Live Updates: Trump says he was "an hour away" from striking Iran, insists war is "very popular"
What to know about the Iran war today:
- President Trump says he was "an hour away" from making a decision to order new strikes on Iran, but that he didn't at the request of Persian Gulf allies. He said the war is "very popular" and he doesn't have "enough time" to keep explaining the rationale for it.
- Before Mr. Trump said he called off an attack on Monday, Iran said it had conveyed another amended set of terms for a potential peace deal. Iran also said the U.S., not Iran, had requested a ceasefire.
- Israel warned more people in southern Lebanon to evacuate their villages Tuesday ahead of strikes. Lebanese officials say the war between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which has raged despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, has killed more than 3,000 people.
U.S. Gulf allies grapple with "confusion of roles" amid varying approaches to Iran war
A rift may be widening among Persian Gulf states in their response to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with some U.S. allies pushing for greater diplomatic engagement to end the war while others appear more intent on ending the threat posed by the Iranian regime.
The United Arab Emirates has adopted one of the most assertive postures during the war. Its Foreign Ministry has repeatedly described Iranian attacks as a "flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law" and affirmed the nation's "right to respond."
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece in March, the UAE's Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba described Iran as a "threat to global security and economic stability" and called for a "conclusive solution" to the crisis.
Oman, which like Iran owns coastline in the Strait of Hormuz, has, by contrast, preserved its long-standing role as a regional interlocutor between Tehran and Western powers. Iran said this week that it's working with Oman to create a joint "mechanism" to control traffic through the vital shipping lanes of the strait.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly condemned Iranian missile and drone strikes as a "flagrant violation of sovereignty," but also pursued behind-the-scenes diplomacy aimed at preventing an escalation of the conflict.
Qatar has similarly sustained high-level engagement with Tehran. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said Tuesday that Doha "supports de-escalation and Pakistan's mediation efforts to maintain a ceasefire and avoid renewed escalation."
Anwar Gargash, a senior advisor to the UAE's leader and the country's former foreign minister, issued lightly veiled criticism on Tuesday of some of his neighbors, lamenting a "confusion of roles" among Gulf and neighboring states.
"The confusion of roles during this Iranian brutal aggression is puzzling," he said in a post on X. "The role of the victim has become mixed with the role of the mediator … a grey stance remains more dangerous than no stance at all."
Top NATO military commander says he's "thinking" about alliance's role in Strait of Hormuz
NATO's top commander said Tuesday he was "thinking" about how the alliance could help in the Strait of Hormuz, but no formal planning had begun yet.
"Am I thinking about it? Absolutely. But there's no planning yet until the political decision is taken," U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told journalists.
President Trump has blasted Washington's European allies in NATO for their response to his war on Iran – which has seen the crucial waterway closed.
European countries spearheaded by Britain and France have been scrambling to put together a possible plan for how they could help keep the strait open if the war ends.
So far the U.S.-led alliance NATO has steered clear of seeking any direct involvement in the conflict – despite pressure from Mr. Trump.
"Each nation is considering their response, with many, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, sailing ships to the region," Grynkewich said.
"We all agree it's in our interest to ensure freedom of navigation in international waters."
European diplomats at NATO have played down the prospect of the alliance taking up a major role in the strait given internal divisions. But they say it could be involved in some way in any eventual operations led by France or Britain if they materialize.
Israeli forces intercept 6 more activist flotilla vessels headed for Gaza
Israeli forces on Tuesday intercepted six remaining vessels from a much larger activist flotilla attempting to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Two other boats are still on their way to the Palestinian territory, according to the activist group's livestream.
A live feed on the Global Sumud Flotilla website showed armed Israeli soldiers on Zodiac boats boarding the Andros, Zefiro, Don Juan, Alcyone and Elengi vessels as activists donning life vests held their arms up. Israeli soldiers then destroyed cameras mounted on the activists' boats.
This is the group's latest effort to underscore the grim living conditions of nearly 2 million Palestinians in the coastal territory, suffering from severe shortages of housing, food, and medicine.
The flotilla boats were stopped around 90-100 miles from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla's website tracker.
The vessels departed last week from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, in what flotilla organizers described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza's shores.
On Monday, the Israeli navy stopped some 41 boats from the activist flotilla in international waters off Cyprus, detaining those on board.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said Tuesday that hundreds of detained activists from over 40 nations were "being forcibly transported" by an Israeli naval ship to an unnamed port, due to arrive at its destination shortly.
The Flotilla organizers demanded the "immediate, unconditional release of all our participants, alongside the more than 9,000 unjustly detained Palestinian political prisoners" and urged world leaders to press for the same.
Iran's deputy foreign minister rules out "surrender," says "we either triumph or become martyrs"
For Iran "surrender holds no meaning," Deputy Foreign Minister Kazen Gharibabadi said Tuesday. "We either triumph or become martyrs."
In a post on X, Gharibabadi mocked Mr. Trump's Monday assertion that he had called off an attack on Iran planned for Tuesday at the request of Gulf allies.
Mr. Trump said he did so to give negotiations a chance, but Gharibabadi noted that the U.S. president included a threat to resume attacks on Iran in his statement.
"This means calling 'threat' by the name of 'opportunity for peace,'" the Iranian official wrote.
President Trump said Tuesday that he had been "an hour away" from a decision to order new strikes on Iran Monday, but that he called off the attack amid "serious negotiations" with Tehran, which are being brokered by Pakistan.
"Iran, united and resolute, is prepared to confront any military aggression," Gharibabadi wrote on X. "For us, surrender holds no meaning; we either triumph or become martyrs."
Mr. Trump warned Monday that if no peace deal is agreed, the U.S. could "go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice."
Bessent urges Europe to "join the United States in moving aggressively" on sanctions to curb Iran's income
Treasury Secretary Bessent called Tuesday on European nations to help the U.S. stop mechanisms that finance terror organizations, including shell companies operating in Europe.
In remarks delivered to the "No Money for Terror Conference" in Paris, France, Bessent lauded U.S. sanctions and other measures as having "deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions," according to a transcript of his remarks provided by the Treasury.
But while the U.S. is "hardly alone in facing the scourge of terrorism, especially from Iran," Bessent argued that "too often, we seem to be alone in our resolve to thwart it."
"Crushing the threat of terrorism compels all of you to step up and join us in rooting out the financing that sustains it — from shell companies that are embedded within Europe, to shadow banking networks that lurk across the Middle East, and drug cartels across the Western Hemisphere," he said, urging fellow finance ministers and other officials to embrace economic sanctions as "instruments of peace" to "create the conditions that can hasten a change in behavior."
"If we are serious about 'no money for terror,' then there must also be 'no room for excuses,'" Bessent told his counterparts, urging them to "join the United States in moving aggressively."
Trump says he doesn't have "enough time" to keep explaining reasons for Iran war
President Trump insisted Tuesday that the war with Iran is not unpopular, contrary to what recent polling suggests, arguing that people understand it's about stopping Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
"Everyone tells me it's unpopular, but I think it's very popular," he told reporters at the White House.
The president said Americans' opinions change when he explains that Iran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon that could potentially strike Los Angeles or other major U.S. cities.
Iran denies ever trying to build a nuclear weapon, and Mr. Trump had previously argued that a round of U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in June 2025 had "obliterated" the Iranian nuclear program.
"I tell you what, when we explain it to people, I don't really have enough time to explain to people," he said Tuesday. "I'm too busy getting it done."
Trump says he was "an hour away" from decision to strike Iran
President Trump told reporters Tuesday he was "an hour way" from making the decision to strike Iran on Monday, but that U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf requested he not go ahead with the plan. Mr. Trump made the comments to reporters while offering them a tour of the White House ballroom construction site.
The president said he would allow a "limited period of time" — two or three days, at least — for talks to continue, saying several Gulf states had told him there was progress in negotiations brokered by Pakistan toward a peace deal.
Mr. Trump said Monday that he was holding off on a strike on Iran that had been scheduled for Tuesday — plans that had not been mentioned by U.S. officials until the president made his announcement in a Truth Social post.
Gaza flotilla claims 5 of its boats "sustained shots" from Israeli troops
The organizers of the Gaza flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces on Monday said Tuesday that at least five of its boats "sustained shots" fired by the intervening soldiers.
In two videos datemarked Tuesday of what appears to be the same incident, posted on the Global Sumud Flotilla's (GSF) Telegram channel, activists on a vessel called the Girolama can be heard shouting "don't shoot" as metallic pings are heard.
A video posted by the group on X includes the caption: "With hands in the air, participants implored 'do not shoot'. This is an attack on humanity. This is what apartheid looks like: when those trying to save lives are met with bullets."
"Shots fired very clearly at Girolama boat," wrote the GSF with two other videos posted on their Telegram page. The group said four other boats, named as the Munki, Elengi, Alcione and Zefiro, were also fired at.
Neither the Israeli military nor the foreign ministry immediately responded to CBS News' request for comment on the GSF's claims, and it was not clear from the video if live ammunition was used by the Israeli forces.
One video posted by the group shows an Israeli soldier appearing to fire a weapon, but it is not clear what type of rounds were used.
Of the original 70 vessels that left Turkey as part of the flotilla, only five were still navigating toward the Palestinian enclave on Tuesday, according to a tracker on the GSF website, having seemingly avoided Israeli interception.
Gaza has been under an Israeli naval blockade since 2007.
Israeli forces have stopped several previous GSF flotillas from reaching Gaza's coast, arresting and deporting more than 470 people, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
GSF said Tuesday that as far as it knows, "no-one has been seriously hurt."
CENTCOM says U.S. forces have redirected 88 ships in blockade of Iranian ports
The U.S. military has redirected 88 commercial vessels since it began blockading Iranian ports and ships associated with the Islamic Republic, according to U.S. Central Command. The new figure is up from the 85 vessels CENTCOM said had been intercepted as of Monday.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said U.S. forces had also disabled four vessels "to ensure total compliance" since the start of the blockade on April 13.
The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and ships, and de facto Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, has gridlocked vital shipping lanes and sent global energy prices skyrocketing.
President Trump said Monday that he was calling off a major attack on Iran after a request from Gulf leaders. He said "serious negotiations" between the U.S. and Iran were underway, which several Gulf states believed could yield a peace deal that would be acceptable to all parties.
Iranian Army spokesman threatens to "open new fronts" in war if U.S. resumes attacks
Iran "cannot be defeated," the country's Army spokesman Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia declared Tuesday, threatening to "open new fronts" in the war launched by the U.S. and Israel if they attack again.
If the U.S. "carries out another act of aggression against our dear Iran, we will open new fronts against them using new tools and methods," said Akraminia in a post shared on social media by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, without offering any indication what tools or methods the Islamic Republic might turn to.
"The only path for the enemy is to respect the Iranian nation and uphold Iran's legitimate rights," he said.
Iran has threatened on several occasions during the war to expand its attacks on ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and on Israel and America's Persian Gulf allies, to target shipping in the Red Sea.
Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen have previously attacked ships in the Red Sea and around the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which serves as the southern gateway to the Red Sea much like the Strait of Hormuz serves as the gateway to the Persian Gulf.
An estimated 10% of the world's oil supply flows through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which is bordered by Djibouti to the south and Yemen to the north. If it were to be effectively blocked along with the Strait of Hormuz, the primary routes for roughly 30% of the world's crude oil supply would be cut off.
UAE and Oman announce new "logistics corridor" to bypass Strait of Hormuz
A new "logistics corridor" between Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and Oman has been launched as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, UAE authorities have announced.
The new route, which opened on May 14, according to the Sharjah Customs Authority, will see trucks ferry goods between the Sharjah port and the port of Sohar in Oman, bypassing the strait.
The vital shipping lanes of the strait have been largely blocked by Iranian attacks and threats since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint war on Iran at the end of February. This, coupled with the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, has cut maritime traffic through the strait by around 90% according to the British navy — and the gridlock has hiked global oil prices by around 40%.
Before the war, around 20% of the world's crude oil supply, from Persian Gulf nations, was typically carried through the strait by tanker to reach Asia and elsewhere.
The new Sharjah-Oman overland route will mainly handle consumer goods, however, not oil and gas, which require larger vessels. Food, pharmaceuticals and industrial cargo are expected to be some of the items sent via the new corridor.
Qatar says U.S.-Iran negotiations need "more time"
Qatar's government said Tuesday that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which are being mediated by Pakistan, need more time to reach a deal.
"We are supportive of the diplomatic effort by Pakistan that has shown seriousness in bringing parties together and finding a solution, and we do believe it needs more time," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said during a news conference.
He spoke a day after President Trump said he had postponed a scheduled attack on Iran to give the process a chance.
He said he had done so at the request of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as "serious negotiations" were underway that the Persian Gulf states believed could yield a deal, "which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond."
CBS/AFP
Iranian lawmaker says new U.S. attack would leave Trump "more embarrassed"
An Iranian lawmaker said Tuesday that any new U.S. attack on the country would be met with a "stronger response," and leave President Trump "more embarrassed."
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran's Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Iran was "prepared for all scenarios," according to state TV network IRIB.
"The Americans must either submit to diplomacy and our conditions or submit to the power of our missiles," he added.
Mr. Trump said in a social media post Monday that he had called off an attack on Iran that had been planned for Tuesday after a request from Persian Gulf allies, saying "serious negotiations" for a peace deal were underway.
The Iranian regime had said earlier that it submitted its latest revised terms to the U.S. and that it was waiting for a response.
Rezaei said Tuesday that "any new aggression against Iran will be met with a stronger response and will make Trump even more embarrassed."
"The history of the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its previous state, and no power can reopen it without our consent," he said.
Iran holds mass wedding for 1,000 couples in "Sacrifice for Iran" event
Iran has held a mass wedding for at least 1,000 couples in Tehran as part of what state media called a "Sacrifice for Iran" event.
Couples who had agreed to fight for Iran if the country is attacked were celebrated with flowers, flags and balloons on Monday, and driven around on military vehicles.
At Imam Hossein Square, just one of the ceremony locations in the capital, 110 couples were married.
Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,000 people in Lebanon, health ministry says
Lebanon's health ministry said Monday that 3,020 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since early March, amid the neighboring nation's war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Another 9,273 people have been wounded, the ministry said.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday he was ready to "do the impossible" to stop the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.S.- and Israeli-designated terrorist group based in his country.
Last week, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the governments of Israel and Lebanon was extended for 45 more days following a third round of talks in Washington, D.C., but Hezbollah has rejected both the truce and the negotiations, in which it has never been directly involved.
"The framework that Lebanon has set for the negotiations consists of an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, the deployment of the army along the border, the return of the displaced, and economic aid," Aoun said Monday.
Hezbollah has continued attacking Israeli forces, who have occupied a significant swath of southern Lebanon, and firing rockets into northern Israel, claiming it is responding to Israel's ongoing attacks. Both sides have accused the other daily of violating the ceasefire.
The Israeli army warned yet more residents in southern Lebanese towns to evacuate their villages Tuesday ahead of strikes. Lebanese officials say more than 1 million people have been displaced by the war.
CBS/AFP
Trump warns assault on Iran could happen "on a moment's notice" if deal isn't reached
President Trump warned that a full, large-scale assault of Iran could happen "on a moment's notice" if a deal isn't reached.
Mr. Trump said in a social media post he's not going ahead with a planned attack of Iran on Tuesday, saying "serious negotiations" are taking place.
Iran said it's focused entirely on an agreement to end the war, but has not discussed any details on nuclear matters, the Trump administration's top issue.
Trump says U.S. "will NOT" follow through with "scheduled" military attack on Iran
President Trump on Monday afternoon said the U.S. "will NOT" follow through with "scheduled" attacks on Iran on Tuesday, after he said partner nations in the Middle East asked him to hold off. The president made the announcement on Truth Social.
"In their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond," he wrote. "This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!"
He said he told Pentagon leaders that while "we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow," he instructed them "to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment's notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached."
Iranian officials lay out their terms for a peace deal and claim it was the U.S. that sought negotiations
An Iranian lawmaker has claimed the U.S. requested the ceasefire and negotiations between the two countries, not the other way around.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran never requested negotiations with the United States during the war," Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran's Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Monday, according to Iran's ISNA news agency.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also said Monday that Iran had submitted its latest proposal for a peace deal, but that U.S. representatives "have not yet provided an official response."
He said that for a peace deal to materialize, "war on all fronts, including Lebanon, must end; U.S. forces must withdraw from the region surrounding Iran; the maritime blockade must be lifted; sanctions must be removed; and Iran's assets must be released."
