US targets Cuba, Europe, Asia; Trump reviews peace plan, rejects it; Iran sets deadline; Economic catastrophe to hit US - IRAN WAR NEWS - 3-May-2026 (updated)

UPDATE 1

It's A Dangerous Job

Iran sets one-month deadline for US to end naval blockade, wars in Iran, Lebanon - Middle East Monitor

Iran has set a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end a US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and Lebanon, according to a report Saturday by Axios, Anadolu reports.

Tehran submitted a 14-point revised proposal Thursday for a framework agreement to Washington. Two sources briefed on the document said it lays out a strict one-month timeline to secure a deal covering maritime access, ending the US naval blockade and a lasting ceasefire on both fronts.

Trump rejects Iran proposal, urges pardon for Netanyahu from corruption charges | Middle East Eye

US President Donald Trump has dismissed Iran's latest proposal, describing it as unacceptable after reviewing the details.

The war on Iran: Obamas blueprint, Chinas shadow

As the American‑Israeli war on Iran unfolds in early 2026, many call it Trump and Netanyahu's personal war.

But this episode argues something deeper: it is also Barack Obama's war.

The conflict Obama declared on China years ago has quietly shaped everything in the Middle East for the past ten to fifteen years. From that perspective, the war on Iran is not a detour-it is part of a single, continuous path laid out by Obama to contain China.

'I urged that our objective be regime change... so did Netanyahu' - ex-Trump adviser on Iran - RT World News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has encouraged President Donald Trump to carry out a regime change operation in Iran for many years, former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has told Afshin Rattansi, host of 'New World'.

West Jerusalem wanted Trump to launch an attack on Tehran already during his first presidential term and continued lobbying for it during his second one, Bolton said, who served between 2018 and 2019.

How the US Pulled off an Armed Robbery of the World's Energy Supply and Created the Petrogas-Dollar - Puppet Masters - Sott.net

It's tempting to believe that the US war machine is finished. Militarily, Iran has indeed dealt the US its worst humiliation in modern history - one I covered in clinical detail.

But in the background, Washington has quietly been carrying out an armed robbery of the world's oil and gas supply. All of it.

In just 90 days, the US has executed an energy blitzkrieg decades in the making:

• Hundreds of strikes on Russian tankers and refineries
• Disrupting a third of China's oil and LNG supply
• Capturing the largest oil reserves on the planet
• Establishing a global naval blockade from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean

Iranian ports active, US blockade failing, says shipping syndicate chief

The Secretary of the Iranian Association of Shipping Companies and Related Services says the US blockade on the country's maritime trade is barely working, adding that all ports along Iran's southern coast are actively providing loading and unloading services to various ships.

Tehran unveils 12-point plan for managing Strait of Hormuz - Yemen Press Agency

The plan stipulates that Israeli-linked ships would be denied passage, while other vessels would be required to obtain prior authorization from Iranian authorities. It also leaves room for additional conditions or compensation measures in connection with the ongoing conflict.

THE WORLD THIS WEEK - w/ Scott Ritter & Ray McGovern - ECONOMIC WAR OR MORE BOMBS? - YouTube

The U.S. is holding off Israeli pressure to restart the shooting war against Iran for now and is turning instead to economic warfare. But how long can that last?

Israeli security minister celebrates birthday with 'noose cakes' (VIDEO/PHOTO) - RT World News

Ben Gvir has championed legislation which would introduce the death penalty against Palestinians in military courts

IN OTHER NEWS...

BREAKING STUDY: Infant Mortality Surged 37% and Birth Defect Deaths Jumped 46% After COVID-19 "Vaccine" Rollout - Global Research

A major new peer-reviewed study we just published in Medical Research Archives has uncovered a shocking reversal: after two decades of steady progress, infant mortality surged 37% since 2020, congenital abnormality deaths jumped 46%, and registered live births collapsed by 24% - all coinciding with expanded vaccination campaigns in the Philippines.

