Day 75: All you need to know about US-Israel war on Iran

This live blog follows updates for Day 75 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 74, go here.

• Australia says will join France, UK mission in Hormuz
• Saudi crown prince, UAE president review latest regional developments 
• South Korea  to review phased participation in US Hormuz initiative
• US President Trump claims ‘not long’ before Iran war ends

• Trump to suspend US gas tax as Iran war spikes prices

Brazil announces new measures to stave off rising fuel costs

Published: May 13, 2026 | 23:11 GMT | by AFP

Brazil on Wednesday announced a new package of measures to temper fuel price increases caused by the war in the Middle East.

The move comes ahead of elections in October, which are predicted to be tight.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government announced subsidies for gasoline, which had been left out of an initial price-mitigation package in April, as well as for diesel.

Eighty-year-old veteran leftist Lula is running for a fourth term in office. Brazilian gas stations have seen skyrocketing prices ever since the US-Israel launched their war on Iran on Feb. 28.

But prices have eased slightly in recent weeks, according to authorities. "The situation is still complex," planning and budget minister Bruno Moretti told a press conference in Brasilia.

"That requires us to constantly update our strategy for mitigating the impacts of the war on fuel prices and on the population," he said. The latest measures would have no fiscal impact, according to the minister.

Saudi defense minister, UK NSA discuss joint efforts to address regional challenges

Published: May 13, 2026 | 22:50 GMT | by Web Desk

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman and UK National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell discussed joint efforts to address regional challenges.

A post shared on X by the Saudi defense minister on Thursday stated, "Met with the UK National Security Adviser, Jonathan Powell."

"We reviewed aspects of the Saudi-British cooperation."

"We also discussed our joint coordination efforts to address regional challenges and de-escalate tensions in a way that preserves regional security and stability," the post added.

10 including women, children killed by Israeli strikes in south Lebanon

Published: May 13, 2026 | 22:03 GMT | by Web Desk

An Israeli airstrike on Arabsalim in the Nabatieh district reportedly killed six people, among them three children, and injured 12, Al Jazeera reported, citing Lebanon’s NNA.

In Harouf, another Israeli strike killed one child and left five people wounded.

In Roumin, an Israeli attack killed three people, including two children, and injured one other person.

Separately, an Israeli strike on Zebqine in the Tyre district wounded nine people.

Death toll from Israeli aggression in Lebanon rises to 2,896: State media 

Published: May 13, 2026 | 21:55 GMT | by Web Desk

The Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon issued a statement on Wednesday, indicating that the "total toll of the aggression from March 2 to May 13 has reached 2,896 martyrs and 8,824 wounded", according to state-run National News Agency (NNA).

UAE denies reports regarding visit by Israeli PM

Published: May 13, 2026 | 21:34 GMT | by Web Desk

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) denies reports circulating regarding an alleged visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the UAE, or receiving any Israeli military delegation in the country, Emirates News Agency-WAM reported on Thursday.

The UAE reaffirms that its relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements, it said.

Accordingly, any claims regarding unannounced visits or undisclosed arrangements are entirely unfounded unless officially announced by the relevant authorities in the UAE, WAM reported.

US ‘making progress’ in Iran talks, says VP Vance 

Published: May 13, 2026 | 20:19 GMT | by Web Desk

Vice President of United States JD Vance says he believes progress is being made in negotiations with Iran after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal as unacceptable.

“I think that we are making progress. The fundamental question is do we make enough progress that we satisfy the president’s red line?” Vance told reporters at the White House.

“And the red line is very simple. He needs to feel confident that we put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Iran says no US weapons will transit Strait of Hormuz 

Published: May 13, 2026 | 17:42 GMT | by AFP

Iran’s military spokesperson said US weaponry will no longer be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz into regional bases.

“From now on, we will not allow American weapons to transit the Strait of Hormuz and enter regional bases,” said military spokesman General Mohammad Akraminia.

IRGC vows to turn Persian Gulf into ‘largest graveyard of US marines’

Published: May 13, 2026 | 17:42 GMT | by AFP

“If America and Trump personally want to do something stupid, we will turn the Persian Gulf into the largest blue graveyard of American marines,” said IRGC Navy Cultural and Psychological Operations deputy Saeed Siahsorani.

Siahsorani stated that Iran had not entered a war with the US at sea but was engaged in “smart blocking” and asymmetric warfare.

He noted that 70 percent of US military bases in the region, including Arifjan, Al Udeid, Sheikh Isa, and Ali Al Salem, had been leveled to the ground.

Lebanon says over 10,000 homes destroyed or damaged since Israel truce

Published: May 13, 2026 | 17:42 GMT | by AFP

More than 10,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed in Lebanon since a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the head of the country's National Council for Scientific Research said on Wednesday.

