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The US/Israel/Iran recap for May 16 includes news from the Strait of Hormuz including parliament’s new control structure, more countries approaching Iran to pass through the Strait, including from Europe, as various leaders exchanged calls, Kazakhstan sent trucks of aid to Iran, and much more.
Strait of Hormuz News:
⚡️ President Trump’s plan for insuring ships in the Strait of Hormuz didn’t generate one dollar of coverage after two months, the Financial Times reported, stating that the $40 billion plan by the US president received no reception due to the lack of military escorts in the vital waterway.
⚡️ Iran is looking to push a post-war strategy through an insurance plan designed to generate more than $10 billion in revenue for the country, instead of tariffs to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
🔹 According to Fars News, Iran’s Ministry of Economy is planning to ‘make the management of the Strait of Hormuz possible through insurance, so that it will be accepted by countries in non-war conditions and will also enable the management of the strait,’ allowing Iran to monitor global shipping by having informational superiority and to distinguish between the passage of ships from different countries.
🔹 Various marine insurance policies and certificates of financial liability policies can be issued when the Strait of Hormuz is ensured, Fars noted, adding that the plan should begin with insurance covering inspection, seizure, and confiscation, which does not cover damage from weapon strikes, accepting low risk, and would generate over $10 billion in revenue for the economy.
🔹 Iranian officials have already declared that the ‘security of the Strait of Hormuz is in the hands of the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces,’ signalling that control of the strategic waterway is not negotiable following the war.
🔹 Fars stated that trade expert Mehdi Mohammadi from the Resistance Economy Think Tank claimed the idea of managing the Strait of Hormuz through the ministry’s insurance plan isn’t a perfect one, because the global maritime insurance market is monopolised, in a market where Iran also lacks standing, adding that a vessel with Iranian insurance may be at risk of non-acceptance at ports.
🔹 However, Taha Hussain Madani, founder of the Smart Governance Think Tank, argued that the insurance plan can be provided on a reinsurance basis through Russian and Chinese companies, and ships could also obtain it as an endorsement in addition to their basic coverage.
⚡️ Chairman of the National Security of the Iranian Parliament Ebrahim Azizi said on Saturday that only ships cooperating with Iran had the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
🔹 Iran, within the framework of national sovereignty and ensuring the security of international trade, has prepared a professional mechanism for managing the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route to be unveiled soon.
🔹 Azizi said that in this process, only commercial ships and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit, and the necessary rights in exchange for the specialised services provided will be obtained for Iran through this mechanism, allowing Iran to keep the route closed for agents of the ‘so-called Freedom Project.’
⚡️ US Central Command said that as of Saturday, 78 commercial ships had been redirected and 4 had been disabled to ensure compliance, as the US Navy continue to enforce the blockade against Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.
⚡️ Iranian state television and Al Mayadeen reported that a foreign tanker was seized in the Strait of Hormuz carrying 450,000 barrels of oil, after it violated Iranian economic regulations and disrupted the country’s economic order.
🔹 According to the reports, the vessel had attempted to evade detection by altering its visual markings and concealing its true name, but thanks to the level of monitoring taking place, the vessel was noticed, captured, and the outlet confirmed all the smuggled oil cargo had been recovered.
News from the USA:
⚡️ President Trump’s head is exploding, and we’re all paying the price, reported the Daily Beast, claiming the president’s cognitive decline was happening before everyone’s eyes, ‘and a group of senior doctors argue that the only solution is his removal.’
🔹 Trump’s recent behaviours allegedly indicated his inability to manage national and international crises, the report continued, claiming that doctors warned the president’s impulsive and illogical decisions in the current conditions endanger national security and global stability.
🔹 Silence in the face of the situation is lo longer acceptable, they concluded, adding that necessary legal actions must be taken to assess Trump’s fitness to continue as the President in the White House.
