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Trump: 'We're Like Pirates' In Naval Blockade Of Iran
US President Donald Trump on May 1 said the US Navy was acting "like pirates" in its mission to blockade Iranian ports during the US-Israel war with Iran.
"We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said, referring to the seizure of an Iranian ship in the waters off of Iran during the blockade.
"We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates, but we are not playing games," he added.
Tehran has insisted that it will not agree to peace talks unless the US blockade of its ports is lifted, while Washington says the blockade will stay in place until a peace deal is agreed, leading to a stalemate in in-person talks.
However, messages have been sent between Washington and Tehran through Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator in the peace process.
US State Department OKs $8.6 Billion In Military Sales To Israel, Gulf Allies
The US State Department on May 1 said it has approved sales of military equipment worth more than $8.6 billion to Middle Eastern allies, including Israel, that have been targeted by Iran in retaliation for the US-Israeli air strikes launched on February 28.
US Gulf allies Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates also were on the list of approved recipients of US military sales, the State Department said.
The State Department said it was approving sales to Qatar of Patriot air and missile defense replenishment services worth $4.01 billion and of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS) costing $992.4 million.
Also included was the approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5 billion and to Israel of Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems valued at $992.4 million.
The State Department approved a sale to the UAE of APKWS for $147.6 million.
Trump Vows No 'Early' Iran Exit After Saying ‘Not Satisfied’ With 'Messed Up' Tehran’s Proposal
US President Donald Trump on May 1 said the US would not quit its confrontation with Iran "early" only to face renewed difficulties in the future, hours after he said he was “not satisfied” with the latest peace proposal offered by Tehran through Pakistani mediators.
“We’re not going to leave early and have the problem arise in three more years,” Trump told a gathering at a retirement community in Florida, adding that Tehran was “not coming through with the kind of deal we have to have.”
Earlier, Trump insisted that Tehran was seeking a peace deal but that it was not good enough for him.
"They want to make a deal, but I'm not satisfied with it," Trump told journalists outside the White House.
The president said Tehran seeks a peace deal "because they don't have a military left," following a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28 and has been halted since a cease-fire between the United States and Iran came into effect on April 8.
"They have a tremendous problem getting along with each other in Iran. The leadership is very disjointed...They all want to make a deal, but they all are messed up," Trump said.
"Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever -- or do we want to try and make a deal?" he said, adding that he would prefer to avoid the first option "on a human basis."
While the Iranian Foreign Ministry appears to continue diplomatic efforts to negotiate with Washington on key issues of the conflict, hard-line clerics and lawmakers have publicly opposed any major concessions.
War Powers Act
Separately, amid political pressure to seek approval from lawmakers to continue the war, Trump insisted the cease-fire announced last month means that hostilities have officially been “terminated,” eliminating the need for further congressional authorization.
Trump made the claim in a letter to lawmakers on May 1 -- which was the deadline to come to Congress about the war -- saying there have been no exchanges of fire with Iran forces since the April 7 cease-fire.
"The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," Trump said.
"We had a cease-fire, so that gives you additional time," Trump added.
At issue is the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Under the terms, a US president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it and then asking Congress for the authority to continue.
Democratic lawmakers disputed Trump's claim that the cease-fire resets the 60-day deadline.
“Despite the administration’s spurious claims, the cease-fire does not pause or terminate the War Powers clock," a statement by top Democratic members of the House of Representatives said.
"Hostilities have not ceased; both sides are enforcing naval blockades through military force. From Day One, this has been an unauthorized war of choice based on a demonstrably false premise of an imminent Iranian threat and as of today, 60 days in, there is still no congressional authorization for President Trump's war," the statement added.
The statement was signed by Gregory W. Meeks, ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Adam Smith, ranking member of the Armed Services Committee; and Jim Himes, ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Meanwhile, news outlet Axios reported that the Pentagon has estimated that the US blockade of Iranian ports has cost Tehran $4.8 billion.
US Refugee Agency Hit By Higher Transport Costs Due To Middle East War
The UN refugee agency on May 1 said the conflict in the Middle East has substantially increased the rate it is charged to transport its freight, hitting aid deliveries to refugees in the region and Africa.
Extra funding spent on fuel and higher war-risk shipping insurance premiums means that less can be spent in the field, UN High Commissioner for Refugees said.
"The Middle East crisis has generated far-reaching ripple effects well beyond the region, with growing consequences for global humanitarian supply chains and the delivery of aid," spokeswoman Carlotta Wolf told a news conference in Geneva.
