Iranian Parliament speaker says ‘no alternative’ for US but to accept 14-point proposal

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani supported Pakistan’s mediation efforts in ending the US-Israeli war on Iran, in a press conference with Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to Al Jazeera.

Sheikh Mohammed said the two countries discussed the “dire circumstances” in the Middle East because of the US-Israel war on Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz crisis limiting “freedom of maritime movement”.

Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated Ankara’s strong support for Pakistan’s mediation efforts.

The Hormuz crisis has had a “dire” impact on the world, he said, stressing that the war needs to end for this reason, among others, according to Al Jazeera.

The waterway has been “used as a weapon in this war”, exacting harsh repercussions on Gulf states, specifically economic, Qatar’s prime minister added.

Fidan also condemned Israel’s “expansion policies” in Lebanon and Gaza, decrying the impact on civilian lives.

Qatar’s leader also condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, saying Turkiye has emerged as a “leading partner” in these key regional issues.

Sheikh Mohammed said that Qatar would continue consulting Gulf states to restore regional peace, and that regional issues should be resolved with Iran via diplomacy.

Backdoor negotiations must continue to bring about the end of the US-Israel war on Iran, he said, according to Al Jazeera.

Iran could enrich uranium to weapons-grade

Iranian parliamentary spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei said on Tuesday that the country could enrich uranium up to 90% purity, a level considered weapons-grade, if Iran is attacked again.

“One of Iran’s options in the event of another attack could be 90% enrichment. We will review it in the parliament,” Rezaei, who is spokesperson for the parliamentary national security and foreign policy commission, posted on X.

Last June, Trump said Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated” by US and Israeli strikes during a 12-day war, severely limiting Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium.

The fate of around 400kg of uranium enriched to 60% remains unclear.

Read: Trump’s complaints on Iran war leaks prompt aggressive probe: Wall Street Journal

US intelligence assessments suggest Tehran’s nuclear programme will not be significantly impeded unless that highly enriched uranium (HEU) stockpile is removed or destroyed.

The nuclear issue has been a key point of contention in talks between the US and Iran to end the conflict that began in late February. Tehran wants nuclear topics discussed at a later stage, while Washington demands Iran should move its highly enriched uranium stockpile abroad and renounce domestic enrichment.

‘No alternative’ but to accept proposal

Speaker of the Iranian Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the US had no alternative but to “accept the rights of the Iranian people as laid out in the 14-point proposal.”

“The longer they drag their feet, the more American taxpayers will pay for it.”

Earlier, Ghalibaf said that the Iranian armed forces were “ready to deliver a well-deserved response to any aggression.”

“We are prepared for all options; they will be surprised.”

Israel deployed Iron Dome batteries, personnel to UAE during war on Iran

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said Israel sent Iron Dome missile defence batteries and Israeli troops to the United Arab Emirates to help it defend against Iranian strikes, according to Al Jazeera.

Waltz first commented on Monday and was quoted by Israel Hayom newspaper as saying, “We saw the UAE make use of the Iron Dome provided to it by Israel.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed Waltz’s comments today at an event.

“I’d like to say a word of appreciation for United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham accord member,” Huckabee said at the Tel Aviv Conference. “Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them.”

Huckabee added he’s “very optimistic” additional countries in the Middle East will soon join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 diplomatic recognition deal that also included Bahrain for formal relations with Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

UAE won’t resume full gas production until next year due to Iranian attacks

The United Arab Emirates’s main gas-processing complex, which was hit in Iranian attacks during the war, will not reach its full production capacity again until next year, Al Jazeera reported.

ADNOC Gas said the Habshan site, which is one of the world’s largest gas production facilities and supplies gas across the UAE, is now operating at 60%capacity and “the company is currently working towards achieving 80% restoration by the end of 2026 with full capacity restored in 2027”.

Read more: Iranian trade delegation visits Gwadar

In a statement sharing its first-quarter results, the company reported $1.1bn in net income, a 15% decrease compared with the same quarter last year.

The drop was caused by “increased regional uncertainty and difficult market conditions” as the energy sector faces major disruption because Iran blockades the Strait of Hormuz, ADNOC said, as per Al Jazeera.

