Iran says diplomacy with the US remains open as Hormuz tensions deepen and outrage grows over Israel’s flotilla arrests.

Published On 21 May 2026

Iranian state media said on Thursday that the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reviewing the United States’s response received via mediator Pakistan to Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war.

This comes as Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said “all paths” to a diplomatic solution with the US “remain open from our side”, while warning that attempts to force Tehran into surrender through pressure or threats are “nothing but an illusion”.

Meanwhile, Iran’s newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority has announced the creation of a “supervision area” in the Strait of Hormuz, saying vessels will now require permission to transit the strategic waterway.

Separately, global condemnation is growing after Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video appearing to taunt activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla while they were allegedly being mistreated by Israeli prison guards. Rights groups and critics accused Ben-Gvir of inflaming tensions as scrutiny intensifies over Israel’s treatment of detainees linked to pro-Palestinian activism.

Here is what we know:

In Iran

• US ‘seeking new war’: Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the US of trying to reignite the conflict and force Tehran into submission. “The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said in an audio message on his official website.
• Hormuz traffic monitored by IRGC: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said it allowed more than 25 vessels, including oil tankers, to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours. “Over the past 24 hours, 26 vessels – including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels – transited the Strait of Hormuz,” the navy said in a post on X. It added that the ships passed after “coordination and security provided by the IRGC navy”.
• The newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned on Thursday that “passage without permission will be considered illegal”, raising new concerns over global shipping and energy flows through one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

War diplomacy

• Pakistan minister in Tehran: Mediator Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Iran for the second time this week amid an impasse between Tehran and Washington over a proposal to end the conflict, Iranian state media reported, quoting diplomatic sources in Islamabad.

• Iran reviewing US response to proposal: Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was reviewing Washington’s latest response to a proposed ceasefire framework after several rounds of message exchanges mediated by Pakistan. According to Iran’s Nour News Agency, the talks were based on Tehran’s original “14-point” proposal.

In the Gulf

• UAE urges Iraq to stop attacks: The United Arab Emirates called on Iraq to “immediately” prevent attacks launched from its territory after accusing armed groups in Iraq of being behind a drone strike targeting a UAE nuclear plant. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on “Iraq to prevent all hostile acts originating from its territory urgently and without conditions”.

In the US

• US warns Iran of massive military response: White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller warned Tehran it faced a choice between accepting a US-backed agreement or facing military consequences “the likes of which has not been seen in modern history”. Speaking to Fox News, Miller said Tehran’s new leadership now faced a critical decision as negotiations remained deadlocked.
• Trump says Iran deal ‘within reach’: US president said Washington and Tehran were “right on the borderline” between reaching an agreement and resuming war, warning that failure to secure the “right answer” could lead to rapid escalation. Trump said he would give diplomacy “a few days” more, adding: “Hopefully, those people will make a deal that will be great for everybody.”
• US lifts sanctions on UN expert Francesca Albanese: The US Treasury Department has removed sanctions on United Nations Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese, days after a federal judge temporarily blocked the measures. A lawsuit filed by her family argued the Trump administration had imposed the sanctions in retaliation for her criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

In Israel

• Israeli army on top alert: Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said the military remained on its highest level of readiness as tensions escalated between Tehran and Washington. “At this moment, the [military] is on the highest level of alert and prepared for any development,” Zamir said at a meeting of all division commanders, according to a statement issued by the military.
• Countries summon Israeli envoys over flotilla video: International condemnation mounted after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared footage showing detained Gaza aid flotilla activists restrained by Israeli guards.
• Australia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and Belgium said they would summon Israeli ambassadors or diplomats, while several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Turkiye and Qatar, also condemned the treatment of the activists.

In Lebanon, Jordan

• Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have killed more than 20 people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and media, as a “ceasefire” extension agreed upon between Lebanese and Israeli officials continues in name only.
• Jordan downs drone: The Jordanian military announced it had shot down a drone of unknown origin in its airspace. No casualties were reported. “This morning, the Jordanian Armed Forces engaged with a drone of unknown origin that entered Jordanian airspace and was brought down in Jerash Governorate, without any injuries,” the military said of an area located about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the capital, Amman.
• Hezbollah reports attacks on Israeli troops: The group said its fighters carried out 24 attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, targeting troops and military positions with rockets, artillery and drones. The group also said its fighters forced back an advancing Israeli infantry unit supported by Merkava tanks near Haddatha after clashes using small arms.