US-Iran War Live News Updates: Araghchi Says Iran Has 'Never Wanted Nuclear Weapons'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says, "Now, after 40 days of war, when the US became hopeless of achieving any goal in their aggression against Iran, they offered negotiation... We have no trust in Americans... This is the main obstacle in the way of any diplomatic effort. We have every reason not to trust Americans, while they have no reason not to trust us."

A senior Lebanese official familiar with the negotiations in Washington said Lebanon wants a complete ceasefire first and then would negotiate withdrawal of Israeli forces. The issue of Hezbollah's weapons would be dealt with politically in Lebanon after that, he said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to speak frankly about the talks.

He said Lebanon is “relying heavily on the US administration” to provide it with leverage in the negotiations with Israel and believes that Trump is “sincere” in his desire to help Lebanon.

(Source: AP)

The current round of Lebanon-Israel talks represents a step toward more serious negotiations, with higher-level envoys from Lebanon and Israel taking part after the initial preparatory sessions were headed by the ambassadors of the two countries to Washington.

Lebanon's envoy heading up Thursday's talks, Simon Karam, is an attorney and well-connected former Lebanese ambassador to the US who recently represented Lebanon in indirect talks with Israel over implementation of the ceasefire that preceded the latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hezbollah.

On the Israeli side, Deputy National Security Adviser Yossi Draznin was set to attend.

A third round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon kicked off in Washington Thursday, days before the expiration of a truce that reduced but did not stop the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials are hoping that the two-day negotiations will yield a new ceasefire deal and pave the way for tackling a series of thorny issues, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
 

(Source: AP)

Prime Minister Modi said, "We strongly condemn the attacks on the UAE and denounce the way the UAE has been targeted. This is unacceptable in any form. In these difficult circumstances, the restraint and maturity you have shown are highly commendable. We appreciate the steps taken under your leadership to maintain national unity, security and territorial integrity."
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Brother, the impact of the current conflict in West Asia is being felt across the entire world today. India has always prioritised the path of dialogue and diplomacy as the means to resolve problems. Maintaining a free, open, and safe Strait of Hormuz is our highest priority. In this regard, adherence to international law is essential..."

UAE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Brother, the impact of the current conflict in West Asia is being felt across the entire world today. India has always prioritized the path of dialogue and diplomacy as the means to resolve problems. Maintaining a free, open, and safe… pic.twitter.com/rZn20kXomn

— IANS (@ians_india) May 15, 2026

US President Donald Trump departs from Beijing. This is the first visit to China by a US president in nine years. Trump himself was the last US president to visit China in 2017. Watch video:

Chinese premier Xi Jinping called US President Donald Trump's visit a "milestone" visit. "We have established a new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable relationship," he said.

(Source: AP)
 

Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping wrapped up critical talks on Friday, claiming important progress in stabilising US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world's two biggest powers on Iran, Taiwan and more.

According to information received by the Tehran Times, the US government has responded to Iran's written proposal regarding the end of the war.

Iran had presented its proposal based on a two-stage negotiation process, where the first stage would lead to the end of the war on all fronts, and if Iran's conditions were met, the second stage of negotiations, concerning the nuclear issue, would commence.

According to information received by the Tehran Times, the U.S. government has responded to Iran's written proposal regarding the end of the war.

By rejecting Tehran's proposals, the U.S. has once again reiterated its coercive stance, particularly regarding the nuclear issue.

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) May 15, 2026

In his address, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran is a victim of "illegal expansionism and warmongering" and urged the BRICS nations to "explicitly condemn" what he described as violations of international law by the US and Israel. The Iranian foreign minister called upon the BRICS to resist "Western hegemony and the sense of impunity that the US believes it is entitled to".

Araghchi, however, did not make any reference to the UAE in his remarks.

In his statement, Al Marar mentioned Iran and criticised Tehran for its attacks on several neighbouring countries.

