live US 'More Than Capable' Of Resuming Strikes Against Iran, Hegseth Says

Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon intensified on May 30 as the army issued evacuation warnings for residents of seven villages after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had advanced beyond the Litani River despite a cease-fire that officially took effect on April 17.

Netanyahu said on May 29 that Israeli forces "have crossed the Litani" River and moved onto higher ground while "striking Hezbollah hard."

Israeli officials said the military aims to establish a wider security zone in southern Lebanon to push Hezbollah farther from the border.

The Israel Defense Forces said it was acting against Hezbollah in response to alleged violations of the cease-fire and warned residents to leave areas near the group's positions.

Later on May 30, an Israeli strike hit a Lebanese Armed Forces position in the south, wounding two soldiers.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, claimed it launched rockets at the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, ambushed Israeli troops near Ghandouriyeh and attacked Israeli positions near the Beaufort fortress and a military base in northern Israel.

The Israeli military said some projectiles were intercepted after being fired from Lebanon, with one hitting near Kiryat Shmona.

The escalation came a day after Israeli and Lebanese military delegations held talks at the Pentagon within the framework of of a new US-backed "security track" between the two countries.

The Pentagon described the discussions as "productive" and said they would feed into a State Department-led political track next week.

In a May 29 call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed "the need to exert all efforts to reach a cease-fire."

Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed 11 people in Tyre on May 29 and that at least 3,355 people have been killed since March 2.

Oman has warned mariners to exercise caution after a floating object believed to be a naval mine was spotted in its territorial waters near the Strait of Hormuz.

Oman's Maritime Security Center said on May 30 that the suspected mine was observed west of a coastal shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz and urged fishermen, ships, and other sailors to keep a safe distance from suspicious objects and report them to authorities.

The agency did not identify the source of the device.

The warning comes amid security concerns in the crucial waterway following the US-Israeli war with Iran and reports that Tehran has placed mines in the strait.

On May 29, US President Donald Trump said Iran must remove all naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz as part of a broader agreement with Washington.

"The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions," he said in a Truth Social post.

Separately, Qatar said it opposes permanent transit fees for vessels using the strait but would consider temporary charges if they were used for security-related purposes, such as mine-clearing operations.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on May 30, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Persian Gulf states oppose long-term tolls because they would raise costs for consumers. However, he said temporary fees linked to restoring safe navigation "is something that is negotiable."

An adviser ⁠to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has accused US President Donald Trump of "betraying ‌diplomacy for the third time" by continuing a naval blockade ‌imposed on Iranian ports ‌and making what called "excessive demands" in negotiations.

In an X post on May 30, Mohsen ‌Rezaei said Trump's stance at the negotiating table showed "that he is not inclined toward negotiation and is pursuing other objectives."

Rezaei's comments came a day after Trump met with top aides in the White House Situation Room to make a "final determination" about a framework for extending the cease-fire with Iran, but it ended without a clear decision being announced.

Before the meeting, Trump said on Truth Social that Iran must permanently forgo nuclear weapons, reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, clear naval mines, and cooperate with the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency in eliminating its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

Kazakhstan has indicated it is open to hosting Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent if a future agreement is reached between Tehran and Washington, according to a report by the Financial Times citing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi.

The proposal is being discussed as a potential confidence-building measure to support efforts to revive nuclear diplomacy between Iran and the United States.

Grossi raised the issue during a visit to Kazakhstan, where he met President Qasym-Dzhomart Toqaev on May 26.

Kazakhstan is viewed as a credible candidate due to its strong non-proliferation credentials, including its decision to dismantle the Soviet-era nuclear arsenal it inherited after independence and its hosting of the IAEA’s Low-Enriched Uranium Bank in Oskemen.

Any transfer of Iran’s uranium would require a broader political agreement and detailed safeguards under IAEA supervision. Grossi has said discussions remain preliminary and no final deal has been reached.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that Washington is prepared to resume military action against Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce an agreement, stressing that US forces remain ready despite efforts to reach a diplomatic solution.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense and security forum in Singapore on May 30, Hegseth said that the United States was “more than capable” of renewing attacks if necessary and that its stockpiles were “more than suited” for such operations.

The Pentagon chief said Trump was showing "patience" and was “only going to get a great deal” to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon as talks continue over a proposed extension of the current fragile cease-fire.

Hegseth's comments came hours after Trump held a meeting with top aides on May 29 to make a "final determination" about a framework for extending the cease-fire with Iran, but it ended without a clear decision being announced.

