AJ
The US/Israel/Iran recap for May 31 includes the latest news on US-Iran’s ‘fourth love-tap’ of the ceasefire, negotiation updates, words from various ministers, along with a look at what the media said, and other news from around the Middle East.
Negotiation News:
⚡️ President Trump told Fox News in an interview that there are only two expectations from the current negotiations with Iran, with number one being the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, immediately and free with no tolls, while second, Iran must have no nuclear weapon: “That’s it, the matter is very simple – we will leave when we have achieved that,” he said.
⚡️ Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks and exchanges of messages were still ongoing, but no specific result had been reached, dismissing reports as speculation and said they should not be given weight until certainty was achieved.
🔹 Araghchi said: “Talks and, as you said, the exchange of messages are ongoing, so until a specific result is reached, it cannot be judged,” adding: “Everything being said right now is just speculation taking place, and in my opinion, none of it should be given any weight until it reaches certainty.”
⚡️ President Trump wrote on Truth Social to dispute CNN’s claims that Trump’s Iran Nuclear Deal doesn’t talk about nuclear, when it states, very clearly, that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.
🔹 Trump said: “It then goes on, in very strong and lengthy detail, to discuss various other aspects of nuclear,” adding that in fact, that’s what most of the agreement is about: “CNN, and so many others in the Fake News media, is a low ratings disaster – even with new ownership, it is unlikely to ever get better!”
⚡️ President Trump’s second Truth Social in relation to Iran said that Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the USA as well as those who stand by them, before attacking the Democratic party again in a rant.
⚡️ Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei addressed speculation about the negotiations at Monday’s press conference: “We knew from the beginning and still know that we are negotiating under conditions of distrust, and the negotiation started and continues amid suspicion.”
🔹 Baghaei said: “Diplomacy is not a substitute for power, and negotiation itself is not a sign of distrust between the two sides,” adding that when the opposition speaks contradictorily and sends conflicting media messages, it prolongs the negotiation process.
🔹 The FM noted: “The main factor preventing an agreement in the region is the Zionist regime and its attacks on Lebanon, aimed to prevent the improvement of the regional situation,” adding that the US was also responsible, “and every action by the Zionist regime in the region is backed by the US that supports it.”
🔹 Baghaei also said that no negotiations had taken place on nuclear issues, and the focus at this stage was ending the war: “Basically, one of the problems with negotiating with the US ruling team is the frequent changes in positions and contradictory stances,” he said.
🔹 Speaking of Iran’s frozen assets, Baghaei said that Iran wants to recover its own assets: “American officials claim they have given billions of dollars to Iran, but these statements are false, what we received under the JCPOA were blocked funds belonging to the Iranian people – no other party has given money to Iran, we have only claimed our rights.”
🔹 Baghaei continued, saying that Iran are not seeking concessions now: “We want to recover the violated rights of the Iranian nation,” he said: “Including the assets frozen in foreign banks – this is a definite demand.”
What the media said:
⚡️ Tasnim News Agency reported on Sunday afternoon that the exchange of messages continued between Iran and the USA to reach a possible draft agreement, but both sides were proposing alternate amendments, so no final agreement has been adopted so far.
⚡️ President Trump requested changes to a proposed agreement with Iran despite negotiators from both sides nearing a deal, CNN reported, stating Trump was seeking stronger provisions regarding nuclear materials and enrichment activities before approving the agreement.
🔹 The requested revisions triggered another round of discussions between negotiators, and developments came as Washington and Tehran continued talks aimed at extending the current ceasefire and advancing a broader agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, and regional security issues.
⚡️ Israeli newspaper Maariv said that the United States were to blame for the defeat in the war against Iran, claiming the failure was caused because the US didn’t allow all the stages of the ‘military plan’ to be implemented.
⚡️ Tehran informed Pakistani and Qatari mediators that including Lebanon in the ceasefire agreement isn’t a bargaining chip, but a condition alongside lifting the siege on Iranian ports and the withdrawal of American forces, diplomatic sources told Al-Akhbar.
Hormuz News:
⚡️ Collecting ‘environmental tolls’ from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has a legal basis in the law of the sea under international law, according to a statement by the Head of the International Centre of the Environmental Protection Organisation, stating the fees can be used to compensate for damages caused to the environment in the Persian Gulf.
🔹 Oil pollution, activities of foreign military fleets, and damage to the sensitive ecosystems of the Persian Gulf and regional islands doubled the necessity to secure resources for environmental restoration, Fars News Agency reported.
🔹 Under the current ‘innocent passage’ terms, neighbouring countries of the Strait can charge fees and tolls for maritime services, along with compensation for damages resulting from violations of regulations, and the law has precedent in international law.