⚡️ American narratives of a decisive victory over the Iranian missile program doesn’t align with reports of the reconstruction of Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, according to French outlet LeMonde.
🔹 US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s missile facilities caused damage, but didn’t destroy the missile program, meaning Iran was able to use domestic production networks and underground facilities to rebuild a significant part of their arsenal while resuming missile production.
🔹 Estimates indicated that Iran’s missile deterrence capability remained intact and claims of the complete destruction of these sites were completely exaggerated, adding that the speed of reconstruction also showed that in new wars, industrial capability and the capability to quickly replace equipment may play a decisive role.
⚡️ USS Gerard R Ford arrived at her base of Norfolk on Saturday morning marking the end of an 11-month deployment, which started last year on a deployment to Europe, then later called in the Southcom sea before heading to the Centcom area of responsibility.
🔹 During this time, the Ford crossed Gibraltar six times, Suez 4 times, and took part in two wars, but when arriving back the flight deck was empty, meaning the air wing had already joined a nearby base.
⚡️ Weeks before praising Palantir and its ticker on Truth Social in April during a tech selloff, Trump made at least seven purchases throughout March in Palantir stock worth as much as $530,000, according to CNBC.
🔹 Records released by the US Office of Government Ethics showed President Trump had bought between roughly $247,000 and $630,000 worth of stock in early 2026, before he praised them on social media, and the filings also show that Trump sold up to $5 million in Palantir shares in February to make major investments in Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Oracle.
⚡️ US schools haven’t escaped the crisis in the Middle East, as Reuters reported school administrators from Washington State to Texas had been forced to turn to emergency budgets to keep school bus fleets running, while in remote areas of Alaska, local officials are also striving to secure enough fuel to keep schools and generators operational.
⚡️ President Trump returned from China without a breakthrough on Iran and is becoming increasingly frustrated with the stalled negotiations, according to CNN, claiming several administration officials said they wanted to first assess the outcome of Trump’s talks with Xi Jinping before deciding on the next steps with Iran.
🔹 Although Trump continues to say he prefers a diplomatic solution, CNN reports that the President is now weighing whether additional military strikes may be needed to pressure Iran into a deal.
⚡️ President Trump’s first night back from China was marked with multiple images and videos to Truth Social, including one showing a destroyer firing at a drone with Trump in the corner saying: “Alright, we have it in our sights… Fire…!” while another shared by the White House showed Trump in the war room the caption “No Joke.”
⚡️ President Trump’s policy of using pressure to get his way worked well against other countries in 2025, but hit a brick wall when it came to Iran, Reuters said, stating that after returning to power, Trump was able to gain concessions on various issues, form tariffs to armed conflicts, with a noisy and aggressive style, but the same pressure-based tactic, accompanied by threats and public insults, reached a dead end where Iran are concerned.
News from Iran:
⚡️ Iran have significantly expanded its military planning scope since the outbreak of the war, a well-informed Iranian military source told Nour News, warning: “In the event of a war, the targets that were previously immune will be in range this time.”
🔹 The remarks came amid escalating threatening rhetoric overnight from US President Trump’s referencing to a a return to conflict against Iran, which Iranian officials said had triggered the activation of a ‘comprehensive plan for immediate counteraction’ across all operational fronts.
🔹 According to the source, the directive ensured that ‘any US adventure would be met with heavy, multi-layered fire,’ with consequences that exceed previous calculations and extend across multiple regional interests and infrastructure nodes.
🔹 The official further warned the ‘slightest error or hostile action by the United States will be met with heavy, simultaneous fire against a diverse range of the country’s interests and infrastructure in the region,’ adding that targets previously unstruck due to certain considerations have ‘been placed at the top of the operational priority list.’
🔹 Nour were also told by the official that the updated strategy incorporated a ‘temporal’ operational approach, factoring in seasonal vulnerabilities, logistical and energy pressures, along with regional constraints and transregional US weaknesses, adding that Iran would move away from earlier restraint toward a doctrine of ‘maximum reciprocal pressure’ at a level beyond those seen previously.
