UN In Lebanon Warns Israel, Hezbollah That It Could 'Return Fire'
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on April 5 warned that attacks by Israel and Hezbollah near its positions "could potentially draw return fire."
UNIFIL said it was "extremely concerned" about attacks from both sides "carried out from near our positions, which could potentially draw return fire."
It urged them to "put down their weapons and work seriously toward a cease-fire."
UNIFIL has said that three of its peacekeepers have been killed since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Israel has also struck Tehran-backed Hezbollah -- deemed a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States -- across its border inside Lebanon.
UNIFIL is a peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, established by the Security Council in 1978. Its mandate is to monitor the cessation of hostilities, among other tasks. UNIFIL says it has some 8,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 troop-contributing countries.
Iranian Media Report 2 Incidents In Asaluyeh And Tehran Airport
Iranian media has reported that two separate incidents occurred in Asaluyeh and at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport.
According to domestic media reports on May 27, one person was killed and two others injured in an incident at the air separation unit of Damavand Energy in Asaluyeh, the center of Iran’s massive South Pars gas and petrochemical complex. Damavand Energy supplies industrial utilities such as oxygen, electricity, and water to petrochemical facilities in the region.
According to a statement from Damavand Energy, rescue and safety teams were dispatched to the site after the incident occurred, and the injured were transferred to medical centers after receiving initial treatment. The cause of the incident has not yet been announced.
At the same time, the semiofficial Mehr news agency reported that an administrative customs building in the Imam Khomeini Airport City complex had caught fire.
Firefighters and emergency teams brought the blaze under control, but no details have yet been released regarding the cause of the fire, the extent of the damage, or possible casualties.
Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Iran Intelligence Ministry Warns Of New Unrest Amid Economic Strain
Iran’s Intelligence Ministry has warned that following the recent war “some shortages and rising prices” caused by US economic pressure could lead to fresh unrest in the country.
In a statement issued on May 27, the ministry claimed that the United States and Israel were seeking to exploit “some shortages and price increases” caused by mounting economic strain by encouraging social unrest through “enemy agents” and foreign Persian-language media outlets.
The warning comes amid soaring inflation, sharp increases in consumer prices, and reports of steep declines in Iranian government revenues following weeks of a US naval blockade and a major drop in the country’s oil exports.
The remarks also come as memories remain fresh of the protests in January this year, which erupted after a sustained rise in the exchange rate in Iranian markets and commercial centers. As the demonstrations spread over several days, security forces responded with severe violence, reportedly killing thousands.
The ministry also warned of possible “terrorist operations and border aggressions,” particularly in northwestern and southeastern Iran, as well as acts of “assassination and sabotage.”
It alleged that the United States and Israel were attempting to smuggle “weapons, ammunition, and illegal communications equipment, especially Starlink,” into Iran.
The statement came after authorities began partially restoring Internet access following an 88-day nationwide shutdown.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Back Online, Iranians Face The Same Internet Restrictions
After 88 days of near-total digital isolation during war with the United States and Israel, Iran has partially restored Internet access. But many Iranians say the heavily censored network remains slow, unreliable, and tightly controlled, with restricted apps, malfunctioning VPNs, and deep public mistrust lingering after one of the world’s longest-ever nationwide Internet blackouts.
Read the report by Kian Sharifi and RFE/RL's Radio Farda here
Trump Says Iran's Internet Reopening Is A Sign It Wants A Deal
US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran's decision to end its unprecedented Internet blackout is a sign that the country wants to reach an agreement with the United States.
Speaking at the opening of a cabinet meeting in Washington on April 27, Trump said Iran was "intent" on a deal.
"I think it looks like they want to just make a deal. I don't think they have a choice. They're just going back to the Internet because they're getting clobbered. Their economy is in freefall," he said.
Iran switched off access to the Internet after the beginning of US and Israeli military strikes on February 28.
It has previously taken similar steps during times of internal unrest, such as during mass nationwide protests in January. But this latest Internet shutdown was the longest it has ever imposed.
The economic toll of Iran’s blackout has been significant. Afshin Kolahi, an official from Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, said during an April 12 session that the shutdown was costing the country up to $40 million per day. Indirect losses, he said, were up to $80 million each day.
Read more here
US Denies Iranian TV Report On Draft Framework Deal
The White House has said reporting by Iranian state TV on a draft framework agreement is "not true" and is a "complete fabrication."
"Nobody should believe what Iranian state media is putting out. FACTS MATTER," said a statement on X by the White House's Rapid Response 47 account.
Earlier, Iranian state television reported that the draft deal with the United States included commitments to lift the US naval blockade on Iran, restore commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and reduce the American military presence in the Persian Gulf region.
According to the report, which cited a draft memorandum of understanding that was “still not finalized,” Washington had allegedly committed to “cease harassing ships passing to or from the Islamic republic of Iran.”
