9 Updates on the US vs Iran War: Tehran Fights Back, Trump Rants Again
Tensions in the Middle East are rising again amid diplomatic efforts that have yet to yield a final agreement between the United States and Iran. Although negotiation channels remain open through international mediators, threats of military attacks, disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and the deployment of warships continue to heighten the risk of conflict escalation in the region.
In recent days, the situation has become more complicated after US President Donald Trump publicly rejected Iran’s latest response to Washington’s peace proposal. At the same time, Western countries are preparing scenarios to secure global trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz, which has long been a crucial point for the distribution of the world’s oil and gas.
Meanwhile, Iran continues to adopt a hardline stance by warning Britain and France against sending warships to the area. Indirect clashes also persist, including drone attacks in the Gulf region, while Israel asserts that the war is not over as long as Iran’s nuclear programme continues.
Here are the latest developments in the Middle East conflict, as reported by AFP on Monday (11/5/2026).
Trump Rejects Iran’s Peace Response
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he had rejected Iran’s response to the United States’ proposal to end the war in the Middle East. He described Tehran’s answer as “completely unacceptable”.
“I just read the response from what is called the ‘Representative’ of Iran. I don’t like it – COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform without providing further details.
Britain and France Host Meeting on Hormuz
Britain and France will host a multinational meeting of defence ministers on Tuesday to discuss military plans to restore trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the British government.
“Defence Secretary John Healey will co-chair the meeting with more than 40 countries, alongside his French counterpart, Minister Catherine Vautrin, for the first meeting of Defence Ministers in this multinational mission,” the British Ministry of Defence statement said on Sunday.
Iranian Nobel Laureate Released on Bail
Iranian authorities have released Peace Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi on bail following growing concerns over her health condition. Her supporters say Mohammadi has been transferred to Tehran for medical treatment.
After 10 days of treatment at a hospital in Zanjan, northern Iran, where she was serving her sentence, Mohammadi “was granted a bail suspension with a large bond,” her foundation said in a statement.
Trump to Pressure Xi Jinping on Iran
Trump is expected to press Chinese President Xi Jinping on Iran during his visit to Beijing this week, a senior US administration official said on Sunday, as the US leader seeks to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East.
“I expect the president to apply pressure,” the official said in a conversation with reporters on condition of anonymity. He added that Trump had previously done the same in conversations with Xi.
Iran Sends Response to US
Iran has sent a response to the US proposal to end the war in the region via Pakistan, Iranian state media reported.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran today (Sunday) sent a response to the latest text proposed by the United States to end the war through mediator Pakistan,” the official IRNA news agency reported without providing further details.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on platform X: “We will never submit to the enemy, and if there are talks or negotiations, it does not mean surrender or retreat.”
Iran Warns Britain and France
Iran has warned Britain and France that its armed forces will launch a “firm and immediate response” if the two countries send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
London and Paris have sent ships to the area as part of international efforts to secure that strategic route if a peace agreement is eventually reached between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Drone Attacks in the Gulf Region
Drones were launched at several targets in the Gulf region on Sunday, with one striking a cargo ship sailing to Qatar from Abu Dhabi.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said a small fire occurred on the commercial vessel, but there were no casualties.
Kuwait’s military also said it had thwarted a drone attack at dawn.
Netanyahu Says War “Not Over”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran’s uranium stockpile must be “removed” before the US-Israel war against Iran can be considered finished.
“It is not over because there is still nuclear material, enriched uranium, that must be removed from Iran. There are still enrichment facilities that must be dismantled,” Netanyahu told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” programme.
Iran Threatens US Targets
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to target US facilities in the Middle East and “enemy ships” if their tankers are attacked, Iranian media reported.
“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial ships will result in a major attack on one of the American centres in the region and enemy ships,” it said, a day after a US attack on two Iranian tankers in the Gulf of Oman.