"For some shipments, costs have more than doubled, such as transport costs for relief items from UNHCR's global stockpiles in Dubai to our Sudan and Chad operations," Wolf said.
The cost of sending more than 2,000 tons of relief goods to both locations has increased from $927,000 to $1.87 million compared with precrisis costs, she added.
With reporting by AFP
14 IRGC Specialists Killed Attempting To Defuse Ordnances, Iran Media Report
Iranian media on May 1 reported that 14 members of the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed in an operation to defuse unexploded explosives in Zanjan Province.
"Following enemy air strikes using cluster bombs and aerial mines, parts of Zanjan Province, including about 1,200 hectares of agricultural land, were contaminated by bombs," reported Fars news agency, which is close to the IRGC.
The report could not independently be verified.
The Fars report said IRGC demining specialists had neutralized more than 15,000 items during the operation.
"However, today, during one of these missions, 14 of these dedicated forces were martyred and 2 were injured," it said.
Trump Claims No Need For Congressional Approval As Hostilities With Iran Have 'Terminated'
US President Donald Trump, in a political battle over his war powers, claimed that a cease-fire announced last month had officially "terminated" hostilities against Iran as part of his argument that he does need congressional approval to continue the conflict.
Trump made the claim in a letter to lawmakers on May 1 -- which was the deadline to come to Congress about the war -- saying there have been no exchanges of fire with Iran forces since the April 7 cease-fire.
"The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," Trump said.
"We had a cease-fire, so that gives you additional time," Trump added.
At issue is the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Under the terms, a US president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it and then asking Congress for the authority to continue.
A president can also seek a 30-day extension due to "unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces" while withdrawing forces.
Trump formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours after the first US-Israeli air strikes at the end of February, starting the 60-day clock that ended on May 1.
A senior Trump administration official had said on April 30 that the Trump administration's view was that the war powers law deadline did not apply, while has Trump said he considers the law unconstitutional.
Democrats in Congress have repeatedly attempted to pass war powers legislation to force Trump to end the conflict or come to Congress for authorization.
“After 60 days of conflict, President Trump still does not have a strategy or way out for this poorly planned war," Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement labeling the May 1 deadline "a clear legal threshold" for Trump to act upon.
With reporting by Reuters
Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Winner Urgently Transferred To Hospital
Jailed Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was urgently transferred from prison to a hospital in northwestern Iran, her foundation said in a statement on May 1.
"Narges Mohammadi was urgently transferred to a hospital in Zanjan today following a catastrophic deterioration of her health, including two episodes of complete loss of consciousness and a severe cardiac crisis."
The Narges Mohammadi Foundation added that the development comes after 140 days of Mohammadi's "arbitrary detention and the persistent denial of specialized health care."
Speaking to RFE/RL's Radio Farda last month, Mohammadi's brother, Hamid Reza Mohammadi, said his sister's life is "in serious danger," as she was suffering from "vision problems, nausea, blood-pressure issues, and chest pain."
Mohammadi, a prominent Iranian human rights activist, has spent much of the last decade behind bars.
She was most recently arrested in December 2025, during a memorial ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
"After her arrest in Mashhad, because of blows she received to the head, she was already in bad condition," her brother said.
Iran's Internet Shutdown Means A Boon For Saffron Business In Afghanistan
Iran supplies about 90 percent of the world's saffron -- one of the most valuable agricultural products by weight.
But since Iranian authorities shut down Internet access two months ago, growers have been cut off from their usual clients in Europe and China. That has meant a windfall for Afghan saffron dealers.
Trump 'Not Satisfied' With 'Messed Up' Iranian Leaders' Proposal
US President Donald Trump said he is "not satisfied" with a new Iranian proposal delivered by Tehran to Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator in talks with the United States.
"They want to make a deal, but I'm not satisfied with it," Trump told journalists outside the White House hours after Iranian media reported that the Islamic republic had handed over the text of its latest peace plan to Islamabad on April 30.
The president added that Tehran seeks a peace deal "because they don't have a military left," following a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28 and has been halted since a cease-fire between the United States and Iran came into effect on April 8.
"They have a tremendous problem getting along with each other in Iran. The leadership is very disjointed... They all want to make a deal, but they all are messed up," Trump said.
While the Iranian Foreign Ministry appears to continue diplomatic efforts to negotiate with Washington on key issues of the conflict, hard-line clerics and lawmakers have publicly opposed any major concessions.