🔹 Fars said claiming that the collections of environmental tolls from passing ships was illegal had no legal basis, and the action could be carried out within the framework of recognised international rules.
⚡️ IRGC Navy published a statement on Sunday saying 28 vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the previous 24 hours, which included container ships and oil tankers, along with other commercial vehicles, who were guided and secured by the IRGC Navy.
🔹 The statement added that the Persian Gulf is a waterway that belongs to the Muslim countries of the region, and the aggression and mischief of ‘the American terrorist army’ is the main reason for insecurity in the current days, but smart control of the Strait is continuously carried out with firmness and authority.
⚡️ US Central Command published a statement on Sunday to say that another two vessels had been redirected in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 118 since the blockade commenced on April 13, with another 5 disabled due to lack of compliance.
⚡️ US Naval forces have been assisting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz amid the heightened tensions, according to a report by the NYT, claiming commercial vessels were operating in ‘dark mode’ (transponders off) while US-guided routing systems steered traffic away from the Iranian coastlines towards safer corridors closer to Oman.
🔹 According to the report, the coordination has been described as operational rather than escort-based, with no visible Naval convoys, instead relying on route planning, timing, guidance, and indirect air/naval monitoring.
🔹 Officials cited in the report said Washington had avoided confirming the events publicly to reduce the risk of targeting by the IRGC Navy, while assessing that threats to navigation remained serious, but partially manageable, if ships were to avoid the designated high-risk zones, but despite mitigating measures, officials acknowledged that vessels were still exposed to potential attacks.
⚡️ US Centcom published a statement on Sunday night saying that defensive strikes were carried out on radars and command and control sites for drones in Goruk and Qeshm, Iran, which didn’t constitute an alleged violation of ceasefires, because it was the US Navy conducting the strikes.
⚡️ Tasnim News confirmed a telecommunications tower in Sirik Island had been targeted by the US strikes, and the launches against Kuwait were a direct reprisal of that strike, adding that the IRGC claimed all targets were destroyed, and warned that another attack would have a measured and more aggressive response.
⚡️ Any miscalculation by ‘enemy’ forces will receive a response more forceful than before, Deputy Iranian Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told Mehr News Agency, adding that the armed forces were equipped with the most advanced defence systems, and stood firmly against any hostile move.
⚡️ Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed reports that Qatar stood against imposing a permanent toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but was ready to negotiate a temporary one, confirming reports from yesterday’s AJ News Recap.
🔹 “For certain times that they [Iranian authorities] say they will use it [the toll] for mine-clearing or some usage of the fees for a temporary time, this is something negotiable,” he told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
🔹 A temporary fee could help normalise transit, but it should not become a precedent affecting other Straits, he added, stating Iran has said it will charge fees for specialised services in the strait, which carries around 19% of the global LNG trade.
⚡️ Deputy for Legal and International Affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said stopping vessels behind the Strait of Hormuz incurred storage and delay costs, along with war insurance premiums which had increased by up to 500%.
🔹 Cooperation with Iran’s regulations cost less than war insurance and eliminates the risks of stopping, inspections, or seizures, because Iran’s goal is not to detain ships, but to declare a procedure consistent with international law, Gharibabadi said, adding that the arrangements are not temporary, and Iran will not back down.
USA News:
⚡️ Iranian hackers gained access to the Instagram account of Chief Master Sergeant John F Bentivegna, the senior enlisted leader of the US Space Force, posting images of Imam Ali and an edit of the late Ali Larijani.
🔹 Hackers also hacked the officials White House Instagram account of the Obama administration, posting an image of Imam Ali alongside the message: “There is no White House here, only Shia House.”
Iran News:
⚡️ Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf responded to the message issued by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, saying: “The Leader’s message is the guiding light for the future and the roadmap for the parliament.”
🔹 Ghalibaf went on to say that everyone will strive to ensure that the parliament’s actions have a ‘direct and visible’ relationship with the main issues of the country and the people, focusing on ‘creating hope, and building the future,’ by outlining a stable path for the economy and livelihoods of the Iranian people.
⚡️ Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the circumstances Iran are facing are unusual and uneasy, and managing them required dialogue, making careful and responsible decisions.
🔹 Pezeshkian said: “The continuation of external restrictions and pressures on access to our economic resources have created complications in the management of the country – some of our economic problems stem from external restrictions, while others are due to pressures arising from current circumstances,” adding it was necessary to be honest with people about the facts to they can play their role in confronting the challenges.
⚡️ Tasnim News Agency spoke with an informed government source who dismissed rumours circulated by Iran International that President Masoud Pezeshkian submitted a resignation letter to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, while calling the outlet a ‘factory of fabrications’ associated with Mossad.