⚡️ Damage was caused to 60 historical sites in Tehran, according to Alavi, a member of the Tehran City Council, who stated that 60 sites were damaged, and another 10 were completely destroyed, but with the cooperation of district municipalities, Tehran Province Cultural Heritage, and the private sector, the destroyed sites are being rebuilt on the same site.
⚡️ Iranian Minister of Health Reza Zafarghandi admitted that medicine was an issue that had to be considered economically and in matters that sometimes lie outside the pharmaceutical domain, such as if the country’s petrochemical industry is damaged, it would lead to part of the country’s pharmaceutical needs facing shortages.
🔹 To keep factories running and able to continue drug production in the country, Iran must compensate for the increased cost, he said, stating that for this, it was necessary to strengthen insurance so that the burden of the price changes don’t fall on the Iranian people, and were moving towards reforming the drug supply process to reduce shortages.
⚡️ Iran poses a challenge to the US-led global order that goes beyond military weapons, rooted in alternative governance models and economic resistance, according to a report by Al Mayadeen.
🔹 The report stated that the West’s focus on Iran’s nuclear program was a cover to counter the country’s growing power in the scientific, industrial, and regional influence that challenges traditional hegemonic foundations.
🔹 Iran has proven that technological progress and strategic stability could be achieved without succumbing to US pressures, by relying on domestic capacities and creating cooperation networks independent of Western-controlled financial institutions, the report concluded.
⚡️ Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi travelled to Tehran to hold discussions with Iranian Interior Minister Eskander Momeni on an unannounced trip.
🔹 Momeni said that during the meeting, Iran stated they had always been a supporter of peace and deeply appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in this regard with great respect and admiration, while describing Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir’s efforts to resolve the ongoing dispute as sincere and committed, adding that Iran appreciated Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace and stability.
🔹 The Interior Minister of Iran also said that talks focussed on not only developing political relations, but also expanding on commercial and security cooperation, as well as facilitating with border trade processes, adding that the necessary facilities must be established on both sides of the border to further strengthen the unity, while Naqvi said he hoped the path taken will soon reach tangible solutions in the areas of expanding economic and commercial cooperation.
⚡️ Work has resumed on the second unit of Bushehr power plant, reported the CEO of Rosatom, announcing that concrete pouring and rebar work had begun at the nuclear power plant, which was targeted several times during the war, but the reactor wasn’t damaged, and the CEO added that a plan is in place to eventually return Russian personnel to the plant.
⚡️ Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the world stood at the cusp of a new order: “The future belongs to the Global South,” he said.
⚡️ Advisor and aide to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Mohammad Mokhber, expressed Iran’s disapproval of Gulf countries aligning with the US and Israeli sides during the war on the country.
🔹 Mokhber said that for years, Iran looked upon neighbouring countries as friends and brothers, but by ‘selling their independence in advance, they handed over even their land and homes to the enemies of Palestine and Iran.’
🔹 The aid added in his X post that ‘The Islamic Republic’s response to CENTCOM’s rented strongholds was not all out in the recent war,’ while warning that ‘this restraint is certainly not permanent.’
⚡️ Secretary-General of FIFA Matthias Grafström said on Saturday he’d held a constructive and positive meeting with Head of the Iran Football Federation Mehdi Taj, and expressed confidence that Iran will participate in this year’s World Cup.
⚡️ Kazakhstan sent 30 wagons of humanitarian aid to Iran, which was delivered on May 16 by the Kazakhstan International Development Agency (KazAID) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Situations, and the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan.
🔹 According to the report by IRIB News, the shipment included canned meat, sugar, first-grade flour, medical equipment and medicines, sent with the aim of supporting the people of Iran and helping to meet social needs.
