US-Iran War Live News Updates: Iran's Internet Connectivity Partially Restored, Says Netblocks

Iran's internet connectivity has been partially restored according to Netblocks, an independent watchdog organisation that monitors internet freedom and cybersecurity.

Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the US attacks on mine laying vessels as a ceasefire violation, in a statement cited by Bloomberg.

The Israeli Military ordered civllian residents of the Lebanese city of Nabatieh to leave their homes and move northwards to Zahrani River, accordig to a post from their 'X' account.

Iran International, citing sources, reports Iran is demanding the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen assets held in Qatar as a part of MoU to advance US negotiations. 

Sources said the $12 billion is only an initial tranche, and Tehran wants all overseas frozen assets eventually unfrozen under any final deal.

Tasnim News Agency, linked to the IRGC, reported that disagreements over one or two clauses in a proposed MoU between Tehran and Washington remain unresolved.

An Israeli airstrike on a village in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, state media said on Tuesday, as an Israeli official said the military had called up more troops to Lebanon. The strike hit the village of Mashghara in the Bekaa Valley late Monday, according to Lebanon's state-run National News Agency.

An Israeli security official said the military had called up an additional battalion to Lebanon. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Rescue workers say that a dozen bodies were pulled out of the rubble following an intense wave of overnight strikes targeting swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon.

(Source: AP)

US and Iranian forces clashed near the Strait of Hormuz overnight, highlighting the tension between the two sides even as they tout progress toward an interim peace deal.

The strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump reiterated that negotiations with Tehran to extend their ceasefire and reopen the strait were proceeding, and just before Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei published a statement warning that the "nations and lands of the region will no longer be a shield for American bases."

(Source: Bloomberg)
 

Statement Of Mojtaba Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Hajj:

The Islamic Ummah and the nations of the region possess numerous shared capacities and interests that will shape the new order and the future geometry of the region and the world.

I, with sincerity and purity, invite all Islamic countries and governments to friendship and cooperation for the good and benevolence, so that together we may strive toward the progress of the Islamic Ummah and the resolution of the issues facing the world of Islam.

Iranian pilgrims and Hajj participants in this year's Hajj have an effective and prominent role in narrating the victory of the third imposed war to their fellow Muslim brothers and sisters and instilling hope in them for a bright future.

I ask all dear pilgrims to earnestly devote themselves to praying for the hastening of the advent of the Savior of Humanity—may God hasten his noble appearance—and to pray for the unity of the Islamic Ummah, the liberation of Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque, the alleviation of the great hardships afflicting Muslims, and the attainment of ultimate victory against global arrogance.


(Ends)

Statement Of Mojtaba Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Hajj:

Forty-seven years ago, the Muslim nation of Iran rose up with the weapon of "Allahu Akbar," overthrew the tyrannical, dictatorial, and dependent Pahlavi regime, severed the greedy and arrogant hands and feet of America from the country, and completely cut off the influence of Zionism.

It was the weapon of Allahu Akbar that fortified the threads of connection among the Islamic Ummah and the mujahid youth of the Resistance Front, from Iran to Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Syria, from Africa and Yemen to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and all the free nations of the world.

The weary Iran, at the threshold of the Islamic Revolution, stepped onto the path of Hijra. It heeded the Abrahamic call of the great Khomeini, shed the garb of submissiveness to dominion, and donned the pilgrim's robes of felicity in this world and the next.

It is with the weapon of "Allahu Akbar" that, following the resurrection of the Iranian nation and the front of resistance, the resurrection of the Islamic Ummah will come to pass.
 

Statement Of Mojtaba Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Hajj:

The future belongs to the Islamic Ummah and the new Islamic civilisation, and each one of us can play a role in realizing this future and drawing closer to it, to the extent of our own resolve, capacity, and responsibility.

It was with the weapon of "Allahu Akbar" that the valiant warriors and self-sacrificing armed forces, alongside the mujahideen of the resistance front—especially dear Lebanon—achieved remarkable victories against the two fully armed terrorist armies, American-Zionist, in the third imposed war.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on the weapon of "Allahu Akbar," succeeded in rendering the Zionist regime helpless under its devastating blows in the second imposed war in Khordad 1404, delivering a harsh slap to the aggressor America, and thwarting the enemy in its goal of forcing Iran's surrender.

(continued...)

Statement Of Mojtaba Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Hajj:

The shaky Zionist regime and the cancerous tumor of Israel have also drawn near to the final stages of their cursed demise, and by the grace of God and in accordance with the decisive and prescient statement of the supremely dignified Leader ten years ago, it shall not see twenty-five years hence from that date, God willing.

This year, the issue of disavowing the polytheists holds double importance, and the depth and breadth of disavowing America and the Zionist regime extend beyond the ritual of disavowal in the season and meeting place of Hajj, and in various parts of Iran and the world and after these blessed days, "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" will be the common slogan of the Islamic Ummah and the oppressed of the world, especially the youth.

