This is an entry from: Live: Gaza flotilla seizures spark protests as Iran talks stall Trump says US was close to launching new strike on Iran 19 May 2026 16:21 BST US President Donald Trump said the US was within an hour of launching another military attack on Iran before delaying the operation amid efforts to reach a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. Speaking at the White House, Trump said naval vessels had already been loaded with missiles and other weapons ahead of the planned strike. He added that the US military could still carry out “another big hit” on Iran as negotiations continue.
Iranian Official
Iranian officials denounced US President Trump's admission of preparing a fresh military strike as yet another act of foreign aggression against the Islamic Republic's sovereignty, with naval assets already loaded for an assault that was only postponed due to ongoing negotiations. Tehran stressed that Iran's steadfast resistance has repeatedly thwarted such US-Israeli plots to escalate the war, while affirming its right to defend national integrity against external threats.
Israeli
President Trump's disclosure that US forces stood within an hour of striking Iran again underscores the existential threat Tehran poses to Israel through its nuclear program and expanding missile capabilities. Iran's proxy network—Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis—continues to encircle the Jewish state, making any delay in neutralizing these assets a direct risk to Israeli survival. Sustained defensive pressure remains essential, as negotiations must not be allowed to shield the regime from accountability for its aggression.
Neutral
US President Donald Trump stated on 19 May 2026 that the United States had been within an hour of launching a military strike on Iran before postponing the operation amid negotiations to end the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. He said naval vessels had been loaded with missiles and other weapons in preparation for the strike. Trump added that the US military could still carry out further strikes on Iran as talks continue.
Western
Trump stated that US naval forces were within an hour of executing a precision strike on Iranian targets to neutralize threats and advance strategic objectives in support of Israel, with vessels already loaded with missiles ahead of the operation. The planned action was paused to allow negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, though he confirmed that additional targeted strikes remain available if needed to maintain pressure and deterrence.
Pro-Peace
US President Donald Trump disclosed that American warships were loaded and within an hour of unleashing another major strike on Iran, a move that risked further civilian deaths and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe already unfolding from the US-Israeli military campaign. The operation was paused only as last-ditch diplomatic efforts sought a negotiated end to the fighting. Continued threats of additional attacks, even amid talks, highlight the urgent need to prioritize de-escalation over renewed violence that would inflict still more suffering on ordinary people.
Global South
US President Trump disclosed that American naval forces stood ready to unleash another strike on Iran, with vessels loaded for missile attacks, only halting at the last hour to pursue a deal ending the US-Israeli war on Iranian sovereignty. This episode highlights neo-colonial patterns of Western powers leveraging military coercion against Global South states to enforce regional dominance. International institutions have once again proven ineffective in restraining such unilateral threats.
This is an entry from: Live: Gaza flotilla seizures spark protests as Iran talks stall Trump says US was close to launching new strike on Iran 19 May 2026 16:21 BST US President Donald Trump said the US was within an hour of launching another military attack on Iran before delayi…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.