US President Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei are pictured against a backdrop of Gulf maritime infrastructure amid escalating regional tensions.
Iran on Sunday, May 10, submitted its response to a United States proposal aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, with Tehran emphasising a permanent halt to hostilities and maritime security in the Gulf, according to Iranian state media reports.
The response was delivered through Pakistani mediators, Iran’s official news agency IRNA reported, describing the proposal as an initial framework centred on ending the war rather than addressing wider political disputes at this stage.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said the proposal calls for an end to fighting “on all fronts, especially Lebanon”, where Israeli attacks have continued despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this year.
The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions in the region and concerns over shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.
Sources cited by Reuters said mediation efforts are currently aimed at securing an initial agreement to halt fighting while broader negotiations continue on unresolved issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said negotiations with foreign powers would not amount to surrender, insisting Tehran would continue defending its national interests.
In a post on X on Sunday, Pezeshkian said Iran would “never bow” to its enemies and stressed that any dialogue or negotiations would be pursued from a position of strength.
He added that the purpose of talks was to protect the rights of the Iranian people and safeguard the country’s interests.
US President Donald Trump said Washington is closely monitoring Iran’s underground enriched uranium stockpile and warned that any attempt to access the site would provoke a military response.
Speaking in an interview aired on Sunday, Trump said the facility remained under surveillance through US military and space-based monitoring systems.
“If anybody got near the place, we will know about it,” Trump said, adding that the US would respond forcefully to any such move.
He also referred to the role of the US Space Force in tracking activity around the site, claiming Washington maintained continuous oversight of the area.
US President Donald Trump said the United States could target “every single” site in Iran within two weeks, while claiming Tehran had already suffered military defeat.
In an interview with independent journalist Sharyl Attkisson aired on Sunday, Trump said Iran may not fully recognise the extent of its losses.
“They’re militarily defeated,” Trump said. “That doesn’t mean they’re done.”
He added that the US military could expand operations further if necessary, claiming Washington had already struck around 70 percent of its intended targets.
Trump also criticised NATO, describing the alliance as a “paper tiger” and accusing US allies of not doing enough to support Washington’s campaign against Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Sunday, accusing the UN nuclear watchdog of stepping beyond its verification role.
In a post on X, Baghaei said the agency’s mandate was limited to nuclear inspections and “not political messaging about the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s missiles, or how Tehran should conduct itself”.
He added that institutions risk losing credibility and effectiveness when “professional impartiality is compromised for political signalling or personal ambition”.
The UAE’s Ministry of Education has announced that all public and private schools will resume in-person learning from Monday following a temporary shift to remote classes last week.
A near-total internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities has entered its 72nd day, according to internet monitoring group NetBlocks.
The organisation said the disruption has now exceeded 1,700 hours, marking one of the country’s longest nationwide connectivity restrictions in recent years.
Israeli forces carried out intermittent shelling on the town of Habbouch in Lebanon’s Nabatieh governorate on Sunday, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
The report said the attacks also reached the outskirts of the nearby town of Mayfadoun.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have redirected 58 commercial vessels and disabled four others since the naval blockade targeting Iran began in April.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said the blockade remains “fully enforced” and is aimed at preventing ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports.
The command added that more than 20 warships are currently involved in operations linked to the blockade in and around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.
A bulk carrier operated by South Korean shipping company HMM was struck by an unidentified object in the Strait of Hormuz on May 4, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Sunday following an on-site inspection.
The ministry said the object hit the stern of the vessel, which had been stranded in the strategic waterway. No further details about the object or the extent of the damage were immediately disclosed.
Iranian state television said on Sunday that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had met military central command chief Ali Abdollahi and issued new directives related to ongoing operations, AFP reported.
State media did not specify when the meeting took place. Khamenei has remained largely out of public view since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, in March and has communicated mainly through written statements.
Multiple drone incidents were reported across the Gulf on Sunday, including an attack on a cargo vessel sailing towards Qatar, amid escalating regional tensions, AFP reported.
Iran warned the United States that it would respond more forcefully to any future strikes, signalling a tougher stance after weeks of unrest.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) accused Tehran of being behind an attack targeting its territory. If confirmed, it would be only the second reported strike on a Gulf country since a ceasefire took effect last month.
This post was last modified on May 10, 2026 9:54 pm