Israel warns citizens of ‘intimidation messages’ allegedly sent by Iran

Israel National Cyber Directorate said “intimidation messages” have been sent to citizens’ phones over the last few hours that are meant to “create panic and undermine the sense of security,” according to Al Jazeera.

“This is a familiar influence attempt in the digital space: threatening, dramatic or stressful messages sent directly to citizens and trying to make them act out of fear,” it wrote on Telegram, calling on Israelis not to open any suspect links or forward messages.

The statement comes after Israeli news outlets reported that many Israelis received a message, allegedly from Iranian authorities, threatening the return of missile and drone attacks.

Trump’s complaints on Iran war leaks prompt aggressive probe

Trump’s complaints about media leaks on the Iran war have triggered an aggressive investigation by the Justice Department, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing sources.

Trump privately complained to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about media leaks following last month’s Iran war, prompting the Justice Department to aggressively pursue leak investigations.

Blanche pledged to seek subpoenas targeting reporters involved in sensitive national security stories, according to the report. In one meeting, Trump handed Blanche a stack of articles he viewed as threats to national security, marked with a sticky note reading “treason.”

Senior Justice Department and Pentagon officials have also discussed the investigations, the report said.

In particular, the report said, Trump has focused his ire on articles that provided details on how he arrived at his decision to launch the war, and what his advisers had told him as he deliberated.

“In all circumstances, the Department of Justice follows the facts and applies the law to identify those committing crimes against the United States,” a department spokeswoman said.

Peace deal hopes fade after Trump rejects ‘garbage’ Iran proposal

Hopes for a peace deal on Iran faded on Tuesday after Donald Trump said ​a ceasefire with Iran was “on life support” as Tehran rejected a US proposal to end the conflict and stuck to a list of ‌demands the US president described as “garbage”

Also read: Pakistan rejects report on Iranian aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase as ‘misleading’

Iran has called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Tehran also emphasised its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, demanded compensation for war damage, and an end to the US naval blockade, among other conditions.

Trump said Iran’s response threatened the status of ​a ceasefire that began on April 7.

“I would call it the weakest right now, after reading that piece of garbage they sent us. ​I didn’t even finish reading it,” Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to end the ceasefire, told reporters.

The US had ⁠proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.

Brent crude oil futures extended gains in early Asian trade on ​Tuesday, climbing above $104.50 a barrel, as the deadlock left the Strait of Hormuz largely closed. Before the war began on February 28, the narrow waterway carried ​one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, and has since become a central pressure point in the conflict.

Disruption caused by the near-closure of the strait has forced oil producers to cut exports, and OPEC oil output dropped further in April to the lowest in more than two decades, a Reuters survey showed on Monday.

The United ​States on Monday imposed new sanctions on individuals and companies it said were helping Iran ship oil to China, part of efforts to cut off funding ​for Tehran’s military and nuclear programs, while also warning banks about attempts to evade existing curbs.

Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday, where Iran is set ‌to be ⁠among the topics discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trickle of shipping through Hormuz

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a trickle compared with before the war. Shipping data on Kpler and LSEG showed that three tankers laden with crude exited the waterway last week, with trackers switched off to avoid an Iranian attack.

A second Qatari LNG tanker was attempting to transit the strait, the data showed, days after the first such cargo crossed under an arrangement involving Iran ​and Pakistan.

In the US, surveys show ​the war is unpopular with US voters ⁠who are paying more for fuel, less than six months before nationwide elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.

Two out of three Americans, including one in three Republicans and almost all Democrats, think Trump ​has not clearly explained why the country has gone to war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday.

Washington ​has also struggled ⁠to build international support, with NATO allies refusing to send ships to reopen the waterway without a full peace deal and an internationally mandated mission.

In separate statements on Monday, the State Department said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held separate calls with his Australian and British counterparts to discuss “ongoing efforts to restore freedom ⁠of navigation ​in the Strait of Hormuz.” It did not elaborate.

Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister of Turkey, ​which has been liaising closely with the US, Iran and mediator Pakistan since the start of the war, will hold talks in Qatar on Tuesday on the conflict and on ensuring ​navigational safety in the strait, a Turkish diplomatic source said.