politics

Trump warns Iran of ‘hell’ if Hormuz deadline missed

President Donald Trump on Sunday, in a social media post laden with expletives, vowed to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges. He vowed the “crazy bastards” would be “living in Hell” if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened to all marine traffic by Tuesday, just hours after announcing the U.S. had rescued the final airman shot down in Iran last week.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Later on Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social the date “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” without further explanation. The White House on Sunday told MS NOW that the date is now the deadline for Iran to reach a deal with the U.S.

Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran’s critical infrastructure, vowing to send Iran back to the “stone age” if it does not meet the U.S. demands as the war entered its second month and the conflict in the Middle East showed no signs of slowing.

Destroying civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said the president’s comments were “embarrassing and juvenile,” and warned it could place future downed airmen at greater risk if they are captured in Iran.

“If you send the message that there’s no quarter for the folks on the other side, that really encourages them to mistreat our folks,” Kaine, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. “It’s people trying to act like they’re puffed up and tough, when what we really see from the administration in this war is the absence of a plan, the absence of a clear rationale, no effort to get allies on board.”

Iran, meanwhile, has shown no signs of backing down, striking economic and infrastructure targets in neighboring Gulf Arab countries.

On Sunday, Iran’s state TV aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of an American aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, along with a photo of thick, black smoke rising into the air. The broadcaster said Iran had shot down an American transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation.

However, a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission told The Associated Press that the U.S. military blew up two transport planes due to a technical malfunction, forcing it to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.

Iran’s military joint command on Sunday claimed that four U.S. aircraft were destroyed during the rescue operation and warned of stepping up retaliatory attacks on regional oil and civilian infrastructure if the U.S. and Israel attacked such targets in the Islamic Republic, according to state television.

“We once again repeat: if you commit aggression again and strike civilian facilities, our responses will be more forceful,” a spokesman said in comments run by IRNA news agency.

Countdown to Trump’s deadline

Meanwhile, the U.S. has been ramping up pressure on Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint linking Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which a large proportion of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass.

Trump said Saturday in a Truth Social post: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign [sic] down on them.”

Oman’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that it met with Iranian officials a day earlier to discuss “possible options for ensuring the smooth flow of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”

“During the meeting, experts from both sides presented a number of visions and proposals that will be studied,” the Omani statement on X read.

On March 26, Trump said he would extend a pause in attacking Iran’s energy facilities by 10 days to April 6 at the request of the government of the Islamic Republic.

In a televised address from the White House on Wednesday, Trump told Americans that he expects the Iran war to last another two to three weeks, but said the conflict was close to an end.

“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast,” he said.

The spot price for current physical cargoes of Brent crude oil soared Thursday to $141.36, the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, according to S&P Global, which tracks the data.

The spot price reflects demand for Brent oil to be delivered in the next 10 to 30 days. The high price of immediate oil deliveries points to current physical supply constraints due to the huge disruption triggered by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The price was $32.33 higher than the Brent crude futures contract for June delivery, which closed at $109.03 on Thursday.

Iran’s foreign minister, ⁠in principle, ‌left the door open for peace talks with the U.S. amid talks about mediation from Pakistan, but he gave no sign ⁠of Tehran’s willingness to bow to Trump’s demands.

“We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.

Pakistan told the Associated Press on Saturday that efforts to broker a ceasefire are “right on track.”

U.S. rescues last airman shot down by Iran

Trump said Sunday the U.S. has rescued a service member who went missing after Iran downed a fighter jet, while vowing to strike key infrastructure if Tehran doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday.

Trump confirmed that a U.S. airman who had gone missing after an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down in Iran has been rescued. The jet’s pilot had been rescued soon after the aircraft was downed.

“WE GOT HIM!” Trump said in a Truth Social post referring to the second officer.

“Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History,” Trump said.

The president later said the rescued airman, an officer, was “seriously wounded.”

“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “He is a highly respected Colonel.”

Trump said his administration did not initially confirm the rescue of the first crew member in order to avoid jeopardizing the operation.

The president also said he will speak about the military operation in Iran at a news conference at the Oval Office on Monday at 1 p.m. ET.

U.S. Central Command issued a brief statement, saying, “U.S. forces successfully completed the rescues of two American service members from Iran after their F-15E fighter jet was shot down April 2 during a combat mission. The service members were safely recovered during separate search and rescue missions.”

