Iran war live: Uncertainty over US-Tehran talks, Israel hits Lebanon
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/5/15/iran-war-live-trumps-visit-to-china-shadowed-by-conflict-with-tehran
Iran war live: Uncertainty over US-Tehran talks, Israel hits Lebanon
Al Jazeera Live
- US President Donald Trump says he is open to Iran suspending its nuclear programme for 20 years, as long as its commitment is “real”.
- 46m ago(17:15 GMT)
UN says Israeli army impeding peacekeepers in southern Lebanon
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN chief Antonio Guterres, says the Israeli military obstructed peacekeepers with the UN force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) twice on Thursday.
In one instance south of the Lebanese town of al-Bayada, “a tank halted peacekeepers escorting the Lebanese Red Cross, pointing its main gun towards the convoy, and instructed them to leave the area”, Haq told reporters. “The convoy was later able to proceed.”
The second incident saw an Israeli tank “briefly” block a UNIFIL patrol near Naqoura, Haq said. “Such restrictions are inconsistent with the obligation to respect UNIFIL’s freedom of movement,” he added. “We call on all actors to fully respect this obligation.”
Haq also told reporters three mortal rounds fired by the Israeli military landed about 70 metres from a UNIFIL position near Rmeich, a village near the Lebanon-Israel border, on Thursday.
Meanwhile, earlier today, UNIFIL also reported “one impact inside and another near a UN position” in al-Bayada, “resulting in material damage to buildings”, Haq said.
Armoured UNIFIL vehicles cross the Qasmiyeh bridge heading towards Beirut [File: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP] - 1h ago(17:00 GMT)
WATCH: Trump says deals made after talks with China’s President Xi
US President Donald Trump ended his state visit to China, hosted by President Xi Jinping, saying trade deals and agreements on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz were achieved.
However, no major breakthroughs were reached on trade, tech, or Taiwan, with both sides stressing dialogue for stability.
Watch our report below:
US president wraps up China visit: Trump says deals made and both leaders agree on Iran - 1h ago(16:45 GMT)
European markets fall as Trump-Xi talks fail on Hormuz breakthrough
European stock markets have closed sharply lower as inflation concerns deepen following talks between US Donald Trump and the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping that failed to ease tensions linked to the US-Israel war on Iran.
The Paris exchange fell 1.60 percent, Frankfurt dropped 2.07 percent, London declined 1.71 percent, and Milan slid 1.87 percent, reflecting broader investor anxiety over rising prices and geopolitical uncertainty.
- 1h ago(16:35 GMT)
Hezbollah launches drone and rocket attacks on Israeli forces
Hezbollah says it carried out a series of coordinated attacks on Israeli soldiers across southern Lebanon using drones, rockets, and artillery over the last few hours.
In a statement, the group said, “The Islamic Resistance targeted … an Israeli enemy force positioned near the Marj pond in the town of Houla with a squadron of attack drones.”
Hezbollah also said it struck the headquarters of the Israeli army’s 300th Brigade using two suicide drones, and targeted a concentration of Israeli vehicles and soldiers in Bint Jbeil with a barrage of rockets and artillery fire.
Fighters hit Israeli military bulldozers on the Biyyada-Naqoura road and in the town of Rashaf using attack drones, with Hezbollah saying casualties were inflicted.
Another rocket barrage was launched against Israeli forces in the town of al-Qouzah, marking the latest in a series of escalating attacks along the border.
- 1h ago(16:30 GMT)
Asia being hit hardest by war-related shocks to global energy
Rising fuel prices are having the biggest impact on countries in Asia than elsewhere in the world, says Adair Turner, co-chair of the Energy Transitions Commission think-tank.
“This is where it is really hitting ordinary, vulnerable people,” Turner told Al Jazeera, noting that countries have reported shortages of oil, diesel and other supplies while governments have had to close schools and take other mitigating measures.
“What we will see if this goes on – and it may go on for quite a long time – is a steady spreading of that type of impact across the world,” he said.
Turner added, however, the crisis may push decision-makers to move away from fossil fuels more rapidly than planned. “Already, private market reactions are accelerating the transition very significantly in just the last three months.”
There have been “dramatic increases in solar PV panel imports in Ethiopia, Kenya and Pakistan” as well as “significant increases in inquiries and sales related to electric cooking, induction cooking in India”, Turner said.
A solar panel farm in Batchelor, Australia [File: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images] - 1h ago(16:15 GMT)
UAE condemns Iranian attacks; reiterates right to ‘respond to any threat’
The United Arab Emirates has rejected Iran’s justifications for missile strikes, saying they violate the UN Charter as well as international law and “the principles of good neighbourliness”.
UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar said air defences intercepted about 3,000 Iranian attacks involving ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones.
