US Proposes UN Resolution, Says Iran 'Holds World’s Economy Hostage'
- By RFE/RL
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Washington has proposed a UN Security Council resolution to secure the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of threatening global trade.
In a May 5 statement, Rubio said Iran “continues to hold the world’s economy hostage” through threats to shipping, sea mines and efforts to impose tolls.
The draft resolution, backed by Persian Gulf partners, would require Iran to “cease attacks, mining, and tolling” and disclose mine locations while supporting a humanitarian corridor.
The United States expects the measure to be voted on “in the coming days,” Rubio said in the statement.
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
Iran Denies Attacks On UAE, Warns Against Retaliation
Iran has denied that it carried out any attacks on the United Arab Emirates, while warning that it would deliver a “crushing and regret-inducing response” to any attack launched from UAE territory.
In a statement issued on May 5, the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters, which coordinates the military of the Islamic republic, said Iran’s armed forces had carried out “no missile or drone operations against the UAE" in recent days, adding that "if any action had been taken, we would have announced it clearly and decisively."
The statement accused the UAE of becoming “one of the main American and Zionist bases,” and warned that “if any action is taken from UAE territory against our islands, ports, or coasts, we will respond with a crushing and regret-inducing response.”
The UAE’s Defense Ministry said that the country had been targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks on May 4 and May 5.
According to the UAE, an oil industrial complex in Fujairah caught fire during the attack on May 4, and three Indian nationals sustained minor injuries.
The UAE’s Foreign Ministry has said the country reserves its right to respond to Iranian attacks.
US Proposes UN Resolution, Says Iran 'Holds World’s Economy Hostage'
- By RFE/RL
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Washington has proposed a UN Security Council resolution to secure the Strait of Hormuz, accusing Iran of threatening global trade.
In a May 5 statement, Rubio said Iran “continues to hold the world’s economy hostage” through threats to shipping, sea mines and efforts to impose tolls.
The draft resolution, backed by Persian Gulf partners, would require Iran to “cease attacks, mining, and tolling” and disclose mine locations while supporting a humanitarian corridor.
The United States expects the measure to be voted on “in the coming days,” Rubio said in the statement.
Iran Again Warn Vessels To Use Its Designated Hormuz Corridor
The naval command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has again warned all vessels intending to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, saying the only safe route is the corridor previously designated by the Islamic republic.
According to the warning, “any diversion of ships to other routes is dangerous and will result in a firm response from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards navy.”
The IRGC navy had earlier published an updated map showing an expansion of areas it said were under Iran’s control near the Strait of Hormuz, including zones covering the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, as well as the coastline of the emirate of Umm Al Quwain.
The warning on May 5 comes one day after the United States launched “Operation Freedom” to allow ships from neutral countries to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
These vessels have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for more than two months due to the US-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the strait by the IRGC.
On the first day of the US operation, the IRGC fired at several vessels, while drone attacks attributed to Iran sparked a fire at the UAE’s Fujairah oil port.
With reporting by AFP
Trump Says Iran Should ‘Wave White Flag,’ Urges Deal
US President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran’s military capabilities and urged Tehran to “do the smart thing” and strike a deal to end the war amid a fragile cease-fire.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on May 5, Trump said Iran’s forces had been reduced to firing “peashooters” and suggested the country “should wave the white flag of surrender,” though he added he did not want to “go in and kill people.”
"They play games, but let me just tell you, they want to make a deal,” Trump said, arguing that Iran’s military was “totally gone.”
He also praised the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports as being “like a piece of steel,” saying “nobody’s going to challenge” it.
Asked what would constitute a cease-fire violation by Iran, Trump said: “You’ll find out… They know what not to do.”
With reporting by Reuters and AFP
UAE Says Attacked Again By Iranian Missiles And Drones
The United Arab Emirates has said that it has once again been attacked by Iranian missiles and drones and was responding to these threats.
In a post on X, the UAE Defense Ministry said that “The UAE’s air defense systems are actively engaged in missile and drone threats,” adding that “the origin of these threats is Iran.”
There were reports of air-raid sirens sounding in Dubai.
On May 4, the UAE announced the interception of "three missiles fired by Iran" and a fourth that fell into the sea.
However, authorities in the port of Fujairah said a drone strike hit an energy installation, causing a fire and injuring three people.
Iran Seizes Assets Of Political Activists
Iran's judiciary has announced that it has seized the assets of political activist Mehdi Nasiri and 21 other people it identified as "enemy-affiliated elements" in the Semnan Province in north-central Iran.
The Mizan news agency, which is affiliated with the judiciary, identified the 22 people as "affiliated" with Israel and other "hostile" countries, writing that their assets had been seized in line with the implementation of a law on punishing espionage and cooperation with Israel.
Mehdi Nasiri, a former regime insider and one-time hard-line editor of the state-aligned Kayhan newspaper, is now a journalist and outspoken critic of the Iranian authorities.
The news agency described the seizure of these individuals' assets as a "national necessity" and claimed that they "have caused extensive damage to infrastructure and public places, such as schools, universities, research centers, industrial centers -- in cooperation with hostile governments."
The judiciary released the names of all the individuals and announced that their movable and immovable assets, as well as their bank accounts, have been identified, seized, and frozen. The individuals have also been banned from carrying out any financial transactions.
The judiciary has not provided any evidence to back up its actions against the 22 people.
Iran frequently seizes the assets of journalists, political activists, and artists whom it accuses of posing a threat.
After the Iran-Israel war in June 2025, Iran's parliament approved a plan to increase the punishment -- including the death penalty -- for those spying for or collaborating with Israel or the US.
Iranian Foreign Minister Traveling To China For Talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is traveling to Beijing for talks on May 5.
"During this visit, he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international developments," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.
The meeting comes as the United States and Iran remain deadlocked in negotiations to end the war.
On May 4, the US Treasury secretary urged China to step up its diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Scott Bessent added that the issue will be raised during US President Donald Trump's upcoming meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in mid May.
Robert Murrett: A US Vice-Admiral On The 'Very Tough Challenge' Of Hormuz
Our senior Washington correspondent spoke to US Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett about the challenges, concerns, and potential solutions regarding the crisis in the Strait Of Hormuz.
The US military posture “is important in creating leverage for a diplomatic solution that would allow free and open navigation,” he said.
Read more here.
Iran's Nuclear Breakout Time Unchanged After Recent War, Reuters Reports
US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran's nuclear breakout time has not changed since last summer, according to Reuters.
It had previously been assessed that the June 2025 US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites set back its breakout timeline by up to one year.
Reuters cited three sources familiar with the matter in reporting that the assessments conclude Iran's nuclear program remains essentially intact following the recent conflict launched on February 28.
“The assessments of Tehran's nuclear program remain broadly unchanged even after two months of a war that US President Donald Trump launched in part to stop the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear bomb,” Reuters reported on May 4.
During the recent war, reports emerged of Israeli strikes on several Iranian nuclear facilities.
Two sources told Reuters that US intelligence agencies had concluded -- before the 12-day war -- that Iran could likely produce enough uranium for a weapon and build a bomb within roughly three to six months.
The assessment states that meaningfully setting back Iran's nuclear program would require the destruction of its remaining stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, which remain buried in underground sites struck last summer.