CENTCOM added that strikes into Iran would continue in an attempt to “dismantle the Iranian regime’s ability to project power beyond its borders.”

Tehran and Washington confirmed Saturday that Iran downed the two-seat F-15E jet. The incident marks the first time Iranian forces have successfully shot down a U.S. combat aircraft since the U.S. and Israel began their airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.

Separately, two U.S. officials said Saturday the pilot of a U.S. A-10 Warthog jet ejected from the aircraft that crashed in Kuwait after being hit by Iranian fire. The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post were the first to report that the A-10 had been shot down.

Petrochemical zone struck in Iran

However, Iran appeared to maintain its retaliatory attacks on neighbors in the Gulf region, and seemed to be targeting petrochemical facilities.

Abu Dhabi’s media office said in a post on X that authorities in the city responded to multiple fires at the Borouge petrochemical plant “caused by falling debris following successful interceptions by air defense systems.”

Operations at the plant have been suspended, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.

Borouge did not immediately respond to CNBC’s email on Sunday requesting confirmation.

The company operates a petrochemical complex in Al Ruwais Industrial City in the United Arab Emirates, according to its website.

Bahrain’s state news agency reported that the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) confirmed a “number of its operational units were subject to an attack by Iranian drones, in the early hours of Sunday morning.”

GPIC also did not immediately respond to CNBC’s emailed request for comment.

On Saturday, Iranian state media reported air strikes at a petrochemical zone in southwestern Iran, with at least five people injured.

A projectile also hit an auxiliary building near the perimeter of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant, the Tasnim news agency said, killing one person. The operations of the plant were unaffected.

Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom evacuated a further 198 of its staff from the site on Saturday, Russian news agencies reported, in evacuations already planned before the latest incident.

The Israeli military, meanwhile, said it had carried out “a wave of strikes” on ‌Tehran.

Iran attacks targets in three Gulf states

In Kuwait, Iranian drone attacks caused significant damage to power plants and a petrochemical plant. They also put a water desalination station out of service, according to the Ministry of Electricity. No injuries were reported, the ministry said.

In Bahrain, a drone attack caused a fire at one of the national oil company’s storage facilities and a state-run petrochemical plant, the kingdom’s official news agency said.

In the United Arab Emirates, authorities responded to fires at a petrochemical plant in Ruwais that they said were caused by intercepted debris, halting operations.

The strikes came a day after Israel struck a petrochemical plant in Iran that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said generated revenue that it had used to fund the war.

The petrochemical industry is a key sector in many Gulf states. Plants in Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Iran convert oil and gas into products like plastics, polymers and fertilizer, bringing in billions in export revenue.

Kuwait Petroleum reports damage after drone attacks

Iranian drone attacks hit ⁠various targets in Kuwait on Sunday, with the state energy company, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, reporting fires and “severe material damage” at some operating units. KPC said in a statement that teams were working ⁠to ‌contain the fires at affiliates Petrochemical ⁠Industries Company and National Petroleum Company.

In a separate incident, KPC earlier said a fire broke out in its Shuwaikh ‌oil sector complex, which houses the oil ministry and KPC headquarters, after a drone attack.

Kuwaiti state media, citing the finance ministry, said an Iranian drone hit an office complex for government ministries, causing ⁠significant material damage but no casualties.

Two power generation ‌units were also taken out ‌of service after Iranian drones targeted two power and water desalination plants, causing significant damage, Kuwait’s electricity ⁠and water ministry said.

No injuries were reported in any ⁠of the incidents.

The U.S.-Israeli ⁠war on Iran is in its sixth week, with Tehran striking Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting ‌U.S. military installations.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for attacks on petrochemical plants in Kuwait, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

CNBC

politics

Trump won’t rush Iran deal, US blockade stays until agreement signed

US President Donald Trump defended Iran negotiations Sunday, saying critics “don’t know deal details” and declaring: “I don’t make bad deals.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned a nuclear agreement cannot be achieved “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and Trump agree any final agreement must eliminate Iran’s “nuclear threat entirely.” Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem expressed hope for a deal that could include Lebanon, while Iranian media warned talks could still collapse. Follow our live coverage for the latest updates.

01:21 AM, 25 May 2026

Relationship with Iran ‘more professional, productive’ — Trump

US President Donald J. Trump defended ongoing negotiations with Iran, calling it more professional and productive — sharply contrasting them with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama.

He also insisted the current talks are proceeding deliberately with the US maintaining leverage through a naval blockade.