"Since the current ceasefire... we have witnessed 5,386 housing units that were completely destroyed, and 5,246 housing units damaged," CRNS chief Chadi Abdallah told a news conference broadcast by local media.

Israel has kept up heavy airstrikes despite the April 17 ceasefire, and Israeli soldiers are operating inside an Israeli-declared "yellow line", which runs around 10 kilometres (six miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border where troops have been carrying out broad demolition operations.

‘No room for retreat’ from US-Israel war: Iranian general

Published: May 13, 2026 | 17:00 GMT | by Web Desk

Iranian Army spokesperson Brigadier-General Mohammad Akrami Nia says the armed forces are maintaining “the highest level of readiness” as the ceasefire with the United States hangs in the balance, reported Al Jazeera.

Speaking from Mashhad, Akrami Nia emphasised that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s navy controls the western region of the Strait of Hormuz, while regular naval forces control its east.

Iran’s military “prevented the enemy from achieving any of its objectives, and after this war there is no room for retreat”, he said.

US says 67 ships redirected in Iran port blockade operation
Published: May 13, 2026 | 16:22 GMT | by Web Desk

American forces have redirected 67 commercial vessels and disabled four others since launching a naval blockade against Iran's ports four weeks ago, according to US Central Command.

CENTCOM posted the figures Wednesday on X, a detailed public accounting of the operation's scope. Fifteen vessels carrying humanitarian aid were permitted through, the command said.

Earlier this week, US forces intercepted two commercial ships that had failed to comply. According to CENTCOM, sailors communicated with the vessels by radio before firing warning shots from small arms, compelling both ships to turn back.

"US enforcement remains in full effect," CENTCOM said.

UN rights chief calls on Israel to abolish Oct 7 military tribunal
Published: May 13, 2026 | 15:05 GMT | by AFP

The United Nations rights chief on Wednesday called on Israel to repeal a newly established special military tribunal to try Palestinians accused of taking part in October 7 attacks.

Israel's parliament passed a law establishing the tribunal, with the authority to hand down the death penalty, late on Monday.

The special court is set to try attackers captured during or after October 7, 2023. It will also ‘try’ those suspected of holding or abusing hostages in Gaza.

According to Israeli media, around 400 suspects are expected to stand trial before the court.

"There must be full accountability for these horrific attacks, but this cannot be achieved through trials that fall short of international standards," Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

"This law must be overturned," he said.

"This law will inevitably institutionalize one-sided justice and discrimination against Palestinians, which cannot be in anyone's interest and runs counter to international human rights law," he said.

Death toll from Israeli strikes on vehicles in Lebanon rises to 12
Published: May 13, 2026 | 15:03 GMT | by AFP

The death toll from Israeli strikes on vehicles in Lebanon rose to 12 on Wednesday, the health ministry said, as attacks targeted cars mostly south of Beirut despite a fragile ceasefire.

The fresh raids, which also hit areas in the country’s south, came on the eve of a new round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, brokered by the United States.

Gaza reconstruction expected to take a generation: Gaza Board envoy
Published: May 13, 2026 | 14:44 GMT | by AFP

The high representative for Gaza in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace said Wednesday that rebuilding the Palestinian territory would take a generation due to the scale of destruction.

Nickolay Mladenov said during a press conference in Jerusalem that “tens of millions of tons of rubble” must be cleared and that more than a million people require permanent shelter along with basic water and sanitation. He described the reconstruction effort as “a generation of work for Gaza.”

Mladenov also said the ceasefire in Gaza was holding but acknowledged ongoing violations. “We have a ceasefire. It is holding. It is not perfect. It is far from perfect. There are violations every day, and some of them are very serious,” he said.

Iran outlines conditions for talks on Middle East war
Published: May 13, 2026 | 14:33 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi outlined Tehran's conditions for a resolution to the ongoing crisis with the United States and Israel, insisting that sustainable peace cannot be reached through threats or pressure, Iranian state media said on Wednesday.

According to IRNA, the deputy FM said Tehran's position rests on five core demands: a permanent end to hostilities and a guarantee against their recurrence, compensation for war damages, the lifting of the siege, the removal of “illegal sanctions,” and recognition of Iran's rights.

"These are not maximalist demands; they are the minimum requirements of any serious, sustainable arrangement aligned with the United Nations Charter to end a crisis that began with the unlawful resort to force," Gharibabadi said in a post on X.

He also addressed the US posture in the negotiations. As per his statement, the party that "directly played a role in the war, siege, sanctions, and threats through brute force" rejected Iran's response "solely because it is not a letter of surrender."

"True peace cannot be built with a literature of humiliation, threats, and coercive score-settling," Gharibabadi said. He stated that US rejection of Iran’s peace proposal made clear that "the main issue is not peace, but the imposition of political will through the path of threats and pressure."