END UPDATES

The US War for Energy Dominance Seeks Dominance Over Europe and Asia

The US war on Iran - at face value - appears to be a catastrophic tactical and strategic US failure demonstrating the limits of its military power and further exposing the limits of its military-industrial capacity.

However, just as with its still-ongoing proxy war on Russia in Ukraine, its inability to overwhelm targeted nations with outright military power distracts from the many ways the US is still advancing its geopolitical objectives by other means.

Trump Warns U.S. Will 'Take Over' Cuba Right After Iran

Joking during remarks at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in Florida on May 1, President Donald Trump said that the United States would be "taking over" Cuba "almost immediately" after Iran.

"And he comes from, originally, a place called Cuba, which we will be taking over almost immediately," Trump said, speaking to representative Dan Mica.

Iran war: What's happening on day 65 as Trump reviews new plan to end war? | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera

Despite the diplomatic opening, the US president did not rule out the possibility of renewed hostilities. "If they do something bad, there is a possibility it could happen," Trump said.

The Iranians have also fired back with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying it is on standby for a return to war.

Here is what we know as the conflict enters day 65:

In Iran

• While Washington requested a two-month ceasefire, Tehran wants to focus on ending the war instead of extending the truce and wants all issues to be resolved within 30 days, according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency.
• The 14-point Iranian plan includes guarantees of nonaggression, the withdrawal of US forces from the vicinity of Iran, the lifting of the US naval blockade, the release of Iran's frozen assets, the lifting of sanctions and an end to the war "on all fronts", including in Lebanon, according to Tasnim.
• The IRGC said it is on standby for a return to war with the US, saying a resumption of hostilities is "likely" as "evidence shows that [the US] is not committed to any agreements or treaties".
• Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Trump's description of the US capture of Iranian vessels as "piracy" is a "direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions" against Tehran.
• TankerTrackers.com said an Iranian supertanker has evaded the US blockade and reached the Asia Pacific while carrying more than 1.9 million barrels of crude oil valued at nearly $220m.

Diplomacy

• The US has approved $8.6bn in major arms deals and military support for Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
• A convoy of 70 tanker trucks carrying Iraqi crude oil has crossed into Syria via the al-Yarubiyah border crossing as Baghdad seeks alternative export routes after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

In the US

• Trump said he is studying Iran's latest 14-point peace proposal but warned that attacks could resume if the Iranian government "misbehaves" or does "something bad".
• The US is seeking to form an international naval coalition called the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC) to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which in effect has been blocked by Iran since the US-Israel war on the country began on February 28. According to US media, its core functions would be to share intelligence among member nations, coordinate diplomatic efforts and enforce sanctions to manage shipping through the strait.
• Trump said a US troop withdrawal from Germany could far exceed 5,000 soldiers as tensions between the two allies rise over the war on Iran.

In Lebanon

• At least 41 people have been killed as Israel launched 50 air strikes on southern Lebanon in 24 hours despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon being in place since April 16. The death toll since the latest escalation in the war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2 has risen to 2,659 people.
• The Israeli military issued a new warning, threatening attacks on 12 towns and villages in southern Lebanon and ordering residents to flee their homes.The towns and villages include al-Duwayr, Arab Salim, al-Sharqiya (Nabatieh), Jibshit, Braashit, Sarafand, Dounin, Briqa, Qaaqaiya al-Jisr, al-Qasiba (Nabatieh) and Kfar Sir.
• Israel's military has admitted to striking and damaging a Catholic "religious building" in southern Lebanon on Saturday as criticism grows over Israeli attacks on Christian sites.

Fars: Iran submits 14-point response to US proposal - Yemen Press Agency

TEHRAN, May 03 (YPA) - Iran has submitted a 14-point response to a US proposal on ending the war through a Pakistani intermediary, Fars news agency reported on Saturday.

Iran's proposal was submitted through a Pakistani intermediary and calls for "ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon".

