AJ
The US/Israel/Iran recap for 28 May includes the latest news of the continued ‘love taps’ between Iran and the US, after the US attempted to escort another four vessels from the Strait of Hormuz on a third consecutive night, bringing the total number of vessels attempting to exit to 9 in 72 hours, while the press continued to speculate over deals being made President Trump appeared to be holding off from making any announcement, along with other news from the Middle East.
Love taps condemned but continued:
⚡️ Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei strongly condemned the US military aggression that took place in the areas of Bandar Abbas on the early hours of Thursday May 28, and noted these aggressive actions against Iran constituted a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, adding that the UN Security Council was obliged to fulfil its legal responsibility to hold the Americans accountable.
🔹 Referring to the continuous violations of the ceasefire dated April 8 by the US, especially the attacks on commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and international waters, along with aerial attacks on southern regions of Iran in recent days, Baghaei said Iran was determined to take all necessary measures to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
⚡️ Kuwaiti government officials published a statement on Thursday which condemned the Iranian attacks on Kuwait territory and reserved the right to take measures to maintain security, while the GCC also condemned the attack by Iran, despite the attack being targeted at a US air base that was in the country.
⚡️ IRGC issued a statement saying that ‘if they attack you, then you attack them in the same way,’ noting that following the morning attack by the US army at a point near Bandar Abbas airport with aerial projectiles, Iran targeted an American airbase at 4:50am (local time).
🔹 The statement said the response was a serious warning so that the ‘enemy knows that aggression’ will not go unanswered and, if repeated, the response will be more decisive, and the responsibility for the consequences would lie with the Americans.
🔹 Oil prices rose sharply to $98 per barrel after the IRGC missile attack on the US airbase in Kuwait, which was in response to the early morning attack at Bandar Abbas with the aerial projectiles.
⚡️ US Central Command issued an update stating that at 10:17pm ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwait forces.
🔹 CENTCOM said the egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat near the Strait of Hormuz, adding that all drones were successfully intercepted, while a sixth drone had been prevented from launching at an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas.
⚡️ Iran fired warning shots on Thursday night after operational units stationed near the Strait of Hormuz observed four unauthorised vessels attempting to pass without coordination through the designated route for the second time in two nights, but the warning shots prevented their continued movement, according to Mehr News Agency.
🔹 An explosion sound was heard in the area of Haft Chah in Bushehr province which attracted the attention of local resident, but according to initial investigations, the likely cause was air defences countering hostile aircraft, and it was later claimed a drone had been shot down in the area, and the Governor of Jam confirmed the incident in Jam was related to the ‘destruction of a hostile aircraft.’
🔹 Field reporters from IRIB, Tasnim News and Mehr News attended Bandar Abbas, indicating that gunfire sounds were heard coming from the Strait of Hormuz, adding that it was likely related to warning shots fired by Iranian naval units at suspicious vessels.
🔹 The Armed forces of Iran repeatedly stressed that any passage through the Strait of Hormuz must be fully coordinated with Iran and any risky or adventurous action would be met with legal, decisive, and deterrent responses.
🔹 US Central Command took to X not long after with another fact check post, claiming that a US aircraft downed near Bushehr, Iran, was false, but didn’t verify or deny claims that a drone was shot down in the area.
Negotiation news:
⚡️ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that Arab states like the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco should normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords, not because of the pathway to a Palestinian state, but because they viewed Israel as a powerful ally against Iran.
🔹 “The Abraham Accords with four Arab countries were born not because we went to the Palestinians and said, we recognise a Palestinian country… No we did not do that,” Netanyahu said, adding: “We made peace for peace, but peace for strength.
🔹 Netanyahu said regional countries sought alliances with Israel because cooperation strengthened both sides economically and militarily against what he described as a shared Iranian threat, adding that states in the region feared being ‘conquered by Iran, while also dismissing concessions towards Palestinian statehood as a sign of ‘weakness.’
