Chinese President Xi Jinping said further hostilities in West Asia is “inadvisable”, calling for a “comprehensive” ceasefire, as he spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), state media reported. Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed.
Also read | Iran officially announces new body to manage Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) said the war would be over “very quickly”. His comments came after saying he had paused a planned resumption of hostilities following a new proposal by Tehran to end the conflict. Iran’s leaders are begging for a deal, he said, adding that a new U.S. attack would happen in coming days if no agreement was reached. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance acknowledged difficulties in negotiating with a fractured Iranian leadership.
Also read | Qatar says U.S.-Iran negotiations need ‘more time’
Iranian state media said Tehran’s latest peace proposal involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of U.S. forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the U.S.-Israeli attacks. Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions, release of frozen funds and an end to the U.S. marine blockade. The terms as described in the Iranian reports appeared little changed from Iran’s previous offer, which Trump rejected last week as “garbage.”