Trump: 'Clock Is Ticking' For Iran
US President Donald Trump on May 17 urged Iran to "get moving," threatening severe consequences in a post on Truth Social.
"For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he wrote. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"
Trump's comments came after Iranian media reported that the United States had not offered any concessions in its latest response to a proposal Tehran had transferred to Washington through Pakistan to end the war.
While there were no official comments from Iranian authorities, the state-affiliated Mehr news agency said the United States wanted "to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war," adding that it might be an obstacle to a negotiated agreement.
Earlier on May 17, citing Israeli officials, Axios reported that Trump had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been vocal about refusing any compromise with Tehran until key issues in the conflict are resolved.
In a separate report, Axios said the US president was expected to hold a meeting with the country’s top security officials next week to weigh military action options.
The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, seeking, among other goals, to limit the country's nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
In response, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that previously accounted for one-fifth of global oil trade, sending markets soaring. The issue has since become central to any resolution of the conflict.
Islamabad has acted as a mediator since the cease-fire between Iran and the United States took effect in early April. A round of talks between senior officials from Washington and Tehran was held in Islamabad but did not yield any results.
Saudis Intercept 3 Drones Fired From Iraqi Territory, Origin Unknown
The Saudi Defense Ministry said three drones were intercepted and destroyed after they entered its territory airspace from Iraqi airspace.
Major General Turki Al-Maliki on May 17 said the country "reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place, and will take and implement all necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to infringe on the Kingdom's sovereignty, security, and the safety of its citizens and residents on its territory."
It was not immediately clear who may have launched the drones, but many Iran-allied militias operate within the territory of Iraq.
With both pro- and anti-Iranian militias based in the country, Iraq has often been drawn unwillingly into the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The latest incident comes Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates said a fire had broken out at the Barakah nuclear power plant after drone attack.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to the attack with a statement condemning "military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable."
Saudi Arabia and UAE have been frequent targets of Iranian missiles and drones launched in retaliation for US-Israeli air strikes that began on February 28, even amid the current cease-fire announced in early April.
Unconfirmed press reports have suggested that both nations launched their own attacks against Iranian sites, although the reports have not been confirmed by the Saudis or the UAE.
Trump: 'Clock Is Ticking' For Iran
US President Donald Trump on May 17 urged Iran to "get moving," threatening severe consequences in a post on Truth Social.
"For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them," he wrote. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"
Trump's comments came after Iranian media reported that the United States had not offered any concessions in its latest response to a proposal Tehran had transferred to Washington through Pakistan to end the war.
While there were no official comments from Iranian authorities, the state-affiliated Mehr news agency said the United States wanted "to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war," adding that it might be an obstacle to a negotiated agreement.
Earlier on May 17, citing Israeli officials, Axios reported that Trump had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been vocal about refusing any compromise with Tehran until key issues in the conflict are resolved.
In a separate report, Axios said the US president was expected to hold a meeting with the country’s top security officials next week to weigh military action options.
The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, seeking, among other goals, to limit the country's nuclear and ballistic capabilities.
In response, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that previously accounted for one-fifth of global oil trade, sending markets soaring. The issue has since become central to any resolution of the conflict.
Islamabad has acted as a mediator since the cease-fire between Iran and the United States took effect in early April. A round of talks between senior officials from Washington and Tehran was held in Islamabad but did not yield any results.
Iran Human Rights NGO Condemns 'Sham Trials' Of Protesters Leading To Executions
The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) issued a statement on May 16 asserting that the execution of protesters arrested during recent nationwide protests was "facilitated and expedited" by state-approved Iranian lawyers.
The demonstrations, which started in late December and lasted through February, were the largest uprising in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The unrest was triggered by raising inflation and widespread shortages and led to a violent state crackdown that resulted in thousands of casualties and tens of thousands of arrests. An Internet blackout is still ongoing.
IHRNGO has reviewed documentation confirming what they call "sham trials" in which "some state-approved lawyers routinely fail to challenge forced confessions, investigate claims of torture and ill-treatment, or present vital exculpatory evidence."
The organization claims that this results in Iranian courts immediately issuing death sentences based on uncontested evidence that the Supreme Court quickly affirms, denying the defendant a chance for legal scrutiny.
The statement also notes that lawyers in some cases have refused to communicate with the families of the accused, preventing them from following up on how the case is proceeding.
According to IHRNGO, there have been over 200 executions in Iran in 2026.
Iranian authorities, meanwhile, issued a report on May 16 saying 30 people had been executed on political grounds since the beginning of the country's conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28.
Iran's judiciary said that those executed were found guilty of “espionage” and “terrorism” in cases related to large-scale anti-government protests that took place across the country earlier in the year.
Abu Dhabi Says Nuclear Plant Hit by Drone Attack
A fire has broken out at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Abu Dhabi Media Authority on May 17.
The fire began after a drone attack on the Barakah nuclear power plant in the Al-Dhafra region. No deaths or injuries were reported.
The UAE news agency said that the fire broke out in an electrical generator outside the perimeter of the power plant and did not negatively impact the safety of the site.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to the attack with a statement condemning "military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable."