The agency reported that the US proposed a two-month ceasefire, but that Iran believes "that the issues should be resolved within 30 days" and that negotiations should focus on the "termination of the war" rather than extending a ceasefire.

Trump expresses doubt that Iran's peace proposal is 'acceptable' | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera

US president says he is considering the 14-point peace plan, but warns strikes could resume if Tehran 'misbehaves'.

Ray McGovern: Israel's Worst Defeat: New Wave of Attacks That Could END It All

Recent analysis of US-Iran tensions following announcement ending military operations begun in February. Discussion covers Iran's multi-phase peace proposal addressing regional conflicts, Strait of Hormuz security, and nuclear program. Examines diplomatic mediation efforts by Oman, Pakistan, and Russia, including high-level warnings against war renewal and ground troop deployment. Explores concerns about regional escalation, hypersonic missile deployments, and potential unilateral actions. Also addresses the attack on international Gaza aid flotilla near Greek islands, drawing parallels to previous maritime incidents. Considers broader implications for global oil prices, food security, and fertilizer supplies, while questioning the role of domestic political dynamics in shaping US foreign policy decisions during this critical period of international diplomacy.

War Without Peace - The U.S. Strategy Has Little to Do with Trump

Trump is not his own master when it comes to policy-he is merely the front man for implementing a strategy using unsavory means; a strategy aimed at maintaining hegemony that will ultimately target China and Russia-and will likely fail, because the US has made massive miscalculations.

[...]

Since I consider both the Russians and the Chinese to be loyal allies of Iran, and since Persia is of vital importance to both, I assume that these two giant empires will consistently support Iran, which ultimately does not rule out a direct armed conflict between China and Russia on one side and the US on the other. It appears that China and Russia believe Iran can prevail on its own in this conflict in order to prevent a direct conflict with the US. By calling for a ceasefire, the US seems to be stalling for time to bring more military supplies into the Middle East, which, according to Flightradar data, is indeed happening around the clock.

To War or Not To War... That is the Question

[...] Trump, thinking like an ambulance-chasing attorney, announced that the war with Iran is over.

My dear friend, Ray McGovern, believes that Trump may be serious (and I pray Ray is right) and was motivated to make this announcement because Vladimir Putin, during their phone conversation on Tuesday, had warned Trump not to attack Iran.

I raised another possibility with Ray and the Judge today... Trump is going to wait a few days and then launch a new series of attacks on Iran and claim that the 60 day clock stipulated in the War Powers Act is restarting from Day 1, because this is a "new" war.

I think that Trump will order a new attack on Iran in the coming days. There has been a massive movement of US military aircraft into West Asia during the past 10 days. They are carrying supplies of missiles and bombs and additional army and navy personnel.

Iran tanker evades US blockade, reaches Asia Pacific, report says | Middle East Eye

A Very Large Crude Carrier linked to National Iranian Tanker Company has evaded the United States naval blockade and reached the Asia Pacific carrying more than 1.9 million barrels of crude oil, according to TankerTrackers.com.

Organized Israeli settler violence against Christians hits new high: Report

In the report published by QNN news outlet on Sunday, Coordinator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Liaison Office in occupied al-Quds, Youssef Daher, warned that settler violence targeting Christians and non-Jewish communities in the occupied Palestinian capital city no longer reflects isolated incidents or misunderstandings, but rather forms part of a systematic policy with a clear exclusionary agenda.

Israel approves plan to buy F-35 and F-15I aircraft from US | Middle East Eye

Israel gave final approval for a plan to purchase two new combat squadrons of F-35 and F-15Ia aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing in a deal worth tens of billions of shekels, the defence ministry announced on Sunday.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Hyperscaler AI Data Centers Reach Saturation As Clients Flee

More than half of AI data centers currently under construction will fail in 2026. This is a worldwide phenomenon as the Gulf states are currently in crisis mode. AI data center output is tokens, and if there is a shortage of tokens, the cost to access AI will increase. The AI industry, from top to bottom, is on the verge of major restructuring as the ripple effect hits companies and consumers alike.