Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated in an X post on Sunday that the United States and Israel manufacture crises to justify escalation “under the noble banner of ‘restoring stability’ and ‘defending peace.'”
“The next grand lie being rolled out to justify their illegal ‘war of choice’ is the claim that they are ‘preserving peace and stability in global energy markets,'” the post on X read.
The next grand lie being rolled out to justify their illegal ‘war of choice’ is the claim that they are ‘preserving peace and stability in global energy markets.’
In reality, though, it was the reckless warmongering of the U.S. and Israeli regimes that shattered promising…
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) May 17, 2026
He accused the “reckless warmongering of the “US and Israeli regimes” of destroying “promising diplomatic processes” and said the unprovoked aggression against Iran “deliberately injected insecurity into vital energy routes,” which they then used to accuse Iran of destabilisation.
He said that the US and Israel were putting into practice “Goebbels’ infamous dictum: ‘Accuse others of what you yourself are doing.'”
Iran military warns US against repeating ‘miscalculation’
Senior spokesperson of Iran’s Armed Forces, Brigadier General Abdolrahim Mousavi Sharifi, has warned the United States against any further “miscalculation,” saying such actions would face a stronger response from Iran.
According to a statement on X, he said that any repetition of “foolish actions” by the US to compensate for its “disgrace” in the “third imposed war” against Iran would only result in “more decisive and severe blows” against Washington.
🔴 سردار شکارچی: تکرار هرگونه حماقت آمریکا پیامدی کوبندهتر خواهد داشت
سخنگوی ارشد نیروهای مسلح گفت: تکرار هرگونه حماقت برای جبران بیآبرویی آمریکا در جنگ تحمیلی سوم علیه ایران، پیامدی جز دریافت ضربات کوبندهتر و شدیدتر برای آن کشور بهدنبال نخواهد داشت. pic.twitter.com/vkKKxWxQbY
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) May 17, 2026
He added that Iran’s armed forces remain prepared to respond firmly to any renewed aggression, stressing that further escalation would be met with consequences “stronger than before.”
Iran says ‘enemy’ weapons shipments will not cross Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Sunday that Tehran will no longer allow “enemy” military equipment to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We had given up our right of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and we previously allowed the passage of military equipment that was intended to be used against us through the Strait of Hormuz. We will not permit that again,” he said, according to Al Jazeera.
Drone strike causes fire at nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi
Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a fire caused by a drone strike on an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
No injuries were reported, radiological safety levels were unaffected, and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation confirmed the plant’s essential systems are operating normally.
The statement did not say who was to blame for the suspected drone attack. The UAE has faced repeated missile and drone attacks during the Israel-US-Iran conflict, including incidents authorities said originated from Iran and targeted energy and maritime infrastructure.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi responded to a fire incident that broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra Region, caused by a drone strike. No injuries were reported, and there was no impact on radiological…
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) May 17, 2026
Russia shares China’s position on Strait of Hormuz, envoy says
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, has backed China’s call for a permanent ceasefire to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported.
Read: Trump says Iran has interest in reaching deal
“Russia fully shares such an approach,” Ulyanov said in a post on X, referencing Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s comments.
Wang had said China believes a solution to issues in the Strait of Hormuz “lies in achieving a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire” between Washington and Tehran, and that President Xi Jinping had emphasised in his talks with Trump last week “that force cannot solve problems and dialogue is the only right path”.
The comments came as Bahrain and the US seek support for a resolution at the United Nations demanding Iran stop attacks and laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
Another attack on Iran means US, Israel have learned nothing
The Russian envoy Ulyanov stated on Sunday that “Western experts believe that the United States and Israel may resume military attacks against Iran in the coming days, if not the coming hours.”
🔴اولیانوف: حمله دوباره به ایران یعنی آمریکا و اسرائیل درس نگرفتهاند pic.twitter.com/F6SFB8knna
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) May 17, 2026
“If this is true, it means that the United States and Israel are not learning from their past strategic mistakes.”
Qatari, Saudi FMs discuss US-Iran ceasefire in phone call
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has held a phone call with Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, according to a statement from Doha, Al Jazeera reported.
The two officials discussed bilateral ties and regional developments, including the ceasefire between the US and Iran, as well as de-escalation efforts, the statement said.
Sheikh Mohammed called on all parties to respond to ongoing mediation efforts to address the roots of the crisis through dialogue, aiming for a sustainable agreement that would prevent renewed escalation.
Iran Appoints Ghalibaf as Special Representative for China Affairs
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has been appointed as Tehran’s special envoy to China, according to a Sunday report by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Qalibaf “will serve as a coordinator of various national bodies in matters related to China,” said the report, citing informed sources.
The appointment was proposed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and approved by Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Tasnim noted.
“Given the nature of Qalibaf’s appointment, his mandate carries a different level of authority compared to previous representatives,” it said, citing the sources.