Iran military says control over Hormuz to bring significant economic revenues
Published: May 13, 2026 | 13:42 GMT | by AFP

Iran's military spokesman said on Wednesday that Tehran's control over the Strait of Hormuz could generate "significant" economic revenue and strengthen the country's international position.

Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait since the outbreak of war caused by the United States and Israel strikes on the country on February 28.

In peacetime, the route accounts for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, along with other key commodities.

Iran's blockade over the waterway has rattled global markets and given Tehran significant leverage, while the United States has imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports despite a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8.

"Our oversight of the Strait of Hormuz will generate significant economic revenues for our country – potentially even doubling our oil income – and will strengthen our influence on the international stage," military spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said, according to ISNA news agency.

He added that the western part of the strait was controlled by the naval forces of the Revolutionary Guards, while the eastern section was overseen by the Iranian navy.

US stocks dip after inflation data tops estimates
Published: May 13, 2026 | 13:52 GMT | by AFP

US stocks opened lower Wednesday after fresh inflation figures showed stronger price pressures, while President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Roughly 15 minutes into the session, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had fallen 0.5%0.5% to 49,525.7849,525.78. The S&P 500 was down 0.2%0.2% at 7,386.937,386.93, and the Nasdaq Composite was off less than 0.1%0.1% at 26,078.6326,078.63.

Markets were also watching a US-China summit and stalled peace efforts in the Middle East, while oil prices held steady above 100100 a barrel.

Sam Stovall of CFRA Research said the lack of heavy selling suggested investors were looking beyond tensions in the Middle East and higher oil prices, expecting the situation to ease in the coming months.

Meanwhile, oil had jumped earlier in the week after hopes faded for a quick restart of tanker and cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been disrupted by the war in the Middle East.

US wholesale prices rise 6.0% year-on-year in April, highest since 2022
Published: May 13, 2026 | 12:40 GMT | by AFP/Web Desk

US wholesale prices rose sharply in April as higher energy costs linked to the war in the Middle East pushed producer inflation to its highest annual level in more than two years.

The Labor Department said Wednesday that its Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures inflation before it reaches consumers, increased 6.0% in April from a year earlier, the largest 12-month gain since December 2022.

The increase reflected rising costs faced by businesses for goods and services, particularly energy-related expenses, amid ongoing instability in global markets.

Nine killed in Israeli strikes on cars south of Beirut
Published: May 13, 2026 | 12:34 GMT | by AFP

Israel intensified strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday with the health ministry reporting nine people killed in attacks targeting cars between Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon despite a fragile ceasefire in place.

The strikes along with others on various areas of the country's south came on the eve of a new round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, brokered by the United States.

Lebanon's health ministry said three strikes on cars along or near the coastal highway around 20 to 30 kilometers from Beirut "resulted in eight martyrs, including two children".

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) said two strikes hit cars on the highway itself – a busy motorway that links Beirut to the country's south – while a third struck nearby.

An AFP photographer saw a burnt-out car in the middle of the road and rescuers carrying a body at one of the sites, near Jiyeh.

A fourth strike hit a car in Sidon, southern Lebanon's largest city, around 40 kilometers south of Beirut, with the health ministry reporting one dead there.

Israeli attacks since the April 17 ceasefire have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.

Asian stocks mixed on US-Iran impasse, AI setbacks
Published: May 13, 2026 | 10:29 GMT | by AFP

Asian stocks were mixed on Wednesday as markets digested the lack of progress towards Middle East peace and setbacks that rattled the boom in AI technology.

Iran's chief negotiator said on Tuesday that Washington must accept Tehran's latest peace plan or face failure, after US President Donald Trump warned the truce in the Middle East war was on the brink of collapse.

Both sides have refused to make concessions and repeatedly threatened to resume fighting, but neither appears willing to return to all-out war.

Traders are now looking to China, where Trump is due to land on Wednesday, the first visit by a US president in nearly a decade, saying he expected a "long talk" with counterpart Xi Jinping about Iran.

Trump's expected arrival in Beijing comes a day after figures back home in the United States showed consumer inflation hit a three-year high in April, as the economic fallout of the Iran war rippled through the world's largest economy.

Soaring inflation will pile pressure on Trump to end the war, which is deeply unpopular with the American public, but he insisted on Tuesday that Americans' financial situation did not motivate him "even a little bit" to make a peace deal with Iran.

The US president said he would ask Xi to "open up" China to American firms, adding that AI chip titan Nvidia's chief Jensen Huang was among a host of top CEOs joining the trip.

Palestinians say West Bank teen killed by Israeli fire
Published: May 13, 2026 | 10:37 GMT | by AFP

Palestinian health officials said a teenager was killed by Israeli fire in a West Bank village on Wednesday, the latest in a series of violent incidents shaking the Israeli-occupied territory.