⚡️ Head of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament Ebrahim Azizi said that the exchange of messages with the US were still underway, and if Trump wanted to get out of the deadlock, he had no choice but to surrender to Iran, adding that the American’s must first accept Iran’s five conditions, which at this stage, they accepted, but so far haven’t taken any action.
⚡️ Qatari Royal Court announced that Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received a phone call from President Trump to discuss the latest regional developments and ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions, in which the Emir stressed the need to prioritise security and stability, while President Trump praised Qatar’s efforts to bridge differences, promote piece initiatives, and support Pakistan’s mediation and communication efforts between the parties.
⚡️ Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the US Treasury Secretary’s threat to impose sanctions on Oman, which followed a previous threat by President Trump to ‘destroy’ Oman, as an attempt to extort an independent state member of the United Nations and another sign of the moral bankruptcy of the governance and political system in the United States.
🔹 The threat to impose sanctions on Oman under a false pretext was an absolutely illegal act and contrary to the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, Baghaei said, adding that the international community must respond responsibly to this approach to prevent the increasing normalisation of violations of international legal norms.
🔹 Baghaei’s comments came after the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened Oman that the Treasury Department would act against any party involved in collecting fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and any side that takes part in collecting fees will be punished.
What the media claimed:
⚡️ Axios said the US and Iran had reached a draft 60-day understanding to extend the ceasefire and begin negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, but President Trump hadn’t yet given his final approval, although this wouldn’t be the first time Axios made such claims, previously having obtained a copy of an agreement around 3 weeks ago which coincided with alleged market manipulation.
🔹 Most terms were finalised Tuesday and Iranian negotiators indicated they had secured the necessary approvals to sign, Axios claimed, stating that Trump was briefed on the agreement, but told mediators he wanted ‘a couple of days’ to think about it.
🔹 According to Axios, the proposed MOU would guarantee unrestricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, including no tolls or harassment, and would require Iran to remove all naval mines from the Strait within 30 days, while the US naval blockade would be lifted gradually as commercial shipping resumed.
🔹 The agreement would also include an Iranian commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons, while negotiations during the 60-day period would focus on Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and future enrichment activities.
🔹 Under the draft deal, the US would also agree to discuss sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and mechanisms to facilitate humanitarian aid and commercial goods deliveries to Iran.
⚡️ Channel i24NEWS said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei hasn’t approved the current Memorandum of Understanding, which is one of the reasons Trump hasn’t said yes, even though there could be an understanding between FM Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Steve Witkoff and his team, but Iran’s senior leadership and decision-makers haven’t approved the deal.
⚡️ Israel has received updates from the White House regarding an emerging US-Iran agreement, but Israeli officials so far remained publicly silent on the matter, despite an understanding that both sides were nearing a conclusion.
🔹 According to Israeli Channel 12, the deal could affect not only the Iranian arena, but also Lebanon, due to part of the agreement reportedly including a full ceasefire extension regarding Lebanon as well.
🔹 The agreement is expected to be implemented in two stages, the report said, noting the first stage would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, releasing part of Iran’s frozen funds, and extending the ceasefire by 60 days, including understandings related to Lebanon.
🔹 According to Israeli Channel 12, the second stage would focus on negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, because at this point Iran would be prepared to negotiate the issue, though details regarding oversight and supervision of the nuclear program remained unclear, something the Trump administration was pushing to finalise as soon as possible.
⚡️ Almost three weeks ago, Axios reporter Barak Ravid published a suspiciously-timed article alerting of a draft agreement between the US and Iran, which came very early in the morning during the US, around 45 minutes after reserves had been placed on oil futures, and approx. 90 minutes before the purchase was completed, leading Axios reporter Ravid to launch scathing attacks of anti-Semitism against anyone who mentioned it.
🔹 BBC reported on Thursday that oil prices dropped sharply once again on Thursday following an Axios report that both parties had reached an agreement for a 60-day ceasefire extension and the start of nuclear talks, subject to President Trump’s approval.