In return, Iran would allow the resumption of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz within one month, while continuing to manage shipping lanes, inspect vessels, and impose service fees introduced during the war that erupted on February 28.
The draft also said Washington had given “a commitment to the Islamic republic of Iran” regarding the withdrawal of US troops from the region, although it remained unclear whether this applied only to forces deployed during the conflict or also to longstanding US bases in the Persian Gulf.
The report said the two sides would enter a 60-day negotiation period after agreeing on the framework.
Iran's IRGC Says Vessels From 'Hostile Countries' Still Cannot Pass Through Hormuz
The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps says the vessels from "hostile countries" are still blocked from passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC said in a statement released on May 27 by state television that 23 vessels have been allowed to pass through the strait "so far," with the passage of other vessels seen continuing "in the coming hours."
It gave no details on any vessels moving through the key waterway but added that "cooperation will be provided with countries that respect 'Iranian order.'"
Tasnim: Iran Demands Immediate Access To $12 Billion In Frozen Assets
Tasnim news agency, an outlet affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, reported that a proposed 14-article memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States would include the release of approximately $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
According to the Tasnim report, which cited "an informed source close to the negotiating team," Iran insists that half of this $24 billion amount must be made available at the start of negotiations and the rest transferred within 60 days.
The report also claims that the recent trip to Qatar of Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was to reach an understanding about implementing this demand -- and how exactly to access the first $12 billion.
A few days earlier, Ahmad Bakhshish Ardestani, a member of the the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, claimed that Iran had planned to import $12 billion of its frozen assets through Russia, but the United States blocked the transfer.
Iran Restoring Internet, With Limits, After 88-Day Blackout
- By RFE/RL
NetBlocks, the global Internet monitoring organization, says live network data shows partial Internet access has been restored in Iran after 88 days of near-total blackout.
NetBlocks wrote on X that the outage, at more than 2,093 hours, is "the longest nationwide Internet outage in modern history."
The organization also said it remains unclear whether the restoration will hold.
Earlier in the day, officials from Masud Pezeshkian's government announced the start of a process toward full Internet reconnection within the next 24 hours. But the Administrative Court of Justice announced hours later that it had issued a suspension order against the government committee that had issued the decree to restore internet access.
Shortly after the NetBlocks post, Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref wrote on X, "Following the directive of the President and in line with the government's promise, the first step toward free and regulated access to cyberspace has been taken."
Iranian media has reported that users are once again able to access the "international Internet" on their mobile phones, including services such as ChatGPT.
Iran maintains a two-tier Internet system: a domestic network limited to government-approved websites and services, and the international (global) Internet, which is frequently heavily filtered or completely shut down.
NetBlocks also reported that Internet access has now reached 86 percent, when compared to ordinary traffic volumes. “Filternet remains in place but can be worked around. WhatsApp now restricted, requiring circumvention. Some users still offline,” NetBlocks wrote on X.
Iran's state-run news agency ISNA reported that users of fixed broadband services are now connected to the global Internet without restrictions and "have been provided with the opportunity to fully use international websites and services."
Deputy Communications Minister Ehsan Chitsaz, however, announced that citizens' phones are at risk of hacking due to "attackers' misuse of un-updated devices" and urged Iranians to install the latest version of banking applications and security tools before going online.
Explosion On Tanker Off Oman Coast, British Maritime Monitor Says
A tanker captain has reported an explosion on his ship in waters of the coast of Oman, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
The report cited an “external explosion” that was “close to the waterline.” It said the crew and vessel were safe though some “bunker fuel has discharged into the sea.”
The cause of the blast was under investigation.
The incident occurred amid a shaky cease-fire in the region, a day after the US military command said it had carried out strikes on Iranian missile sites and boats.
A statement by US CENTCOM on May 25 said the action was taken in “self-defense” while Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on May 26 that Washington was guilty of a “flagrant violation” of the cease-fire.
Shipping in the region, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, has largely ground to a halt since the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Iranian forces have attacked civilian vessels and laid mines in the sea, while the US Navy is maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran Accuses US Of 'Flagrant Violation' Of Cease-Fire
Iran's Foreign Ministry has accused the United States of a "flagrant violation" of the April 8 cease-fire over the past 48 hours.
The ministry referred to “aggressive actions” in Hormozgan Province, though it made no explicit reference to US strikes in southern Iran.
It also cited what it described as "illegal actions" since the cease-fire was announced, including "maritime piracy against Iranian commercial vessels."
It "strongly condemned" US conduct, accused Washington of "ill-will and bad faith," and said the United States bore responsibility for "all consequences" of its actions.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) separately warned that it would "respond decisively to any violation of the cease-fire."
US Central Command earlier said it carried out strikes in southern Iran on May 25 against "missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines," describing the action as "self-defense" and saying the cease-fire remained in effect.