News from the Middle East:
⚡️ Egyptian farmers have been hit by price increases due to the war, including the sudden rise in fuel and agricultural costs, jeopardising the livelihoods of millions in the most populous Arab country, reported Al-Monitor.
🔹 Disruptions in key shipping routes and global energy markets have caused the prices of fertilizer and diesel for irrigation pumps to reach unprecedented levels, so many small-scale farmers have had to choose between reducing their cultivated land, or bearing heavy debts, while the ‘prices in domestic markets don’t match the purchasing power of the people.’
⚡️ Iraq shipped 10 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in April, down from almost 93 million barrels per day it exported prior to the war, newly appointed Oil Minister Basim Mohammad said during a press conference on Saturday.
🔹 ‘Exports through the Strait of Hormuz are low and depend on the arrival of oil tankers, which are not entering because of insurance,” he said, despite Iraq producing around 1.4 million barrels of oil per day still.
🔹 Current exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline have helped relieve the pressure after they resumed in March, following an agreement between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government, with Mohammad confirming: “We export 200,000 barrels through Ceyhan port, and we have a plan to increase it to 500,000 barrels.”
⚡️ Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaydi issued his first public speech since officially taking office as Prime Minister on Saturday, in which he stressed importance of strengthening Iraq’s Arab, regional and international relations based on the principles of mutual respect, considering this approach part of the new government’s vision to restore Iraq’s position in regional and international equations.
⚡️ Israel appear to have undone all the hard work building up an alliance with the UAE, following the leak about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to the country by senior Israeli officials, which Abu Dhabi officials consider a serious breach of diplomatic protocols and mutual trust, reported i24News.
🔹 The incident has caused the UAE leadership to strongly doubt the confidentiality of high-level meetings with the Israeli side, believing such behaviour from Netanyahu’s office was driven more by domestic political goals in Israel than by advancing shared strategic interests.
⚡️ An unknown drone crashed in the Samsun province of northern Turkey (near the Black Sea), causing panic among local residents, while damaging two buildings in the Ikadim district of Samsun.
🔹 The origin of the drone and the type haven’t yet been determined, but security forces and police have recovered the debris and are currently investigating the incident.
⚡️ Despite Saudi Arabi’s strategic relations with Washington, Riyadh are becoming increasingly concerned about the Persian Gulf region becoming a war zone, mainly because the past attacks on the country’s oil facilities were an issue for the Saudi officials, so they simultaneously tried to maintain communication and diplomatic channels with Tehran.
🔹 Saudi Arabia’s current priority is maintaining internal stability and advancing economic and investment projects within the framework of ‘Vision 2030,’ and analysts believe Riyadh didn’t want regional tensions to disrupt the country’s economic development.
⚡️ Saudi Arabia’s oil production has fallen to its lowest level since 1990 due to the disruption in the Hormuz Strait, according to the Middle East Monitor, with industrial sources confirming Riyadh had been forced to severely limit its output following the escalation of military conflicts which halted the movement of tankers.
🔹 Officials have expressed concern that the continuation of the situation not only threatens the Kingdom’s revenues but will also seriously disrupt the stability of the global supply chain, as they consider other routes, including the Red Sea pipeline, however, experts warned these measures will not sufficiently compensate for the halt in exports through the Persian Gulf.
⚡️ US officials in President Trump’s administration are reportedly encouraging the UAE to take a more active role in the war with Iran, including seizing Iran’s Lavan Island in the Gulf, The Telegraph reported.
🔹 The report suggested some figures in Trump’s circle suggested the island should be taken by UAE boots on the ground instead of the US, according to a former senior Trump security official.
🔹 Lavan Island was allegedly targeted in covert Emirati strikes earlier this year amid deepening UAE-Israel cooperation during the conflict.