While in Singapore, Hegseth also rejected suggestions that the conflict with Iran had distracted Washington from the Asia-Pacific region, saying the US could “do two things at one time.”

With reporting by Reuters

A "grand" funeral for slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is being planned by Iranian authorities, although the timing remains uncertain, official media reported on May 29.

The funeral for the country's former leader -- who was killed on the first day of US-Israeli air strikes on February 28 -- has been delayed amid security fears, even with the current cease-fire in place.

"A special headquarters has been formed to prepare for the funeral ceremony, and various agencies are currently planning and making arrangements," state TV reported, citing Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of the Tehran Coordination Council for Islamic Propaganda.

The 86-year-old Ali Khamenei's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was also wounded in the attacks and has not been seen in public since assuming office.

With reporting by AFP

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration on May 29 imposed fresh sanctions on an Iranian procurement network accused of defrauding US companies to obtain restricted technology for Tehran’s military, in a move that came just hours after a high-level White House meeting on a possible interim deal with Iran ended without a public decision.

The Treasury Department said the network used fake identities and front companies in the United Arab Emirates and Europe to acquire sensitive US-origin technology, including encryption and network security equipment, for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

Washington framed the measures as part of its Economic Fury campaign aimed at tightening pressure on Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Iran of using “brazen efforts” to deceive American firms and said the administration would continue using “all available authorities” to isolate the Iranian government financially.

The timing of the sanctions is notable. The measures were announced shortly after a White House Situation Room meeting where President Donald Trump and senior aides reportedly discussed whether to approve an interim arrangement with Iran that could extend a cease-fire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Hours after Trump said he was entering the meeting to make a “final determination,” no official decision had been announced.

The new sanctions targeted several Iranian nationals and companies, including Sorena Hushmand Samaneh Company, accused of impersonating US businesses to illegally procure restricted goods. Treasury also designated entities in Dubai allegedly used to reroute shipments to Iran.

Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert at Obsidian Risk Advisors, told RFE/RL the move appeared aimed as much at domestic political messaging as at increasing pressure on Tehran.

“These sanctions feel less like economic warfare and more like reputation management,” Erickson said.

“Their greatest value may not be the pressure they place on Tehran, but the cover they provide Washington. They allow the administration to try to look tough on Iran at a moment when many see the broader direction of travel pointing the other way,” added.

The sanctions freeze any US-based assets linked to the designated individuals and entities and expose foreign financial institutions dealing with them to possible secondary sanctions.

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump has concluded a White House Situation Room meeting on a possible agreement with Iran aimed at extending a cease-fire and advancing negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.

A White House official confirmed that the meeting on May 29 had ended but declined to say whether Trump approved the proposed framework.

According to media reports, the tentative agreement would extend the current cease-fire by 60 days while negotiations continue on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Before the meeting, Trump said on Truth Social that Iran must permanently forgo nuclear weapons, reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, clear naval mines, and cooperate with the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in eliminating highly enriched uranium stockpiles.

Trump also said the US would lift its naval blockade of Iran under the agreement.

There was no immediate response from Tehran.

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The heads of four major global economic organizations have issued a joint statement warning that oil reserves are being depleted "at a record pace" amid ongoing supply disruptions due to the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, and World Trade Organization met on May 28 as part of continuing efforts to coordinate their response to the crisis.

“Global oil inventories are being drawn down at a record pace in response to the major loss of supply through the Strait of Hormuz,” they said in a joint statement issued on May 29.

“If shipping flows do not return to normal, continued rapid depletion of global oil inventories ahead of peak summer oil demand in the Northern Hemisphere would present increasing risks for fuel security, market conditions, and broader economic resilience,” it added.

Prior to the conflict that began with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28, a fifth of the world’s oil supplies were shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, along with large supplies of other major commodities, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilizers.

Tehran blocked passage through the strait in response to the attacks, while Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The disruption has led to a substantial oil price spike, although major economies have helped hold down the price increases by releasing oil from strategic reserves.

Reports from within Iran have suggested that the Iranian authorities have not agreed to some elements of a deal with Washington mentioned by US President Donald Trump in a social media post.

Reuters cited an Iranian source as saying the memorandum of understanding did not contain anything related to Iran’s nuclear program, for example. The source also said the text had not been finalized.

The same was reported by the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), citing “informed sources” who described Trump’s post as a “mixture of truth and lies.”

It also noted that Trump’s remarks made no mention of certain issues that are important to Tehran, such as a $12-billion payment from frozen Iranian assets and “establishing a complete cease-fire in Lebanon.”