11:10 PM, 24 May 2026

Rubio accuses Hezbollah of trying to ‘drag Lebanon back into chaos’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Hezbollah in a statement Sunday of trying to plunge Lebanon “back into chaos.”

Rubio denounced what he called Hezbollah’s “reckless call to overthrow Lebanon’s democratically elected government” and said the pro-Iran armed group was “actively trying to drag Lebanon back into chaos and destruction.”

10:40 PM, 24 May 2026

Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill 2 including paramedic

Lebanon’s health ministry said two people including a paramedic from the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee were killed Sunday in Israeli strikes on the south that also wounded six other rescuers.

“Successive Israeli enemy strikes on the town of Arab Salim in the Nabatieh district killed two people including a paramedic from the Health Committee and wounded 10, including two Committee paramedics and four others from the Risala association,” a ministry statement said, condemning an “ongoing series of attacks on the health and emergency sector in south Lebanon”.

The Risala Scouts association rescuers are affiliated with the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement.

10:30 PM, 24 May 2026

Trump defends Iran talks, says critics ‘don’t know deal details’

US President Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social that any potential deal with Iran would be ‘good and proper,’ contrasting it with what he described as the Obama-era agreement, which he said gave Iran ‘massive amounts of cash’ and a ‘clear and open path to a Nuclear Weapon.’

Trump said the current negotiations are ‘the exact opposite,’ adding that the agreement is not yet fully negotiated and warning critics not to speculate on details that have not been finalised.

He also said past leaders “should have solved this problem many years ago,” adding: ‘I don’t make bad deals.’

10:15 PM, 24 May 2026

Iran nuclear deal can’t be done ‘in 72 hours,’ Rubio tells NYT

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told The New York Times on Sunday that an agreement with Iran had garnered regional support but a nuclear deal couldn’t be achieved “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin.”

His comments came after US President Donald Trump told his negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran to end the three-month war.

“So right now, we have seven or eight countries in the region that are endorsing this approach, and we’re prepared to move forward on this approach,” he said.

09:15 PM, 24 May 2026

US media reports no US-Iran agreement expected today

CNN is reporting that no US–Iran deal is expected to be signed today, citing a senior administration official who said key details of a potential deal are still being negotiated.

Another official told the network that Iran has committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and disposing of its stockpile of enriched uranium, although final terms have yet to be confirmed.

09:01 PM, 24 May 2026

Hezbollah chief says hopes for Iran-US deal and that it includes Lebanon

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem expressed hope on Sunday for an agreement between his group’s backer Iran and the United States and that Lebanon would be part of its terms.

“God willing, this agreement will be finalised and there are signs of its completion, and accordingly that we too will be among those included in this agreement – an agreement of a full cessation of hostilities,” he said in a televised address.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that “a memorandum of understanding (MOU) would first be announced, stressing an end to fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against threats, including from Hezbollah.

08:52 PM, 24 May 2026

Hezbollah chief urges Lebanon govt to abandon direct talks with Israel

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Sunday again urged Lebanese authorities to abandon direct talks with Israel, ahead of a fourth round of such discussions in Washington early next month.

“Direct negotiations are completely unacceptable and are a pure gain for Israel,” he said. Addressing Lebanese authorities, he added: “Abandon the direct negotiations and do not give to America so that it gives to Israel… don’t be with them and stab us in the back.”

10:02 PM, 24 May 2026

US-Iran deal could still collapse amid ‘obstruction’ claims

The United States is obstructing certain clauses of a potential agreement, including provisions related to the release of Iran’s frozen assets according to Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim.

The report said this means there is still a possibility the agreement could be “cancelled,” as negotiations remain ongoing and key issues remain unresolved.

08:19 PM, 24 May 2026

Hezbollah chief says group’s disarmament unacceptable

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Sunday that his group’s disarmament was unacceptable and amounted to “annihilation”, as Lebanon prepares for a new round of direct talks with Israel in Washington early next month.

“Disarmament means stripping Lebanon of its defensive capability and the capability of the resistance (Hezbollah) and this people, paving the way for annihilation,” he said in a televised address, adding: “Disarmament is annihilation and we cannot accept it.”

A state monopoly on weapons demanded by Lebanese authorities “at this stage is aimed at targeting the resistance and is an Israeli project”, he added.