“Despite the numerous international and regional resolutions and condemnations issued, Iran has continued its terrorist attacks against the UAE and other countries in the region, in clear disregard of the international consensus,” Al Marar said in a statement shared by the Emirati WAM news agency.
UAE under pressure as Israel actions complicate Iran diplomacy: Analyst - 2h ago(16:00 GMT)
What is Nakba day?
Every year on May 15, Palestinians around the world mark the Nakba, or “catastrophe”, referring to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948 by mostly European Jewish settlers.
As the British Mandate expired on May 14, 1948, Zionist forces declared the establishment of the State of Israel – triggering the first Arab-Israeli war.
Here are some key facts marking the day:
- At least 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and land as Zionist forces captured 78 percent of historical Palestine.
- The remaining 22 percent left for Palestinians was divided into what are now the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.
- Between 1947 and 1949, Zionist forces attacked major Palestinian cities and destroyed about 530 villages. They killed about 15,000 Palestinians in a wave of mass atrocities, including dozens of massacres.
- On April 9, 1948, Zionist forces carried out one of the most infamous massacres of the war in Deir Yassin, west of Jerusalem. Irgun and Stern militias killed more than 110 men, women, and children.
- About six million Palestinian refugees live across Palestine and neighbouring countries, including in at least 58 camps.
- International law affirms refugees’ right to return to their homes and property. Many Palestinians still hope to return to Palestine.
Women carry a giant flag and symbolic representations of keys to homes lost to the Zionists in 1948 in Ramallah, Israeli-occupied West Bank [Mohammed Torokman/Reuters] - 2h ago(15:52 GMT)
Israeli air strikes hit ambulance base in south Lebanon; 2 wounded
Israeli warplanes have carried out two air strikes targeting the town of Harouf in southern Lebanon, destroying an ambulance centre linked to the Islamic Health Authority and wounding at least two people.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported paramedics were wounded in the attack, which hit a facility used for emergency response in the Nabatieh area.
The United Nations says at least 103 Lebanese medical workers have been killed and 230 injured in more than 130 Israeli strikes since the war with Hezbollah restarted on March 2.
- 2h ago(15:45 GMT)
Trump’s position of zero Iranian enrichment ‘in the past’: Professor
Sultan Barakat, a professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, says it’s not in the Trump administration’s interests to return to full-scale war with Iran.
But the US president is trying “to climb down, step by step, [while] preserving the image of winning the war”.
“His initial position, which was zero [uranium] enrichment [by Iran] and to take what has been enriched out of the country, I think this is now in the past,” Barakat told Al Jazeera.
“Now, the options will be to give them a ceiling for what kind of enrichment [is allowed], mostly for civilian use, including medical use … and also look for a third country, aside from the US – potentially China – maybe to look after what has been enriched for some time,” he said.
- 2h ago(15:39 GMT)
Israeli attack on south Lebanon town kills 2
Two people have been killed in an Israeli air strike targeting the town of Tibnin in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.
- 2h ago(15:30 GMT)
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed on the latest developments:
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang urged Washington and Tehran to continue negotiations towards a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire”.
- US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he believes the importance of the Strait of Hormuz will decrease as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries look for alternative ways to ship oil and gas supplies, such as pipelines.
- Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 657 people since a “ceasefire” came into effect last month, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran’s “courageous resistance” has made the country better prepared to confront the United States.
- Israeli and Lebanese delegations arrived at the US State Department for the second day of US-backed negotiations.
- 2h ago(15:15 GMT)
Pakistan brings home citizens held on US-seized ships
Pakistan has repatriated 11 of its nationals, along with 20 Iranian citizens, who were on board vessels seized by the United States in international waters, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has announced.
Dar said all 31 individuals are in good health and travelled from Singapore to Bangkok, where they boarded a flight bound for Islamabad. The Iranian nationals will be facilitated onward to Tehran upon arrival.
The repatriation required coordination across multiple governments. Dar thanked Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and the Singaporean government for their support, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for “close coordination,” and Thailand for facilitating transit through Bangkok.
Dar also thanked Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for trusting Pakistan with the repatriation of Iranian nationals.
“The welfare and well-being of Pakistanis abroad, particularly those in distress, remains our government’s highest priority,” Dar said.
The move comes as Pakistan positions itself as a neutral facilitator in the broader Iran-US crisis, maintaining working channels with both Washington and Tehran.
- 3h ago(15:00 GMT)
Importance of Strait of Hormuz will decrease: US’s Wright
The US energy secretary has said he expects to see growth in pipeline capacity through Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries in the Middle East, predicting that the importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global oil and gas shipments decreases.
“There’ll be other routes for energy to get out” of the Gulf region, Wright told CNBC.
“I think we will see a decreasing importance from the Strait of Hormuz but not a decreasing importance of those nations’ energy production and energy supply,” he said.
