Iran Live Updates: 'Move Fast, Make Peace' – Trump Urges Iran

Major Developments in the Middle East

President Donald Trump has been making headlines with his strong stance on Iran, announcing "major combat operations" against the country on Feb. 28. This came after massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government, and infrastructure sites. The situation escalated further as Trump announced the open-ended extension of a ceasefire and the continuation of a U.S. blockade until negotiations are concluded.

Urgent Calls for Peace from Trump

On May 17, Trump took to his social media platform to warn Iran that they "better get moving, FAST," stating that "there won’t be anything left of them" if they do not comply with his demands and make a peace deal. He emphasized the urgency, saying, "For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"

Trump did not provide a new deadline or timeline for Iran's response, as he has previously. During an interview in China with Fox News, he warned that Iran “can make a deal or they get annihilated.” Last week, he criticized the ceasefire with Iran as "unbelievably weak" and "a piece of garbage" after disapproving of their peace deal proposal response.

U.S. and China's Role in the Strait of Hormuz

In another development, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that the U.S. president exacted a commitment from the Chinese to not "provide material support to Iran," but that the United States did not seek China's direct help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Greer noted that China has "a clear interest" in reopening the strait, but without direct involvement, it's unclear whether China's position will pressure Iran.

"The president isn't seeking to have joint military operations with the Chinese. I don't think the American presidents have ever done that," Greer said. "But obviously we want to make sure that they're not getting in the way of anything we're doing to try to clarify that situation."

Drone Strike at UAE Nuclear Plant

A drone attack caused a fire in an electrical generator at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. Officials in Abu Dhabi confirmed that the generator was "outside the inner perimeter" of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) confirmed that the fire did not affect the safety of the power plant or the readiness of its essential systems, and that all units are operating as normal.

Israeli Air Force Intercepts Hezbollah Rockets

The Israeli Air Force intercepted several rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israeli soldiers operating in southern Lebanon. There were no reports of injuries among IDF personnel.

FIFA Official Meets with Iran FA President

FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom mentioned a "constructive" and "positive" meeting with Iran's FA President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul, Turkey. He expressed confidence about Iran's participation in this year's World Cup. However, the Iranian team has not yet received visas for their match against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles.

Pakistan's Efforts in Peace Talks

Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran for a two-day official visit, meeting with his Iranian counterpart. The Iranian semi-official news agency reported that the diplomacy is part of Pakistan's continued efforts to facilitate peace talks between the United States and Iran that have stalled.

IDF Confirms Death of Hamas Leader

The IDF confirmed the death of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the head of Hamas’ military wing and one of the last senior Hamas leaders involved in planning the October 7th massacre. Haddad had assumed his role following the elimination of Mohammed Sinwar and worked to rebuild the capabilities of the terrorist organization's military wing.

Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Extended

After two days of talks in Washington, D.C., Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire for 45 days "to enable future progress" in negotiations. The State Department announced that the next round of political negotiations would reconvene on June 2 and 3, with a second, security-focused track starting on May 29.

Iran and U.S. Uranium Enrichment Dispute

Iran stated that it has not reached an agreement with the U.S. on terms for its enrichment of uranium. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned that the subject of enriched material is very complicated, and they have come to a conclusion to postpone discussions on this issue to later stages of negotiations.

Trump's Strong Stance on Iran

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in China, Trump reiterated that the options for Iran are either to "make a deal or they get annihilated." He acknowledged that Iran has been able to rebuild some of its capabilities but added that the U.S. has the greatest military. Trump also mentioned that the U.S. has nine cameras trained on the three targeted nuclear sites and would "hit them with a couple of bombs" if Iran tried to access the enriched uranium there.