(continued)

Statement Of Mojtaba Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution on the occasion of Hajj:

The hand of time does not turn back, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases. America will no longer have a safe haven for mischief and the establishment of military bases in the region.

The weapon of God is great; it bestowed such strength and power upon the Iranian nation that, following the heart-wrenching event of the martyrdom of the great leader, the worthy successor of the Noble Messenger, His Eminence Ayatollah al-Uzma Sayyid Ali Husayni Khamenei, at the hands of the villains of today's world, it found divine resurrection.

The valiant mujahideen and self-sacrificing armed forces, placing their trust in the Divine Lord and by means of their missiles and drones on land, in the air, and at sea, hurled [their weapons] at the Great Satan—namely America—and its trained beast, the Zionist regime, and beheld with their own eyes the fulfillment of God's true promise of victory to the warriors striving in His path.

(continued)

A senior spokesperson for Iran’s Armed Forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, has said any new aggression against Iran will be met with a “far more severe” response that extends beyond the region.

In comments carried by Iran’s Fars news agency, Shekarchi said in the event of another round of war, Iran’s attacks would reach beyond the region’s borders and be heavier and more violent than in previous rounds.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

Will a US-Iran deal finally bring stability to the markets, or is investor confidence misplaced? In this video, Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research at ANZ Research, breaks down the highly fragile situation surrounding oil prices and the Strait of Hormuz.

Kazakhstan’s national railroad operator is expanding track and infrastructure to handle rising China-Europe freight demand as the Iran war shifts trade flows. CEO Talgat Aldybergenov said the Strait of Hormuz situation and Middle East escalation are boosting volumes, with Chinese clients preferring land shipping for reliability and predictable delivery.

This highlights the growing importance of the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, a 4,250-km rail route through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Cargo volumes along the route have surged roughly tenfold since 2022, as many shippers avoid Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, according to Abrdn Investments Ltd.
 

Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney said he spoke with Israel’s President Herzog today. He reiterated that the treatment of civilians aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable.

In a post on X, carney rote,"Today, I spoke with the President Herzog of Israel. I reiterated that the appalling treatment of civilians aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable, and that respect for human dignity must be upheld everywhere, at all times."

"I underlined the imperative of de-escalation in the Middle East, and the importance of a genuine resumption of dialogue among all parties. Progress toward peace and stability in the region must remain the clear, shared objective."

Today, I spoke with the President Herzog of Israel.

I reiterated that the appalling treatment of civilians aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla was unacceptable, and that respect for human dignity must be upheld everywhere, at all times.

I underlined the imperative of de-escalation…

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) May 25, 2026

Recognition of a Palestinian state also remains key for Pakistan, which is among the countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Islamabad-based analyst Syed Mohammad Ali said Pakistan's position on Israel remains unchanged despite Trump's latest proposal.

Masood Khan, Pakistan's former ambassador to the United States, said it remains to be seen how workable the proposal might be for the countries on Trump's list.
 

Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, ANZ Research told NDTV Profit:

• Still Not Certain When US-Iran Deal Will Be Signed. 
• 50 Day Moving Avg For Brent Fut Was Support Level. 
• There Will Be Imp Repercussion On The Supply Side.
• Toll Fee On Strait Of Hormuz Is An Additional Tax.

US President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran to end the war were progressing "nicely" and urged countries involved in the peace talks to sign on to the Abraham Accords, which deal with establishing diplomatic, economic and security ties between Israel and Arab nations. 

He said it would be an honour to have Iran as a signatory to the Accords.

"...after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords," Trump said, adding that it may be accepted if one or two have a reason for not doing so.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said that Lavrov conveyed Russia’s decision to launch strikes on sites in Kyiv linked to the Ukrainian military. Lavrov said the “systematic and consistent strikes” were in "in response to the continuing terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against the peaceful population and civilian sites on Russian territory".

Lavrov also drew Rubio’s attention to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement which recommended that the US, along with other countries with diplomatic missions in Kiev, ensure the evacuation of their diplomatic personnel and other citizens from the Ukrainian capital.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war and the situation in Iran, the Department of State spokesperson said here.

“The parties exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine war, bilateral relations, and the situation in Iran,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Monday.

He said the request for the call was made by the Russian foreign minister.

Explosions were heard in Iran’s Bandar Abbas city and coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian media. Mehr news agency said the situation in Bandar Abbas is under control with no cause for concern, and no official comment has been made yet. Tasnim reported three explosions in Bandar Abbas, while Fars said similar sounds were heard near Sirik and Jask close to the strategic waterway.

Iran’s government could soon roll back some restrictions on a months-long digital blackout that has cut off millions of its citizens from the internet, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said. While IRNA didn’t specify the scale of the planned easing, it said the move would be carried out in a “smart and law-abiding” manner.

The US military said it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely”.

The strikes were done “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”, but the military was “using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire”, Capt. Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman, said in a statement on Monday.

In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump wrote, "The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" [sic]