07:42 PM, 24 May 2026

Netanyahu says Trump agrees Israel has right to defence

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump had reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including from Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“President Trump reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself against threats on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said in a statement following a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night.

07:28 PM, 24 May 2026

Oman, Iran discuss navigation security and US-Iran talks

Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi has received a verbal message from Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyed Abbas Araghchi during a meeting with visiting Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi and a diplomatic delegation in Muscat.

According to details, the message was delivered within the framework of ongoing consultations between the two neighbouring countries and focused on developments in Iranian-US talks mediated by Pakistan, as well as efforts to support their success.

The Foreign Minister receives a verbal message from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The message, delivered by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran for Legal and International Affairs, touched upon the ongoing Iranian-US talks mediated by Pakistan… pic.twitter.com/dmhqagEUq9

— Oman News Agency (@ONA_eng) May 24, 2026

Discussions also covered the resumption of safe and sustainable freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides stressing the importance of strengthening maritime security and protecting trade and supply chains in line with international law.

07:25 PM, 24 May 2026

Israel PM says he and Trump agreed any final Iran deal must end ‘nuclear threat entirely’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he and US President Donald Trump had agreed that any final deal with Iran must fully end the Islamic republic’s “nuclear threat”.

“President Trump and I agreed that any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear threat entirely. This means dismantling Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities and removing enriched nuclear material from its territory,” Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to a conversation between the two leaders on Saturday night.

I spoke last night with President @realDonaldTrump about the memorandum of understanding to reopen the Straits of Hormuz and the upcoming negotiations toward a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

06:35 PM, 24 May 2026

Trump says US will not ‘rush into a deal’ with Iran

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he had told US negotiators “not to rush into a deal” with Iran, amid anticipation that an agreement to end the war in the Middle East was close.

“The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner, and I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal in that time is on our side,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

“The Blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

politics

Iran ‘blinking’ over Strait of Hormuz tensions

Iran appears to be in the process of “blinking” over the Strait of Hormuz, according to ex-CIA director David Petraeus.

Speaking to CNBC’s Lisa Kim at the UBS Asian Investment Conference, Petraeus, chairman of the KKR Global Institute, said that an initial successful peace deal with Tehran would see the Strait opened without any conditions.

Iran also must not be able to control traffic, charge tolls through it, or make threats of future closure, and “it appears that that may be in the offing,” he added.

This comes come after U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that talks to end the war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding, but urged his negotiating team not to rush into a deal.

Peace talks face a key hurdle in Tehran’s insistence on keeping an enriched uranium stockpile within the country and levying tolls for passage via the Strait.

Petraeus, a retired U.S. general who had combat commands in both Iraq and Afghanistan, said if Iran is allowed to have some control over the critical waterway, Iran may be “strategically strengthened” despite being militarily weakened from U.S. and Israeli strikes.

“Their whole navy is largely sunk, except for fast boats, their missile capacity has been substantially reduced, headquarters, military facilities, no air force, and so forth,” he said.

However, Iran still could threaten to shut the Strait by either mining the waterway or by using drones, missiles and fast boats to hit commercial shipping, and they can prevent the strait from being restored to its pre-war state.

While the Strait is an important part of the deal in the region, Petraeus said that other issues need to be dealt with as well, including Tehran’s nuclear program and its funding for proxy groups like Hezbollah.

“They should be addressed, but it’s not at all clear to me that that’s going to be in the near future,” he said.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly said in New Delhi that a deal could happen today, according to France 24.

A Reuters report also said that Rubio told reporters that the U.S. ⁠will give diplomacy every chance to succeed before exploring “alternatives.”

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world

Saudi Arabia launches Red Sea shipping route

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has launched a new cargo shipping service linking Jeddah Islamic Port with Salalah in Oman and the Port of Djibouti, as the Kingdom accelerates efforts to strengthen maritime connectivity and position itself as a regional logistics hub.

According to Saudi state television, the service has a carrying capacity of up to 1,730 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and is aimed at supporting the kingdom’s import and export activity while expanding links with regional and international ports.

The move forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader logistics strategy under Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify economy and strengthen the kingdom’s role in global trade routes connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Mawani recently launched the “Red Sea Express” cargo shipping service through King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, linking Saudi Arabia with Ain Sokhna in Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan to improve regional trade and supply-chain efficiency.

The Kingdom has invested heavily in ports, shipping infrastructure and logistics corridors in recent years as GCC countries compete to become major transport and trade hubs.