Key development: Trump called off a planned strike on Iran set for Tuesday, saying Gulf allies asked him to hold off while negotiations play out.
US Policy
(Update) Trump says he paused a US military strike on Iran scheduled for Tuesday. Gulf state leaders asked him to hold off while “serious negotiations” are happening, though he warned the US is ready for a “full, large-scale assault” if talks fail. (France24)
Context: This is a sharp reversal from Trump’s weekend threats against Iran. He’s now describing the peace talks as “very positive” and says he called off the planned Tuesday strike at the request of Gulf allies. The threat of military action remains on the table if negotiations don’t produce what he considers an acceptable deal.
Sources: France24 | France24 liveblog
Diplomacy
(Update) Iran’s attack is now “on hold” according to Trump. Tehran says lifting sanctions is a key demand, but other sticking points remain unclear. (Al Jazeera)
Context: This marks a concrete de-escalation in the immediate military threat. Iran has publicly stated that sanctions relief is central to any peace deal, though the full list of demands and what the US is willing to concede hasn’t been spelled out yet.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Military Operations
(Update) A drone struck near a nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire. No casualties or radiation leak reported, and Trump convened his national security team on May 18 to discuss military options. (France24)
Context: The UAE says the origin is unknown, but suspicion immediately fell on Iran. The IAEA has confirmed radiation levels are normal. The strike on critical nuclear infrastructure represents a major escalation risk, which is why Trump immediately pulled his advisers together to discuss potential responses.
Economy
(Update) Iran officially launched the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz. The new body has its own X account giving real-time updates on ships passing through the strait Tehran has effectively closed. (France24)
Context: Iran announced this body earlier but has now operationalized it with dedicated social media channels. Tehran wants to charge ships to transit the strait, turning a vital global shipping lane into a toll road under Iranian control. This formalizes what had been an ad hoc blockade.
Sources: France24
International
Europol took down thousands of IRGC-linked social media accounts across 19 countries. The primary IRGC X account in the EU was also suspended in the coordinated digital crackdown. (Euronews)
Context: This represents a major European enforcement action against Iran’s digital presence. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has used social media extensively for propaganda and recruitment, and Europol coordinated with multiple countries to simultaneously shut down these networks.
Sources: Euronews
Inside Iran
Iranian state TV broadcast live weapons training, including viewers shooting at images of Trump, Netanyahu, and the UAE flag. The IRGC is now formally recruiting kids as young as 12 to staff checkpoints. (Euronews)
Context: This is part of Iran’s domestic mobilization efforts. State television is teaching civilians basic firearms skills while the Revolutionary Guard is bringing children into security operations. It signals both internal paranoia about potential unrest and an attempt to normalize militarization across Iranian society.
Sources: Euronews
What to watch: Whether these negotiations produce any concrete sanctions relief or if Trump’s “hold” on the strike is just buying time before military action resumes.