🔹 Brent crude fell to a low of $93.36 from an earlier high of $98, before rebounding to almost $94, and prices had jumped earlier following the US carrying out new strikes on a military site near Bandar Abbas airport, the second attack in three days, which Washington said were conducted in self-defence.
🔹 US Central Command confirmed it also shot down four Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran called the strikes ‘a grave violation of the ceasefire’ and vowed not to leave any hostility unanswered, leading to Kuwait’s military separately reporting and intercepting hostile missile and drone threats.
⚡️ Israeli Channel 14 were told by an Israeli diplomat: “As far as we know, the agreement has not been approved by President Trump nor Mojtaba Khamenei – if there is any agreement, it is currently still at the lower echelons.”
⚡️ Al Jazeera were told by an official source that the US were making intense efforts to secure a serious ceasefire ahead of a Pentagon meeting on Friday, with a preliminary meeting to be held on Thursday between Lebanese and American delegations in Washington.
🔹 If a ceasefire is reached, tomorrow’s meeting would address Israeli withdrawal form the south and Lebanese army deployment, and Washington recently expressed surprise at the expanding Israeli incursion, which Tel Aviv considered necessary to protect its northern settlements.
🔹 Al Jazeera later claimed a US official told them: “We confirm that the United States and Iran have reached a memorandum of understanding on the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear negotiations, and the agreement on a MoU with Iran was awaiting President Trump’s approval.
⚡️ US sources cautioned that any advancements in the talks with Iran could be upended quickly if President Trump decided to withhold his approval of the proposed MoU, CNN reported, stating that Trump was seeking assurances that any agreement would appear stronger than the 2015 Obama nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from, while also facing pressure from Republican allies (including Senator Graham) and Israeli PM Netanyahu not to ease pressure on Iran.
⚡️ Tasnim News reported that Iran would announce the finalised agreement through the Pakistani mediator and to the public once it is complete, dismissing reports from Western sources as lacking reliability or credibility, according to a source close to the negotiating team.
⚡️ NBC News reported that US and Iranian negotiators had agreed upon a framework of a truce agreement during talks in Doha this week, though both sides were delaying the announcement, adding that Iran’s delegation had already presented the terms to senior leadership, while Washington was waiting for Trump to decide whether to approve the deal.
🔹 President Trump was said to be reviewing the latest draft of a possible agreement with Iran that would begin a 60-day period of intensive nuclear negotiations.
⚡️ NYT reported that US and Iranian negotiations were discussing a proposed agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz while maintaining the US blockade, which would then be gradually eased as shipping traffic returned to pre-war volumes.
🔹 According to US officials cited by the report, any agreement with Iran would require Tehran to give up nuclear weapons ambitions and dispose of highly enriched uranium stockpiles, noting that Trump was reviewing an updated version of the proposed framework aimed at launching broader negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and end regional tensions.
⚡️ Reuters reported that US and Iranian negotiators had reportedly reached a draft memorandum to extend the 60 days, though the agreement still required final approval from President Trump, as they cited Axios and US officials.
🔹 According to the report, the proposed deal would open negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program while maintaining the ceasefire framework reached in the Gulf, adding that discussions remained ongoing and that no agreement had yet been formally approved by either side.
News from the Strait of Hormuz:
⚡️ Iran’s IRGC Navy said that 26 vessels, which included container ships, oil tankers, and other commercial ships, have safely transited the Strait of Hormuz under coordination and security provided by IRGC naval forces in the previous 24 hours, adding that several vessels attempted to transit the Strait through the night without authorisation and with transponders switched off, but they were intercepted or forced to turn back.
⚡️ Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri told the 14th International Summit of Senior Security Officials in Moscow that powers have used the Strait of Hormuz against the security of the coastal country must be held accountable.
🔹 Bagheri said that Iran, following the doctrine of Khamenei, emphasised three principles, which included ‘unity, independence, and resistance,’ seeking to establish a just order that rejects hegemony and domination while strengthening trust and cooperation, adding that Iran were ready to engage in constructive dialogue and sustainable cooperation with all responsible countries in the region to create such an order.