The IAEA said that it had been assured by the UAE that radiational levels at Barakah remain normal and that emergency diesel generators are currently providing power to the power plants third unit.
"The IAEA is following the situation closely and is in constant contact with the UAE authorities, ready to provide assistance if needed," the agency said on X.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi "expresses grave concern about the incident and says military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable," the agency continued. "The DG reiterates call for maximum military restraint near any NPP to avoid the danger of a nuclear accident."
Following the launch of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the UAE became the biggest target of Tehran's retaliatory attacks.
FIFA Official Says Iranian Team Welcome At World Cup
A senior official of FIFA said on May 17 after talks with Iranian soccer federation officials in Istanbul that it is looking forward to welcoming Iran's team to the World Cup, which kicks off in Canada, Mexico, and the United States next month.
Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA's secretary-general and second in command after President Gianni Infantino, described the meeting held late on May 16 in Turkey as "excellent and constructive," according to Reuters.
"I think we're working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them to the World Cup," Grafstrom said.
Iran's participation in the world's biggest soccer event has been in question ever since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, sparking a regional conflict.
Tehran had sought to have Iran's matches moved to Mexico, but Infantino has so far insisted that all games must be played at the originally scheduled venues.
The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, described the meeting with FIFA as "positive and constructive" but cautioned earlier this week that no visas had yet been issued for Iran's team members, who are scheduled to play all three of their group games in the United States.
Taj himself was refused entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver earlier in May as Canada has listed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and indicated Taj had alleged ties with the organization.
The Iranian team will travel to Turkey on May 18 for training camp before heading to the United States. Their first game is against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
Iran's Top Negotiator Says World On 'Cusp Of New Order' As Trump Reiterates Warning
Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf, Iran's parliamentary speaker and top negotiator in talks aimed at ending the war with the United States, said on May 16 that shifting geopolitics mean that the "the world stands at the cusp of a new order."
Citing comments by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hosted US President Donald Trump this week for a closely watched summit, Qalibaf wrote on X: "As President Xi said 'The transformation unseen in a century is accelerating across the globe.'"
"I emphasize that the Iranian nation’s 70-day resistance has accelerated this transformation," Qalibaf said, adding: "The future belongs to the Global South."
Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his warning to Iran to "make a deal" in ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that Tehran has effectively closed since US-Israeli strikes began on February 28.
"I have no idea" whether Iran will sign an agreement, Trump said in comments to French broadcaster BFMTV on May 16. "If they don't, they’re going to have a bad time. A very bad time. They had better make a deal."
Report: Black Market Thriving For Iran's 'Internet Pro'
The transformation of free Internet access into a luxury and underground commodity has allowed Iran's distribution network to become rife with systemic corruption, a report has found.
The Khabar Online website reported that a black market has thrived since Iran's nationwide Internet shutdown -- almost at 80 days as of May 17 -- began.
Rather than a total blackout, authorities have maintained an elaborate whitelisting system of selectively granting connectivity to favored institutions, companies, and individuals while leaving the rest of the population cut off.
That system has been formalized further through a paid scheme called Internet Pro that allows business owners and academics to purchase access at pre-shutdown levels, a development critics have quickly labeled a form of tiered or class-based Internet.
According to the report, which was published on May 16, an informal network of brokers has been formed who, in exchange for millions of dollars, register applicants as employees of companies or members of guilds in order to gain access to the Internet.
These brokers exploit regulatory loopholes to register applicants' names on company lists.
Amnesty International has criticized Iranian authorities for imposing what it calls "digital darkness," describing access to the Internet as "a basic human right and indispensable in times of conflict."
US Lets Russian Oil Waiver Linked To Iran War Expire, Reimposing Sanctions
WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration has allowed a controversial waiver on sanctions targeting Russian seaborne oil to expire, reimposing restrictions that had temporarily enabled countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian crude despite Western efforts to curb Moscow's wartime revenues.
The move, which took effect on May 16 after the Treasury Department declined to renew General License 134B, highlights the increasingly difficult balance Washington faces between tightening pressure on the Kremlin and preventing further disruption to global energy markets already rattled by the Iran conflict and instability around the Strait of Hormuz.
The waiver, first introduced in March and extended in April, permitted transactions involving certain Russian oil cargoes that had already been loaded onto tankers before sanctions deadlines took effect.
Administration officials defended the measure as a temporary safeguard aimed at preventing a deeper global energy shock as fighting in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher and threatened key shipping routes.
To read the full report, click here.
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.
Massive US Aircraft Carrier Returns Home After Middle East Deployment
A US aircraft carrier that was deployed to the Middle East before the outbreak of war in Iran has returned to the US after a 326-day mission, the Pentagon said on May 16.
Defense chief Pete Hegseth was in Norfolk, Virginia, to greet the return of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the world, the US military said.
It was the longest deployment for a US carrier strike group since the Vietnam War.
The carrier was sent to the Middle East to participate in combat operations against Iran after it took part in US operations in the Caribbean, where US forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, intercepted tankers, and captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