The health ministry in Ramallah identified the victim as 16-year-old Yusef Ali Kaabnah, saying he was "killed by occupation bullets" near the town of Jiljilya, north of Ramallah.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said he had been shot in the chest during a raid by Israeli settlers who were accompanied by Israeli troops.

Four others were injured in the incident, it added.

The Israeli military told AFP it was looking into the incident.

Hormuz disruptions ‘depleting global oil at record pace’: IEA
Published: May 13, 2026 | 10:08 GMT | by Web Desk 

Global oil markets face growing pressure as supply disruptions linked to the Middle East War are expected to cut output by 3.9 million barrels per day in 2026, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday.

The agency forecast a smaller decline in global demand, estimating consumption would ease by 420,000 barrels per day this year.

In its latest monthly report, the IEA said continued disruption to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz was accelerating the drawdown of global oil inventories, raising concerns over tighter supplies and possible spikes in energy prices.

Israeli strikes kill 8 people south of Beirut: Lebanon health ministry
Published: May 13, 2026 | 9:40 GMT | by AFP

Israeli strikes targeting cars on a highway south of Beirut on Wednesday killed eight people, including two children, Lebanon's health ministry said, in the latest attacks despite a ceasefire since Israel started its bombardment.

In a statement, the ministry said "the three raids carried out by the Israeli enemy on the Saida-South coastal highway – specifically in Barja, Jiyeh and Saadiyat – resulted in 8 martyrs, including two children".

European shares rise despite stalled US-Iran talks
Published: May 13, 2026 | 08:40 GMT | by Web Desk

European shares rose on Wednesday after recovering from a sharp decline, as oil prices eased despite continued uncertainty over stalled US-Iran negotiations, Al Jazeera reported.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index gained 0.7% to 611.06 points by 07:03 GMT after closing 1% lower a day earlier. Germany’s DAX rose 0.7% while Spain’s IBEX 35 added 0.6%.

“Concerns over supply disruptions and uncertainty surrounding the Middle East are keeping oil prices well-supported even as traders struggle to establish a clear direction,” Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova, said.

Nations drawing down oil stocks at record pace: IEA

Published: May 13, 2026 | 08:40 GMT | by AFP

Countries are tapping into oil inventories and strategic reserves at a "record pace" due to supply disruption during the Middle East war, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

Global stocks were drawn down by a further 117 million barrels in April, the agency said in its monthly report, after a 129 million barrel drawdown in March.

"Rapidly shrinking buffers amid continued disruptions may herald future price spikes ahead," it said.

Israeli strike targets car on highway south of Beirut: Lebanon state media

Published: May 13, 2026 | 07:17 GMT | by AFP

An Israeli strike targeted a car Wednesday on a major highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, state media reported, despite a truce in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The attack took place in the Jiyeh area, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of the capital, Lebanon's National News Agency said. On Saturday, two similar strikes targeted two cars on the same highway.

Chinese supertanker reported to be transiting Strait of Hormuz

Published: May 13, 2026 | 05:55 GMT | by Web Desk

Chinese crude oil supertanker, Yuan Hua Hu, is reportedly sailing out of the Gulf region, marking a rare crossing through the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported, citing ship-tracking monitors.

Ship-tracking data shows the supertanker moving through the volatile waterway on Wednesday morning.

According to the reports, the vessel passed Iran’s Lark Island on the eastern side of the strait while heading south away from Hormuz.

UAE, US presidents discuss latest developments in Mideast 

Published: May 13, 2026 | 02:12 GMT | by Web Desk

UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump, during which they discussed strategic cooperation and explored ways to further strengthen UAE-US ties in support of shared interests, according to the Emirates News Agency on Wednesday.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East, it said.

Australia says will join France, UK mission in Hormuz

Published: May 13, 2026 | 01:50 GMT | by AFP

Australia will join a "strictly defensive" mission led by France and Britain to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, defense minister Richard Marles said Wednesday.

"Australia stands ready to support an independent and strictly defensive Multinational Military Mission, led by the United Kingdom and France, once it is established," Marles said in a statement.

A multinational military mission is designed to complement diplomatic engagement and de-escalation efforts, while "demonstrating a tangible commitment to the security of international trade", he said.

Saudi crown prince, UAE president review latest regional developments 

Published: May 13, 2026 | 01:13 GMT | by Web Desk

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made a phone call to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during which they discussed areas of bilateral cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

They further reviewed the latest regional developments and ongoing efforts to enhance security and stability in the region, it said.

South Korea  to review phased participation in US Hormuz initiative

Published: May 13, 2026 | 00:26 GMT | by Web Desk

Defense Minister of South Korea Ahn Gyu-back has told his US counterpart Pete Hegseth that the country is reviewing phased contributions to the US-led initiative in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported, citing Yonhap news agency.

The South Korean defense minister and the US secretary of defense held bilateral talks at the Pentagon earlier this week.