“They’re great allies of the United States, they’re key energy suppliers to the world, and we need to see prosperity, peace and economic growth returning to that region.”
A container ship sits at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on May 2, 2026 [Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP Photo] - 3h ago(14:45 GMT)ANALYSIS
China has ‘significant leverage’ over Iran but won’t give it ‘for free’
A China analyst has said Beijing holds significant leverage over Iran but is unlikely to deploy it without extracting concessions from Washington.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Shanghai, Han Lin, China managing director at The Asia Group, outlined how Beijing’s deep energy ties with Tehran position it as a key player in resolving the Strait of Hormuz crises.
“The very fact that China purchases 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports makes clear that China has significant leverage over Iran, but it’s kind of like one chip. You can only use it once. And so it’s not very likely China will give up leverage on that for free,” he said.
His remarks come as the United States looks to Beijing for support in easing tensions and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy flows. But China’s calculus appears rooted firmly in transactional diplomacy.
“And so it’s not very likely China will give up leverage on that for free … China will likely ask for some form of quid pro quo, some form of transaction to be able to make it worthwhile.”
Han Lin suggested that any Chinese cooperation on Iran could hinge on relief in these areas, though the scope of negotiations may extend beyond trade.
- 3h ago(14:35 GMT)
China urges US-Iran dialogue, ‘swift reopening’ of Hormuz: Foreign minister
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says Beijing believes a solution to issues in the Strait of Hormuz “lies in achieving a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” between Washington and Tehran.
In comments shared by China’s official Xinhua news agency, Wang said President Xi emphasised in his talks with Trump “that force cannot solve problems and dialogue is the only right path”.
“Negotiations will not be achieved overnight, but once the door to dialogue has been opened, it should not be closed again,” Wang said.
“China has been working diligently to promote peace talks and will continue to play its role in pushing for a swift end to the fighting and restoring peace in the Middle East.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged continued US-Iran dialogue [File: Maxim Shemetov/Reuters] - 3h ago(14:30 GMT)
US energy secretary says China to buy more American oil amid war
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says he believes Beijing – a major purchaser of Iranian oil – will purchase more American crude oil amid the war.
“They’ll continue to buy, I think, growing amounts of US oil,” Wright said in an interview with CNBC.
“But ultimately, the world needs to get the Persian Gulf open. Iran’s attempt to hold the whole world hostage, people know it’s temporary.”
Asked how long it would take for the situation to get “back to normal”, Wright said, “A lot of that’s up to Iran.”
“One way or the other, we will see an end to the Iranian nuclear programme and we will see free flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. That can happen relatively rapidly with an agreement with Iran,” he said.
- 3h ago(14:15 GMT)
US and China agree ‘war must end’ and Strait of Hormuz must reopen
Few details have been released about exactly what President Trump revealed in his talks with China, but he made very clear in his comments that the US and China agree on two things: that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened and that the war must come to an end.
But apart from that, it appears that China is reluctant to get involved in any deep way in the whole issue of the Strait of Hormuz in particular, although, importantly, half its crude oil passes through that strait.
So that is a major issue for China. But it doesn’t appear at this stage that President Trump got any firm commitment from China to involve itself in discussions about opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the ongoing war.
- 4h ago(14:00 GMT)
Iran will always be ‘protector of security in Hormuz’: Araghchi
The Iranian foreign minister says he had “fruitful engagement” in talks with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
In a post on X, Araghchi said he “clarified that Iran will always carry out [its] historical duty as protector of security” in the Strait of Hormuz.
He added that “all friendly nations” can “rely on safety of commerce”.
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Content from blocked embed:In fruitful engagement with my host @DrSJaishankar, discussed regional developments and clarified that Iran will always carry out historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz. Iran is a reliable partner of all friendly nations, who can rely on safety of commerce. pic.twitter.com/Gmo48GvnQw — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 15, 2026 - 4h ago(13:47 GMT)
Israeli attacks on Lebanon kill at least 657 people since ‘ceasefire’ began
We have new casualty figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health:
- At least 2,951 people have been killed and 8,988 others wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2.
- That includes at least 657 people killed and 1,444 injured since a US-brokered “ceasefire” came into effect in mid-April.
- 4h ago(13:45 GMT)
US says 75 vessels redirected so far under Iran blockade
US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released updated figures on its blockade of Iranian ports.
It says 75 commercial vessels have been redirected, while four have been “disabled to ensure compliance”.