Iran Appoints Qalibaf as Special Representative for China Affairs
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf has been appointed as Iran’s special representative for China affairs.
A Tasnim news agency reporter learned from informed sources that the appointment took place recently. pic.twitter.com/dN2fRozuZq
— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) May 17, 2026
The report did not provide information on whether Ghalibaf would continue his role as the parliament speaker.
Israel kills Hamas’ Al-Qassam brigade chief along with his wife, daughter
An Israeli airstrike on Gaza killed the chief of Hamas’ military wing, the most senior official from the Palestinian group killed by Israel in another violation of the ceasefire agreed upon in October.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed in what it claimed was a precise strike on Gaza City on Friday. Israel has repeatedly carried out strikes on Gaza since the ceasefire started.
Hamas confirmed in a later statement that Haddad, who was born in 1970, was killed along with his wife and daughter.
At Al Aqsa Martyrs Mosque in central Gaza, a joint funeral was held on Saturday for Haddad, his wife and their 19-year-old daughter.
Israel carried out at least two attacks on Gaza on Friday, killing seven Palestinians, including three women and one child, according to local medics. A Palestinian source said Haddad was killed in an Israeli strike on an apartment building.
On Saturday, two separate Israeli airstrikes killed at least three people, health officials said. Medics said two men were killed in a strike that targeted a vehicle near Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while another person was killed in Jabalia refugee camp, in the north of the enclave.
The Israeli military didn’t immediately comment on either of the incidents.
Iran condemns killing of Hamas leader
Iran’s foreign ministry has condemned the Israeli assassination of Ezzedine Al-Haddad, head of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades in Gaza, saying Israel is pursuing a “colonial eradication” of Palestine, IRNA reported.
بیانیه وزارت خارجه درباره ترور فرمانده کل گردانهای قسام در فلسطین اشغالی
این اقدام تروریستی و ترورهای مشابه، بخشی از طرح جنایتکارانه اسرائیل برای محو استعماری فلسطین است. آمریکا به عنوان بزرگترین حامی تسلیحاتی، مالی وسیاسی رژیم آپارتاید صهیونیستی، شریک جرم تکتک این جنایات است. pic.twitter.com/8gGHfiILwy
— وزارت امور خارجه (@IRIMFA) May 17, 2026
The ministry denounced the “terrorist act” carried out by the “brutal Zionist regime” in killing Haddad, along with his wife and child.
The assassination and similar attacks formed “part of Israel’s criminal scheme for the colonial eradication of Palestine,” the statement said, adding that the US, as “the largest military, financial, and political supporter of the Zionist apartheid regime”, was “complicit in each and every one of these crimes”.
The foreign ministry added that the “cowardly assassination” of Palestinian leaders and intellectuals reflected the “desperation and helplessness” of a regime that, despite committing “the most horrific crimes” and killing “hundreds of thousands of innocent people” over the past eight decades, had not destroyed the spirit of resistance among Palestinians.
The “physical elimination” of resistance commanders and Palestinian elites would not undermine the resistance movement, but would instead inspire “followers and fighters on the path of Palestine’s dignity and freedom,” according to the IRNA.
USS Gerald Ford returns home after 326-day deployment
The USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier, dispatched to the Middle East ahead of the outbreak of war with Iran, returned to the United States on Saturday after a 326-day deployment, AFP quoted the Pentagon as saying.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was present in Norfolk, Virginia, to welcome the aircraft carrier home, the US military said on X.
Over 4,500 warriors from the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group—serving aboard the USS Ford, USS Bainbridge, and USS Mahan—have completed a 326-day historic deployment marked by extraordinary endurance and service, including the birth of 76 children during the deployment.… pic.twitter.com/zay5uGirTZ
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) May 16, 2026
It was the longest deployment for a US carrier strike group since the Vietnam War.
The Ford’s deployment saw it take part in US operations in the Caribbean, where Washington’s forces have carried out strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats, interdicted sanctioned tankers and seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
It was then dispatched to the Middle East to participate in combat operations against Iran.
Kazakhstan sends 30 wagons of aid to Iran
Kazakhstan delivered 30 wagons of humanitarian aid to Iran, according to Tasnim news agency, as the country continues to grapple with a severe economic crisis following months of war with the US and Israel, Al Jazeera reported.
The shipment, sent on the orders of Kazakhstan’s president, included canned meat, sugar, flour, medical equipment and medicine. The aid was handed over to the Iranian Red Crescent Society at the Sarakhs railway station.
Kazakh ambassador to Iran, Ontalap Onalbayev, said at the ceremony that “Iran is one of Kazakhstan’s important political, economic and humanitarian partners in the Middle East and the Islamic world,” adding, “True friends are known in difficult times.”
War-related disruptions in Iran have driven annual inflation to about 53.7%, with food prices surging more than 115% compared with the previous year, according to Iran’s official statistics centre.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneReutersRead More