ConflictClarifier

2026 Iran-Gulf Crisis Tracker
CC
Events Archive
diplomacyMay 16, 2026

US-Iran War Live: Trump says US allowed 3 Chinese tankers with Iranian oil to exit Hormuz

Summary

US-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Tensions persist in the Middle East as the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz continues. US President Donald Trump said he allowed three Chinese tankers with Iranian oil to exit the vital strait as the blockade has sent global energy markets soaring. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a Brics meeting in Delhi that Tehran had received messages from the Trump administration indicating a willingness to remain open to fresh peace talks. In another related development, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 45-day extension of the ceasefire after a fresh round of talks in Washington DC. Follow indiatoday.in for more updates on the Iran war....Read More A ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo: Reuters)

Perspectives

Iranian Official

In the face of illegal US aggression and its continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which violates Iran's sovereign rights and disrupts global energy flows, Tehran has stood firm in defense of its territorial integrity. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed receipt of messages from the Trump administration signaling openness to talks, reflecting the effectiveness of Iran's resistance against foreign interference. Meanwhile, regional developments, including the extended Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, underscore the limits of external meddling amid ongoing pressures on the Zionist entity.

Israeli

Israel views the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a vital defensive measure against Iran's existential threats, including its nuclear ambitions and proxy networks like Hezbollah that endanger the Jewish state's survival. The 45-day Lebanon ceasefire extension, reached amid ongoing talks, buys critical time to degrade these Iranian-backed forces while countering Tehran's attempts to ease pressure through selective oil shipments and diplomatic overtures. Such steps remain essential to secure Israel's borders against encirclement by Tehran’s militant allies.

Neutral

The United States has maintained a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to higher global energy prices. US President Donald Trump stated that three Chinese tankers carrying Iranian oil were permitted to transit the strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had received messages from the Trump administration indicating openness to new talks, while Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend their ceasefire by 45 days after negotiations in Washington.

Western

The US maintains its strategic blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to neutralize Iranian oil revenues that fund regional threats and proxy militias, while selectively permitting limited tanker transits to manage global energy stability. Diplomatic channels remain open following Iranian outreach, even as Washington coordinates with Israel to extend the Lebanon ceasefire by 45 days and reduce escalation risks. These calibrated measures underscore precision in targeting Tehran’s economic lifelines without broader disruption.

Pro-Peace

The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues to drive up global energy prices, worsening humanitarian hardships for civilians through inflated living costs and economic strain. In a positive shift, Iran has signaled openness to renewed peace talks with the Trump administration, while Israel and Lebanon have extended their ceasefire by 45 days via Washington negotiations—steps that highlight diplomacy as a vital alternative to escalation.

Global South

US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz asserts external control over a critical global chokepoint, inflating energy prices that hit import-dependent Global South economies hardest while undermining Iran’s sovereign right to manage its resources and trade. Iranian signals at the BRICS summit in Delhi point to tentative US openness for talks, exposing the limits of coercive sanctions and the push for multipolar alternatives to Western-dominated institutions. The Washington-brokered Israel-Lebanon ceasefire extension further illustrates how external powers shape regional outcomes, often at the expense of lasting, locally driven sovereignty.

Actors involved

USIsraelIran

Sources

  • India Today World DeskBy India Today World Desk

    US-Israel-Iran War Live Updates: Tensions persist in the Middle East as the US blockade on the Strait of Hormuz continues. US President Donald Trump said he allowed three Chinese tankers with Iranian oil to exit the vital strait as the blockade has sent global energy markets soar…

See this event through different lenses

Compare how Western, Iranian, Israeli, Global South, and Pro-Peace perspectives frame this event.

Compare Perspectives

Community Notes

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Related events

diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
○ 1 source

Key points: Bitcoin diverges from US stocks as Trump says Strait of Hormuz “open” Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD building on the week’s gains as the S&P 500 bounced from 7,696, its lowest level since Aug. 4. BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView This came after US president Donald Trump posted a map of the closed Strait of Hormuz oil route to Truth Social where it was labeled “new US territory.

” Both the US and Iran lay claim to control of Hormuz, with Trump threatening US ally Oman with military action over its plans to work with Iran on charging tolls to shipping traffic. In a subsequent post, Trump confirmed that further diplomacy with Iran was not on the agenda.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he wrote. S&P 500 one-day chart.

Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView As on Monday, oil avoided major volatility, with WTI crude down 1% at the time of writing at $84 per barrel. US government bonds continued to show strain, with the 30-year yield hitting 5.34%, its highest since January 2007.

“Bond prices are sending warnings,” BNY Mellon analyst Geoff Yu wrote in a research note quoted by the New York Times. Yu said that the surge came as “investors demand more compensation for inflation risk,” while also attributing the upside to government borrowing.

US 30-year bond yields one-month chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView BTC price faces crunch rebound test Updating X followers on BTC/USD, trader and analyst Aksel Kibar eyed the culmination of a potential reverse head-and-shoulders pattern at $62,300.

Related: Bitcoin price spike to $64.5K was ‘low-volume liquidity trap’: Analysis “If $BTCUSD is going to rebound, it has to come from here,” he argued on Monday. Kibar offered a $53,000 target in the event of the head-and-shoulders structure failing, with $76,000 a potential upside target should the rebound sustain.

BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com Previously, Cointelegraph reported that underwater investors were contributing to Bitcoin’s inability to break higher. Its rebound to $64,500 also stopped short of an overhead trend line, the 50-month exponential moving average (EMA).

This moving average is now in place as resistance at $65,827.

Location: Strait of Hormuz
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
○ 1 source

Trump says no talks underway with Iran, Hormuz blockade remains in place US president says no discussions are taking place or planned with Tehran and reiterates that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no talks are taking place with Iran and that no discussions are currently scheduled between the two countries.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains "in full force and effect." The president did not provide further details regarding US policy towards Iran or any potential future diplomatic engagement.

Trump's comments come amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and renewed focus on security and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.

Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
○ 1 source

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran had “won both the war and diplomacy,” claiming those who initially sought Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” later sought negotiations. Speaking at an event, Araghchi said Iran resisted for days against what he described as “the world’s largest apparent military,” alongside another army claiming military power and with the support of nearly all Western countries and some other states inside and outside the region, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Those who were seeking unconditional surrender, shortly after the war began, begged for negotiations,” Araghchi said. He claimed Tehran initially rejected a ceasefire and continued fighting until reaching a point where the other side accepted a ceasefire and negotiations “on Iran’s terms.

” “We fought with strength, and we negotiated with strength,” he said, adding that many foreign ministers had told him: “You won both the war and diplomacy.” Araghchi’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump called on Iran on Monday to give up and “raise the white flag.

Location: Tehran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIran
○ 1 source

- Iran demands US lift sanctions and return frozen assets to reopen Strait of Hormuz - Iran's Parliament Speaker warns closure of Strait continues until US ends military threats - Around 20% of global oil supply passes through the Strait, impacting energy security Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets a set of conditions, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to oil sanctions and what Tehran describes as a US blockade and military threats.

Al-Arabiya English reported that Iran's Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Trump administration must meet the conditions before Tehran considers reopening the strategic waterway. “Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,” Ghalibaf said.

Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. pic.twitter.com/fl2RrKnT1R— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) August 18, 2026 Ghalibaf also warned that Iran was prepared to respond more forcefully depending on the actions of its adversaries.

ALSO READ: 'We Control Hormuz': Trump To Declare Strait As US Territory? Here's What President Says The comments add a new condition to an already fragile diplomatic environment, with the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of concerns over global energy supplies.

Around one-fifth of global oil supply typically passes through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption a major risk for crude markets, shipping and energy security. Earlier, Press TV reported that Ghalibaf is scheduled to travel to Baghdad on Wednesday at the head of a high-level Iranian delegation for discussions with Iraqi leaders.

The talks are expected to cover regional developments and bilateral cooperation, including border security, counterterrorism, economic ties and implementation of existing agreements. Iraqi media have also reported that the agenda could include a proposal concerning Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit comes as regional governments grapple with the implications of continued disruption in one of the world's most important energy corridors. ALSO READ: Hormuz Tensions: Another Ship Hit By Unknown Projectile, Says UKMTO Centre The security situation in the waterway has also remained tense.

The UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency, or UKMTO, said a vessel reported being struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz. “The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” UKMTO said.

The impact damaged the vessel's engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, the agency said. The remaining crew was being assisted by the Omani coastguard. Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.

Location: Tehran