⚡️ US Treasury Scott Bessent used X to publish a statement saying that the US Government wouldn’t tolerate any efforts to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Oman, in particular, should know that the US Treasury will aggressively attack actors involved, directly or indirectly, in facilitating tolls for the Strait and any willing partners will be penalised, adding that all nations should reject outright Iran’s efforts to disrupt the free flow of commerce.
⚡️ CENTCOM confirmed receiving multiple threat reports that adversaries were exploiting commercially available location data to surveil or target US troops deployed in the theatre, according to a letter that was shared with Reuters.
🔹 According to the letter, CENTCOM warned commercial location data could reveal where American forces gathered and track their movements, which could lead to missile, drone, roadside bomb, or counterintelligence attacks, adding that lawmakers described the disclosure as the first official confirmation that US personnel had been targeted in an active war zone using commercial tracking data.
🔹 Reuters said a bipartisan group of legislators have criticised the Pentagon for not acting faster to protect troops, recommending measures such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices, automatically turning off smartphone location sharing in combat zones, and avoiding browsers like Google Chrome in favour of more privacy-focused alternatives.
Iran news:
⚡️ Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement on the anniversary of the inauguration of the first time of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, part of which Khamenei addressed the situation in the Middle East.
🔹 According to the message, Khamenei said that the ‘enemy’s’ blind plan after the attacks ended, stating that a political siege has been designed to create division and social disintegration to compensate for military defeats and an attempt to bring Iran to its knees.
🔹 Khamenei said that it was necessary for ‘every devoted person whose heart beats for Islam, the revolution, or the independence and dignity of Iran’ to strive more than ever to preserve the unity of the cohesive and interconnected ranks of the nation, not to turn unjustified and even justified differences into conflict and division, and to be, in word and deed, a symbol of the nation’s cohesion and unity, God willing.’
⚡️ Iranian Ambassador to Germany Majid Nili Ahmadabadi addressed President Trump’s threat against Oman, warning the silence of some European parties in the face of the ‘aggression by the US and Israeli regime’ against Iran would embolden warmongers, stating that today, the same logic of threat has also targeted Oman.
🔹 Experience has sown that any expediency and inappropriate since in the face of aggression does not lead to crisis containment, but rather to the normalisation of lawbreaking and the hostage-taking of international security, he added, saying the world must stand against this dangerous path before its too late.
⚡️ New satellite images published by CNN appeared to show Iran were rapidly extracting large quantities of missiles from its underground facilities, using just bulldozers and dump trucks, which has neutralised the US and Israeli strategy which consumed a huge volume of ammunition, while casting doubt on Trump’s claims of having destroyed Iran’s arsenal.
🔹 During the war, joint US-Israeli airstrikes disabled many underground complexes by blocking entry points, trapping launchers and limiting Iran’s ability to fire, but Iran is now accessing those stockpiles with simple engineering equipment and undoing the blockade strategy implemented.
⚡️ Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev was congratulated by President Masoud Pezeshkian by phone on the occasion of their National Day, stating that there is no doubt the inseparable ties that have provided a valuable asset for the development of relations between the two countries.
⚡️ Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Bagheri told Al Mayadeen in an interview that the United States couldn’t be trusted, and the issue was part of the nature of the United States based on violating commitments.
🔹 Bagheri said that Iran relied on undeclared domestic capabilities, the armed forces, and its people in confronting aggressions, but the main factor of instability in the region was the presence of Israel and the US, adding that the end of the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, was a fundamental prerequisite for any negotiations or any agreement.
⚡️ US Treasury Department published a statement on Thursday night committing to shut down all access for Iranian airlines to landing spots, refueling infrastructure, and global ticket sales as part of its ongoing Economic Fury campaign, Scott Bessent announced on X on Thursday, confirming that the act of economic aggression aimed to systematically cut off Tehran from the international aviation and financial systems.