Soon after, Araghchi sought to respond to the UAE minister's remarks, referring to the UAE allowing its territory to be used by the US to carry out attacks on Iran. The UAE minister sharply responded to Araghchi's remarks.

(Source: AP)

Sharp differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the Middle East conflict were on full display during the opening day of the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, signalling the challenges the bloc faces in reaching a consensus position on the crisis.

It is learnt that there were heated exchanges between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar during the first sessions at the meeting.

.@POTUS tours the gardens with President Xi at Zhongnanhai pic.twitter.com/tZsVNZJ0m1

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 15, 2026

US President Donald Trump says, "We made some fantastic trade deals great for both countries... He is a great man I respect greatly... We have settled a lot of problems that a lot of people would not have been able to settle... We discussed Iran and want that crisis to end. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon and want the Straits open..." 

He also says, "President Xi will be visiting on September 24th... The visit will be reciprocal and he will be walking back very impressed, like I am with China..."

#WATCH | US President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping for the second day in Beijing

US President Donald Trump says, "We made some fantastic trade deals great for both countries... He is a great man I respect greatly... We have settled a lot of problems that a lot… pic.twitter.com/qL4ze2YKnk

— ANI (@ANI) May 15, 2026

US President Donald Trump described Xi as a "warm person" who is "all business." He expressed his appreciation for this, saying, "I like that – that’s a good thing. No games." He defended his positive remarks about his relationship with Xi, stating that he often faces criticism for praising certain leaders, but he respects Xi as a leader for China, a nation with nearly 1.5 billion people.

He called the military honour guard ceremony welcoming him "incredible," adding, "If you went to Hollywood, you wouldn’t find that.”

(Source: AP)

US President Donald Trump also mentioned that he encouraged Xi to “buy oil” from the US, to which Xi responded that he “likes the idea. "They’re going to go to Texas. We’re going to start sending Chinese ships to Texas, to Louisiana and to Alaska. And I think that was another thing that was agreed to. That’s a big thing," he said.

He expressed a desire to see China open up its markets, stating, "It would be unbelievable for our companies if they open it, and I think it would be good for China too."

Until 15 May 2026, the public sector oil marketing companies, which together command about 90% cent of the retail market, had held petrol and diesel prices essentially unchanged from their Feb 23, 2026 levels, absorbing the cost of crude at refinery gate and accumulating daily under-recoveries reported at around one thousand crore rupees.

Source: Global Petrol Prices.com weekly retail data, country-level changes from 23 February 2026 to 11 May 2026.

US President Donald Trump said the US objective of recovering highly enriched uranium from Iran was "more for public relations than it is for anything else."

Trump said in an interview with Fox News that the mission to recover the uranium, which is thought to be buried beneath the rubble of bombed nuclear sites, could be viewed as unnecessary because the US was maintaining round-the-clock surveillance. The  president said, he ultimately would rather get the material out of the country.

(Source: Bloomberg)

Defending the military operations against Iran once again, US President Donald Trump said they are much shorter than previous US conflicts, such as those in Vietnam and Iraq. He stated that Iran's navy has been taken out and that they currently lack air force and anti-aircraft capabilities. “They built it up a little bit. We’ll take it out in one day,” he declared.

When pressed about China's support for Iran, Trump stated that the topic was discussed with Xi, who assured him that China "is not going to give military equipment" to Iran. China currently purchases 90 per cent of Iranian oil and maintains a strategic partnership with Tehran, including close military ties.

(Source: AP)

Trump was scheduled for one more meeting with Xi on Friday, followed by lunch before returning home, concluding his visit to China.

During the interview, Trump noted, “President Xi would like to see a deal between the US and Iran.” He added that Xi offered assistance, saying, 'If I could be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.' Trump expressed his belief that China also does not want Iran to possess nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump said Iran is "finished" and must negotiate a deal to end the conflict or face annihilation. Speaking to Fox News on the final day of his China trip, he said the US cannot "let Iran have a nuclear weapon." Trump said "Deal or annihilation for Iran" after in-depth discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Iran.