Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right) and US President Donald Trump.
The US-Israeli war on Iran entered its 82nd day on Wednesday, May 20, amid renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran following fresh warnings from US President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In a post on X, Araghchi claimed that months after the start of the war on Iran, the US Congress had acknowledged the loss of dozens of aircraft worth billions of dollars.
“Our powerful Armed Forces are confirmed as 1st to strike down a touted F-35,” he wrote, adding that “with lessons learned and knowledge we gained, return to war will feature many more surprises.”
The Iranian foreign minister’s remarks came after Trump revealed that he was “only an hour away” from ordering attacks on Iran on Monday, but decided to halt the strikes to allow “serious negotiations” to continue.
Trump said Iran was “begging” to reach an agreement, while warning that the United States was preparing a “full assault” if Tehran failed to make a deal over its nuclear programme.
“Well, I mean, I’m saying two or three days, maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday, something, maybe early next week, a limited period of time, because we can’t let them have a new nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
The US president has repeatedly warned Iran in recent weeks. However, the lack of direct military action despite escalating rhetoric has strengthened perceptions that the conflict remains deadlocked.
The latest exchange underscores continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran as diplomatic efforts struggle to gain momentum amid the prolonged conflict.
Iran’s foreign ministry rejected US claims that a school targeted in a strike was located within a missile base, calling the allegation a “baseless fabrication”.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei accused Washington of trying to justify the February 28 attack, which Iran says killed more than 170 schoolchildren and teachers, and described the strike as a “war crime”.
Two Chinese supertankers carrying around 4 million barrels of crude oil have departed the Strait of Hormuz after remaining stranded in the Gulf for nearly two months, Reuters reported.
Iran has submitted a revised 14-point proposal through Pakistani mediation as part of continuing exchanges with the United States, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.
“In line with the recent practice of exchanging messages, Iran has also once again submitted its text in 14 points through the Pakistani mediator after making amendments,” an Iranian official was quoted as saying.
Tasnim also cited another Iranian official as claiming that Washington had agreed to temporarily waive sanctions on Iran during the negotiation period.
“The United States has proposed a waiver of OFAC sanctions until a final understanding is reached,” the report said, referring to the US Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy criticised what he described as a failed strategy behind the war on Iran.
Responding to a report by The New York Times about an alleged US-Israeli plan involving former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a possible regime change effort, Murphy described the proposal as a “naive, childish fantasy”.
He said the reported strategy amounted to improvised ideas with no realistic political foundation.
The Israeli military warned residents of 12 towns and villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately ahead of expected attacks targeting Hezbollah positions, despite an existing ceasefire.
In a post on X, Israeli military Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said Hezbollah’s alleged violations of the ceasefire had prompted the military action.
“Hezbollah’s continued violations of the ceasefire compel the IDF to operate against it,” he said.
“The IDF does not intend to harm you. For your safety, we urge you to distance yourself from the area and immediately move at least 1,000 metres away,” Adraee added.
South Korea said it is holding “close and serious discussions” with Iran over the May 4 attack on the South Korean-operated HMM Namu in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The United States and Israel reportedly considered former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a leadership role in Tehran during the early stages of the war, according to a media report.
The New York Times, citing US officials, reported that Ahmadinejad was consulted as Washington and Tel Aviv developed plans targeting Iran.
The report also claimed that Ahmadinejad was later injured in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran, allegedly aimed at freeing him from house arrest.
The Indian rupee fell to a record low on Wednesday as stalled US-Iran peace talks kept global oil prices elevated, increasing pressure on the Indian economy.
The rupee dropped to 96.8650 against the US dollar, surpassing the previous record low touched a day earlier, according to Reuters.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow was ready to assist negotiations between Iran and the United States if requested, but would not impose its involvement.
Speaking to TASS, Ryabkov said Russia was prepared to provide “all possible assistance” in resolving the conflict.
“At the same time, we have never imposed and do not intend to impose our services,” he said, adding that Moscow would “extend a helping hand” if asked by the parties involved.
Ryabkov also stressed that Russia remained committed to resolving tensions through “political and diplomatic channels”.
This post was last modified on May 20, 2026 10:18 am