⚡️ UAE’s Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei said on Saturday that the UAE’s decision to leave OPEC and OPEC+ stemmed from a long-term economic vision, the development of energy sector capabilities, and Abu Dhabi’s sustainable commitment to global energy security, despite the fact that OPEC holds almost 80% of the world’s oil reserves and accounts for 38% of global crude production, accounting for more than 50% of global oil exports.
⚡️ Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held a phone conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, exchanging views regarding bilateral relations and cooperation, ways to strengthen them, as well as the latest regional developments, including those related to the ceasefire, and efforts to reduce tensions in order to enhance security and stability in the region.
News from Europe:
⚡️ The Netherlands have authorised a €13.5 million compensation package for fishermen affected by fuel price increases caused by the war, reported the Dutch Minister of Agriculture Silvio Erkens.
⚡️ Europe have entered negotiations with the IRGC Navy following the passage of East Asian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, reported Al Mayadeen.
🔹 According to the report, sailors aboard a European ship described the Navy’s respect for and adherence to maritime navigation laws as excellent, adding that it had been informed of the current coordination with the IRGC’s Navy to ensure protection.
🔹 IRGC’s Navy affirmed it was capable of meeting the requests of all ships wishing to pass through the Strait, further reporting that surveillance operations were described as ‘ongoing, sophisticated, and conducted through continuous patrols,’ confirming Iran’s presence in the Strait, as vessels enter from the south of Hormuz Island and exit at the south of Larak Island.
⚡️ Britain have deployed its new low cost APKWS anti-drone missile system on RAF Typhoon fighter jets in the Middle East to help defend British forces and Gulf allies from drone attacks.
🔹 UK officials said the system was tested and deployed in under two months, and it is designed to counter drones at a fraction of the cost of the more traditional air-to-air missiles.
⚡️ Spain’s government have taken actions to adopt a set of economic, supportive, and political measures, which includes the release of 11.5 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves, the approval of a five billion euro support package, the establishment of a crisis monitoring system, along with the creation of an emergency fund for Tenerife, following concerns about energy security in Europe as a result of the war.
News from Russia/Asia:
⚡️ Asian countries have been forced to turn to coal due to the war, Reuters reported, stating major energy-consuming countries have turned to more polluting fuels to compensate for the natural gas shortage caused by the war in Iran.
🔹 Due to the disruptions in main energy transit routes and a significant decrease in liquified gas exports from the Middle East, power plants in countries like Japan and South Korea have begun to maximise the use of their coal reserves.
⚡️ Russia’s permanent representative to international organisations based in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, confirmed China’s position on the anti-Iranian resolution proposed by Bahrain and the US regarding the Strait of Hormuz in a message on X, saying “Russia shares the same view.”
🔹 China’s representative to the UN criticised the draft resolution proposed by the US and Bahrain on Friday, stating that its content and timing were inappropriate and that its adoption would not be helpful.
⚡️ Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with the President of the UAE to emphasise the importance of a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in the Middle East, IRNA reported.
⚡️ Malaysia’s economic analysts have warned that the tensions in the Middle East will have widespread consequences, including rising oil prices, the fall in the ringgit’s value, and pressure on the country’s manufacturing and export sectors, believing Malaysia’s economy is vulnerable to shocks caused by disruptions in the energy market.
⚡️ Russia’s sanctions relief on oil has not been extended, according to Reuters, who noted on Saturday the exemption had been extended previously by one month to reduce the shortage of oil supply and high prices caused by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the length of time it would take for empty tankers to reach US mainland to load cargo.
Other News:
⚡️ Disruptions in the global supply chain of chips could cause a halt in the production of smartphones, as the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz begins to affect the technology industry, causing severe issues with the in the transportation of raw materials essential for semiconductor production.
🔹 Manufacturers are currently seeking alternative air routes, but the limited number of deliveries is insufficient to meet market demand, leading to longer delivery times for electronic equipment and increased prices in global markets, as tech giants warn if the situation continues more than a few weeks, smartphone and electric vehicle production lines worldwide could face intermittent shutdowns.
