Iran-Israel war LIVE: U.S., Iran could resume talks in Islamabad next week, says report

A woman holds up an Iranian flag for a pro-government campaign in downtown Tehran, Iran, Friday, May 8, 2026.

U.S. PresidentDonald Trumpsaid Friday (May 8, 2026) that he was expectingIran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal on a deal to end the Middle East war by “tonight.” “I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.

Israeli airstrikes on southernLebanonkilled at least five people on Friday, whileHezbollahfired rockets on northern Israel without inflicting any casualties.

A U.S. fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers to enforce a port blockade on Friday, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as Tehran weighed Washington’s latest proposal to end the West Asia war. Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (May 8) slammed Iranian efforts to control the Strait of Hormuz, following a report that Tehran has created an authority to approve transit through the vital waterway.

A CIA assessment indicated that Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ⁠ports for about another four months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, suggesting that U.S. leverage over Tehran remains limited as the two sides seek to end a conflict that has been unpopular with U.S. voters.

A CIA report reveals Tehran could endure a U.S. blockade for four months amid escalating tensions in the Gulf.

Just when the United States–Iran conflict appeared to be stabilising, a fresh wave of strikes and counterstrikes near the Strait of Hormuz has reignited fears of a wider regional war and a new global oil crisis. As ceasefire violations mount and neither side backs down, the question now is whether the region is heading toward de-escalation or a deeper conflict with global consequences. #USIranWar #StraitOfHormuz #OilCrisis

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Iran remains committed to expanding friendly relations with other nations based on mutual respect and shared interests, while rejecting the policy of “colonialism and exploitation”.

In a post on X on Friday (May 8, 2026), Mr. Pezeshkian said, “The policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to expand friendly relations based on mutual respect and shared interests.”

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire through military actions near the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s state broadcasterIRIB.

In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the UN Security Council, Iravani said alleged U.S. military action against two Iranian oil tankers near Jask Port and the Strait of Hormuz, along with attacks on Iranian coastal areas, constituted “a clear violation of the ceasefire” and “a gross violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter”.

He warned that continued U.S. military activity in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz could have “catastrophic consequences” extending beyond the region and threatening international peace and security.

The United States and Iran could resume negotiations as early as next week in Islamabad, according to a report byThe Wall Street Journalciting people familiar with the matter.

The report said both sides are working through mediators on a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) intended to establish the framework for a month-long negotiating process aimed at ending the conflict.

According to the report, the proposed draft includes Iran’s nuclear programme, reducing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and possible arrangements for transferring Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles to another country. However, several major issues remain unresolved.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a central role in shaping Tehran’s war and negotiation strategy alongside senior Iranian officials, even as uncertainty persists over his health and exact level of authority, according to aCNNreport citing U.S. intelligence assessments.

The news report said U.S. intelligence believes Mr. Khamenei has become a key figure directing Iran’s approach to negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the conflict that followed recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. However, officials reportedly acknowledge that authority inside Iran’s leadership remains fragmented after the war and the deaths of several senior military commanders.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday (May 8, 2026) said his administration may consider reviving the now-suspended maritime security initiative, “Project Freedom”, aimed at helping the passage of commercial vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating regional tensions in the Gulf.

If a deal is not reached with Iran, Mr. Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called “Project Freedom plus.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House before travelling to a dinner at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, Mr. Trump said that he might “go back to Project Freedom” if a deal is not reached, but it would be “Project Freedom plus”, noting that the initiative would be the same as its predecessor, “plus other things”.

A U.S. fighter jet on Friday disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as President Donald Trump said he was awaiting Tehran’s reply to his latest proposal to end the West Asia war.

Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

A parallel ceasefire in Lebanon was also under strain. Iran-backed Hezbollah launched missiles and drones at military bases in Israel in retaliation for a recent attack on Beirut and ongoing strikes in the south, where Lebanese authorities reported 11 people killed on Friday.

On Monday, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “guide commercial ships” through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. Mr. Trump said any interference with the ‘Operation Project Freedom’ would be dealt with “forcefully”.

The View From India: Trump takes another U-turn on Iran

The U.S. Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against ‌10 individuals and companies, including several in China and ⁠Hong Kong, for aiding efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons and raw ‌materials used to build Tehran’s Shahed drones.

The Treasury move, ‌first reported byReuters, ‌comes ⁠days before U.S. President Donald Trump ⁠plans to travel to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping and as efforts ‌to end the war with Iran have stalled.

U.S. sanctions 10 individuals and companies for supporting Iran's weapons sector, aiming to curb military capabilities and illicit commerce.

A U.S. fighter jet disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers to enforce a port blockade on Friday, prompting retaliatory attacks and rattling a shaky truce as Tehran weighed Washington’s latest proposal to end the West Asia war.

Iranian officials accused the United States of violating the ceasefire with the tanker strikes and hampering diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

U.S. strikes on Iranian tankers escalate tensions, jeopardizing ceasefire and diplomatic efforts amid ongoing conflict in West Asia.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he was expecting Iran’s response to Washington’s latest proposal on a deal to ending the Middle East war by “tonight.”

“I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.