🔹 Bessent said that a parallel US naval blockade of Iranian ports had successfully driven the volume of Iranian crude oil on the water to a record low, and according to the Treasury Department, the combined naval and economic manoeuvres are intentionally designed to push both the Iranian domestic economy and its currency into a state of free fall.
News from the USA:
⚡️ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was very active on Thursday, which included a White House press conference, in which Bessent claimed oil prices were down about 10% in May, but say when this was compared to, while stating the Strait of Hormuz had to have free transit navigations of the sea, which needed to be free and open as it was before.
🔹 Bessent said President Trump wouldn’t accept a bad deal, and was going to make a great deal for the American people.
🔹 Asked by Fox’s Peter Doocy about President Trump threatening to blow Oman up, and whether the guys back in the West Wing were making plans for a new war with Oman, Bessent responded by saying that Trump wanted to punctuate freedom of navigation in the Strait: “I had a call with the Omani Ambassador this morning, and he assured me that there were no plans for tolling the Strait,” he said.
🔹 Bessent said President Trump had done something no other administration had been able to do: “We have gotten the Iranians to talk about their nuclear program and perhaps commit to not having one,” he said, adding: “This has never happened before.”
🔹 In a weird comment about the change in leadership in Iran, Bessent told the press: “We did not have regime change, but we changed the regime.”
🔹 When asked whether sanctions relief was on the table for Iran, Bessent said: “Nothing is going to be on the table until we see the Strait of Hormuz open and the Iranians agree that they have to turn over the highly enriched uranium, and that they can’t have a nuclear program.”
⚡️ NBC News were told by an informed source that if President Trump decides to resume the war against Iran, most of the remaining targets for attack were either hidden or moveable, claiming that while the Trump administration insisted on the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities and the Department of Defence had prepared a list of additional targets, there was still a problem, because destroying those targets would prove difficult.
🔹 The root of the difficulty, according to the report, is that a large number of Iran’s military assets are either hidden underground, or dispersed and mobile, meaning missiles and launchers can be moved quickly or concealed using decoys, which indicated a sharp increase in complexity compared to the early stages of the war.
⚡️ The Atlantic Magazine took aim at President Trump, saying he was unable to follow through on his own hype regarding Iran and ultimately deceived himself, while adding that Trump started the war for personal reasons without a clear strategy, and was now losing due to those personal reasons.
🔹 “President Trump is arrogant,” The Atlantic blasted, saying that the President calls his predecessors ‘fools’ and praises himself as ‘smart,’ but those very predecessors, from Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden, were smart enough not to start a major war with Iran, adding that Trump demanded Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender,’ however, Trump was now negotiating a deal that met more of Iran’s demands than those of America.
Other news:
⚡️ Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi welcomed Muqtada al-Sadr’s decision to place the Sadrist movement’s armed wing, Saraya al-Salam, under state authority, which he called an important step towards stability and the rule of law, following a move by Sadr to announce the militia would join state institutions under the Commander-in-Chief.
🔹 Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali also voiced support for restricting weapons to state control, despite his statement talking in general terms about the ‘resistance.’
🔹 However, Iraqi militia group Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada rejected handing over its weapons, insisting that ‘resistance weapons’ will remain as long as the reasons for their existence persists.
🔹 Zaidi is attempting to channel support from Sadr and Khazali to push forward a broader effort to reign in Iran-backed militias, but has stopped short of directly calling them out.
⚡️ An Iraqi-led plan to appease the United States in relation to security forces in the country, which includes integrating the various forces into the national army, could be scuppered by the Iraqi parliament, after Iraqi Parliament Member Ahmed al-Shammari said the Popular Mobilisation Forces are the guarantor of preserving Iraq’s sovereignty and that means the merger or dissolusion couldn’t take place.
🔹 The resistance weapons and the Popular Mobilisation Committee are the true guarantors of preserving and supporting national sovereignty, he said, warning about voices that call it foreign-affiliated, and demanded the dissolution or merger, adding that the PMF were a red line that couldn’t be crossed, because the PMF are a security and ideological institution that played the most important role in defending Iraq and confronting terrorism.
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