🔹 According to the source, the president hasn’t resigned: “He worked today and his future plans will proceed as usual,” the source said, adding that the rumours were aimed to gather intelligence for Mossad and the CIA, or to create division and break the social cohesion in Iran.
🔹 Iran International had previously claimed that President Pezeshkian warned in a letter the structure of the government had deviated from official paths and that key parts of the administration were under the control of a certain spectrum.
⚡️ Dismissing the reports of his resignation publicly, President Masoud Pezeshkian said he would continue to work for as long as he had breath in his body, even if it led to ‘martyrdom,’ when speaking at a cabinet meeting.
🔹 Pezeshkian said: “We are prepared for any hardship, we are ready to sacrifice our lives for this revolution and the people of our country,” adding that there are only two outcomes: “Either one continues managing things with power, or one becomes a martyr, which is a supreme triumph for us.”
🔹 The President also called on the state media to provide accurate analysis of the domestic situation, and urged the public to cooperate in managing energy consumption.
⚡️ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News it was a mistake for Iran to attack their GCC neighbours, because the US had many very good allies who were probably not as compliant previously about Iranian money in their banking systems, all of a sudden becoming compliant in terms of being willing to turn over or help freeze accounts.
⚡️ Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded to the European Union’s comments made at the weekend which condemned the Iranian attack on Kuwait, stating on X that Iran’s actions were justified.
🔹 Baghaei said the EU’s statement condemning Iran for exercising its legitimate right to self-defence against aggressive attacks by the United States which originated from a neighbouring country in the southern Persian Gulf as a clear example of hypocrisy and double standards.
🔹 “The European Union must adhere to the rule of law and the principles of the UN Charter, which it has always claimed to uphold,” he said, adding that in turn, the EU should abandon the approach of appeasing the US and Israel while blaming those who defend themselves.
🔹 Baghaei said that Iran’s actions targeted bases and facilities used for military purposes against Iran which was a “lawful act within the framework of the right to legitimate defence,’ adding that governments had a legal obligation to prevent parties from using their territory and facilities to attack another country.
Other News:
⚡️ Former Iraqi Deputy Oil Minister Adnan Hamad Hamoud, arrested Friday on corruption charges, reportedly offered Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi a $200 million bribe to help cover up the corruption in the ministry, which al-Zaidi disclosed during a meeting with journalists on Sunday.
🔹 Al-Zaidi also formed a ‘Supreme Sovereign Council for Integrity, Oversight, and Recovery of Public Funds, to be chaired by himself, including the heads of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit and the Integrity Commission.
🔹 The move drew some criticism from lawmakers arguing the council had no legal basis and that Iraq’s anti-corruption bodies were constitutionally independent of the executive, but Iran has long-ranked among the world’s most corrupt countries, despite repeated formations of anti-corruption councils by successive governments, and intends to finally overcome this with the new committee.
⚡️ Several news sources reported hearing several explosions in the suburbs of the Erbil province in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, but Tasnim News confirmed no details had been released about the cause of the explosions, however Al Mayadeen said the headquarters of the separatist group ‘Komala’ had been targeted, according to Mehr News Agency.
⚡️ Two Iranian missiles struck the headquarters of the Iranian Kurdish opposition party Komala in Alana Valley, Iraqi Kurdistan, on Sunday night, a senior party official said, noting that Iran has targeted Komala’s bases and headquarters with 81 missiles and drones since the start of the war.
⚡️ A Bell helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing inside the Al-Kut Air Base in eastern Iraq while conducting a training flight, Naya reported, adding the helicopter crashed to the ground, which caused physical damage to its structure.
⚡️ Global air passenger traffic declined by 3.4% in April after Middle Eastern airlines recorded a sharp 46.6% drop in demand, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
🔹 Disruptions linked to the ongoing regional conflict were cited as the reason for the decline, because it affected airline operations, weakened travel demand, increased fuel costs, and reduced transit traffic through major aviation hubs in the Middle East, as international traffic for Middle Eastern carriers fell by 48.1%, marking the steepest decline among all regions.
🔹 Industry analysts warned that prolonged instability could divert passenger and cargo traffic toward alternative hubs outside the region, potentially impacting the Middle East’s role as a major global aviation transit centre for the short-term.
⚡️ New rates set to be announced by the UAE Fuel Price Committee could see fuel prices increase in June, reported Gulf News, noting an anticipated rise followed higher global oil prices, continued volatility in energy markets linked to tensions in the Middle East, along with the disruptions to shipping routes in the Gulf region, with new prices scheduled to take effect from June 1 across all emirates.