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Content from blocked embed:An MH-60R Sea Hawk takes off from the flight deck of USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) transiting the Arabian Sea as American forces enforce a maritime blockade against Iran. As of today, 75 commercial vessels have been redirected and 4 have been disabled to ensure compliance. pic.twitter.com/7wKCJXLqsf — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 15, 2026 - 4h ago(13:30 GMT)
Photos: Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon
Smoke rises behind buildings following an Israeli air strike in the southern city of Tyre, May 15 [AFP] 
[AFP] 
[AFP] - 4h ago(13:15 GMT)
Palestinian prisoners enduring ‘bloodiest and harshest period’ in decades
Israel has arrested more than 23,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said on Friday.
It added that this is the “bloodiest and harshest period” for Palestinian prisoners since 1967. Those detained include women, children and wounded people. The total does not include the thousands of Palestinians from Gaza who have been detained and disappeared since October 7, 2023.
“Detention has formed, and continues to form, one of the main pillars of the Israeli colonial project. It is used as a systematic tool to target the Palestinian presence and break the social and national structure,” it said.
More than 9,400 Palestinians are in Israeli prisons, which have become “organised spaces for torture, starvation, humiliation and systematic denial of medical treatment”.
Eighty-nine Palestinians have died in prison since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, some were tortured and suffered medical neglect.
- 4h ago(13:12 GMT)
Israeli, Lebanese delegations arrive at US State Department for talks
All the delegations have arrived at the US State Department on the second day of US-sponsored negotiations.
- 5h ago(13:00 GMT)
Hezbollah claims attacks on Israeli military equipment, troops in southern Lebanon
In a series of statements, Hezbollah claimed to have hit an Israeli tank near the town of Biyyada, as well as targeted three Israeli military bulldozers operating in the town of Khiam.
The Lebanese group also claimed a rocket and artillery attack on a group of Israeli soldiers positioned in the town of Rashaf.
- 5h ago(12:45 GMT)
Why the Iran conflict is becoming a problem for BRICS
Islamabad, Pakistan – A two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi ended on Friday without a common position on the war on Iran, with the bloc’s outcome document acknowledging only that “differing views” remained among members.
It was the second consecutive BRICS gathering in India to fail to produce a consensus on the conflict involving the United States and Israel.
The meeting opened on Thursday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the chairship of Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. It marked the first major ministerial engagement under India’s 2026 BRICS presidency.
On the agenda was the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, which led to a confrontation with the UAE.
Read more about that conflict in our explainer, here.
Foreign ministers and senior officials from partner countries gather during the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on May 14, 2026 [AFP] - 5h ago(12:30 GMT)
Israel’s army chief stresses need for readiness at surprise military exercise
Israel’s army chief says one of the main lessons from the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, is “the need for high and constant readiness for a surprise attack on our borders, from the platoon level to the General Staff.”
Speaking at Friday’s surprise exercise dubbed “Broil and Fire” on Israel’s eastern border, Eyal Zamir said soldiers were practising how to deal with “a broad terror attack with complex scenarios, in a challenging sector where our primary mission facing us is to defend the borders and the residents of the area”.
Israel was “in an ongoing multi-sector campaign, and the challenges ahead of us are great”.
The exercise involved various commanders and generals and included forces from all branches of the military, including reservists, who Zamir said were mobilised in the middle of the night.
- 5h ago(12:15 GMT)
Germany’s Merz says Iran ‘must come to negotiating table now’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he has spoken by phone with Trump during his trip back from China.
Merz said the two of them agreed that Iran “must come to the negotiating table now” and that the country “must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons”.
Merz said Iran must also “open the Strait of Hormuz”.
Earlier, as we reported, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Arraghchi said the strait was open to vessels of friendly nations if they coordinated with Iranian officials, but not to those of “enemy” states.
- 6h ago(12:00 GMT)
Photos: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends news conference in New Delhi
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for a news conference at the Iranian embassy in New Delhi, India, May 15, 2026 [Adnan Abidi/Reuters] 
[Adnan Abidi/Reuters] 
[Adnan Abidi/Reuters] - 6h ago(11:55 GMT)
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei hails country’s resistance, calls for unity in statement
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has released a statement that says Iran’s “courageous resistance” has made the country better prepared to confront the US.
Marking National Persian Language Preservation Day and to commemorate the poet Ferdowsi, Khamenei’s statement said that Iran “has demonstrated during the recent Sacred Defence (against the US-Zionist invasion) that Ferdowsi’s legendary tales are a reality of their lives and a reflection of their heroic character”.
He said the “valiant, Quranic concepts” in Ferdowsi’s epic poem Shahnameh “unite all Iranian ethnicities and social strata in preserving their identity, independence and in the battle against the ‘Zahhak-like’ aggressors”, referring to the personification of evil in Iranian mythology.
- 6h ago(11:45 GMT)
WATCH: This is the Palestinian Nakba, measured in land taken
Today, May 15, Palestinians mark 78 years since the Nakba.
The amount of land Israel has taken keeps growing, even today.
Watch below for more:
