transit Authority to Charge Ships for Passage | Euronews
“Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced on Monday the launch of an official X account for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the body Tehran says will manage ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz and collect passage fees — formalising a system that has reportedly already been in place since March. Vessels wanting to transit the strait must apply via the PGSA's official email address, submitting ownership details, insurance, crew manifests, cargo declarations and intended routing. A transit permit is issued only after the authority approves the submission and a fee is paid. No official tariff has been published. Reports indicate some vessels have already paid up to $2 million (**€**1.7m) per transit, with payment made in Chinese yuan. The authority functions as an administrative interface with the IRGC Navy, which physically controls transits through the waterway.”
TERRORISM, TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION & INTELLIGENCE
Iranian Journalist Stabbed in UK by Men Working for Iran, Court Told | BBC
“A journalist working for a Persian-language opposition television station was attacked with a knife in Wimbledon by men working for Iran as part of a campaign of ‘Iranian terror’, a court was told. Posters of Pouria Zeraati, a journalist for the London-based Iran International, had been put up in the Iranian capital Tehran with the words ‘Wanted: dead or alive.’ Two Romanian men— George Stana, 25, and Nandito Badea, 21—are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court, accused of attacking Zeraati in late March 2024, leaving him in hospital with three stab wounds in his leg.”
German Intelligence Warns Iran Could Expand Terror Operations in Europe After War | Euractiv
"Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has warned that Iran could step up operations against targets in Europe once the conflict with Israel and the US subsides, including attacks on Jewish and Israeli institutions, Iranian dissidents and other perceived opponents of the regime."
PROTESTS & HUMAN RIGHTS
‘Staggering’ Iran Toll Drives up Global Executions to 40-Year High, Amnesty Says | France 24
“Iran put to death over 2,150 people last year, a ‘staggering’ increase that pushed recorded worldwide executions to their highest level since 1981, Amnesty International said Monday. Amnesty said it had confirmed the executions of at least 2,707 people globally in 2025. Of these cases, 2,159 were in Iran, a figure more than double that of 2024, Amnesty said. Amnesty and other rights groups have noted that Iran is stepping up its use of the death penalty again in 2026 after January protests and the war against Israel and the United States, with executions on charges linked to the protests and membership of banned groups. The group said the known total of 2,159 executions carried out in Iran in 2025 – a considerably higher figure than that published by the Norway-based Iran Human Rights NGO earlier this year – ‘constituted the highest figure on record since 1981’ in the country. It was also the highest globally since that year.”
SANCTIONS, BUSINESS RISKS & OTHER ECONOMIC NEWS
“Earlier on Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department said Adani Enterprises, part of Adani Group, had agreed to pay $275 million to resolve alleged sanctions violations, in which Adani Enterprises had bought shipments of liquefied petroleum gas from a Dubai-based trader purporting to supply Omani and Iraqi gas that had actually originated from Iran. Adani Enterprises has also ceased imports of LPG into India and created a head of compliance role to ensure it follows Treasury Department guidance.”
Iran Dental Costs Soar, Deepening Healthcare Affordability Crisis | Iran International
“Dental treatment costs in Iran have surged in recent months, with industry officials warning that inflation and rising import costs are pushing basic care beyond the reach of many households.”
CONGRESS & IRAN
Democrats on the Brink of War Powers Breakthrough | The Hill
“In the House on Thursday, GOP lawmakers narrowly voted down a resolution that would have directed Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran. A tie vote of 212-212 meant the measure failed under chamber rules. Three Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie (Ky.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Tom Barrett (Mich.)—crossed the aisle to support the measure. One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), opposed it. But Golden, a former Marine who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has indicated he’ll support the next war powers resolution. He said he only opposed the last measure because it had a withdrawal deadline that had already passed. “I look forward to voting for a clean, relevant resolution as soon as possible,” Golden said in a statement Wednesday. And Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) could return to Congress after being absent for four weeks and not voting on any issue since April 17. Wilson released a statement Thursday that she recently underwent eye surgery and was unable to fly but plans to be back in Washington, D.C., soon. With Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) also absent since March 5 because of a ‘personal medical issue,’ Republicans can’t have more than two defections on an otherwise party-line vote.”