The United States is reportedly making key decisions regarding the ongoing conflict with Iran without direct coordination with Tel Aviv, leaving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu increasingly sidelined. Initially, Netanyahu believed Israel was conducting a major military campaign against a regional power with U.S. backing, but analysts now say Washington’s influence dominates Israel’s military and diplomatic choices.

Experts cited the Lebanon ceasefire as a major example of this shift, claiming the decision was driven by U.S. President Donald Trump rather than Netanyahu’s preference. The prolonged conflict is raising concerns about escalating military costs, economic strain, and humanitarian damage, all of which are affecting Israel’s domestic politics.

As uncertainty and losses mount, Netanyahu’s political standing appears to be weakening, with opinion polls indicating a decline in his public support.

Israel has announced plans to purchase advanced fighter jets from the United States amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the acquisition as a major step to strengthen the country's air defense and reinforce its unmatched aerial superiority. The Israeli Defense Ministry said on Sunday morning that the country intends to buy two new squadrons of F-35I stealth fighters and F-15IA jets as part of a broader defense budget expansion.

In a video message, Netanyahu stated that Israel will add an extra 350 billion shekels, about 118 billion US dollars, to its defense budget over the next decade. He also said the country aims to reduce dependence on foreign arms manufacturers by developing domestic technology for future aircraft production.

Netanyahu added that the government has launched a special project to counter drone threats in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, though he cautioned that resolving this challenge will take time. He emphasized that the issue is being treated with the highest priority.

A total of 43,773 Bangladeshi pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the ongoing Hajj season, according to the Hajj Office. Director Md Lokman Hossain said that as of 10 a.m. today, 110 flights had landed in Jeddah. The Hajj bulletin reported that seven pilgrims have died of natural causes so far, five in Makkah and two in Madinah.

The bulletin also stated that the Saudi medical team has provided direct treatment to 9,175 pilgrims, while another 9,730 received health services through the IT helpdesk. This year, Bangladesh has been allocated a total of 78,500 Hajj slots, managed by 660 agencies, including 30 main and 630 coordinating agencies. Of the total, 4,565 pilgrims are under government management and 73,935 under private management.

Flights have been operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudia, and Flynas, with 34,543 pilgrims yet to depart. The first Hajj flight left Dhaka on April 17, and the pilgrimage is expected to take place on May 26, depending on moon sighting. Return flights are scheduled between May 30 and June 30.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has stated that the United States’ room for decision-making on Iran has become increasingly limited. In a statement cited by Al Jazeera, the IRGC said Tehran has set a deadline for the removal of US blockades on Iranian ports, though the specific timeframe was not disclosed.

According to the IRGC, shifts are emerging in the positions of China, Russia, and European countries against Washington. The group added that former US President Donald Trump now faces two difficult choices: launching an unfeasible military operation or agreeing to what it described as an unfavorable deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, with both military and diplomatic pressures reportedly intensifying.

An Israeli human rights organization said that two foreign workers detained from a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla will be brought before a court in Ashkelon today. The flotilla, consisting of more than 50 vessels, had departed from France, Spain, and Italy with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade and delivering food and emergency aid to Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.

Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters near Greece on Thursday. Authorities stated that around 175 workers were removed from the vessels, with two taken to Israel for questioning. The detained individuals were identified as Saif Abu Keshek of Spain and Thiago Avilo of Brazil. Human rights group Adalah’s international advocacy coordinator, Miriam Azem, said the two had not yet been presented before the court.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding humanitarian efforts to deliver aid to Gaza amid Israel’s blockade, though further details on the legal proceedings remain unclear.

Jordan carried out airstrikes in southern Syria early Sunday, targeting suspected bases and warehouses used for drug and arms smuggling. The Jordanian Armed Forces said the operation aimed to curb illegal trafficking activities along the border. According to the state news agency Petra, the targeted sites were identified through intelligence and destroyed to ensure national security amid rising smuggling attempts.

Syrian state media Al-Ikhbariya reported that the strikes hit a facility in Shahba village in Suwayda province, believed to store weapons and narcotics. Additional attacks were observed near a former security branch base, where drone and ambulance movements were seen. Analysts noted that smuggling networks have remained active along the Syria-Jordan border for years, prompting Jordan to conduct similar operations in the past.

The incident comes amid Syria’s ongoing political transition following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024 and the formation of an interim government led by Ahmad al-Sharar in early 2025, which is seeking to reintegrate the country internationally.

Iran has submitted a 14-point proposal aimed at ending the ongoing war, calling for all related issues to be resolved within 30 days. The plan prioritizes a permanent end to hostilities over extending temporary ceasefires. It was presented by Tehran as a framework for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.

According to the proposal, key elements include mutual non-aggression guarantees, withdrawal of US forces from areas near Iran, lifting of naval blockades, release of seized assets, removal of sanctions, and cessation of fighting across all fronts including Lebanon. The plan also calls for establishing a new arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz.

A report by Axios stated that the proposal sets a one-month deadline to reach an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the US naval blockade. The initiative reflects Iran’s push for a comprehensive resolution rather than temporary measures.

Iranian authorities plan to transform the war-damaged Isfahan University of Technology into a war museum following extensive destruction caused by United States and Israeli attacks in central Iran. The initiative aims to present the impact of the assaults to the public and preserve the site as a historical record of what officials describe as scientific persecution.

University head Jafarollah Kalantari stated that the damaged area within the campus will be preserved as a war museum. According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Kalantari also confirmed that a new building and advanced equipment will be provided for the university at a separate location. Preliminary assessments estimate infrastructure losses at around 11 million US dollars.

Officials reported that since the conflict began on February 28, more than 30 universities across Iran, including in Tehran, have been damaged by US and Israeli strikes. Residential and other civilian areas have also been targeted, according to the same sources.

Iran has executed a man convicted of killing a security officer during the 2022 nationwide protests. The execution took place after the country’s Supreme Court upheld the death sentence in late 2025. The convicted individual, identified as Mehrab Abdollahzadeh, was found guilty of involvement in the killing of security officer Abbas Fatemiyeh during the unrest that followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

According to Iran’s judiciary-affiliated news agency Mizan, Abdollahzadeh had confessed to attacking the officer. However, the human rights organization HRANA, citing a source, alleged that the confession was extracted under torture. The protests in 2022 had spread across Iran after Amini’s death, drawing widespread attention and leading to numerous arrests and trials.

The report did not specify the exact date or location of the execution, and no official comment was included regarding the allegations of forced confession.

At least three commercial vessels have been hijacked off the coast of Somalia in the past week, reviving fears of piracy in waters once considered secure. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has raised the region’s security risk to “substantial” and advised ships to proceed with caution. The hijackings include the fishing vessel Alkhari-2 on April 20, the oil tanker Honor-25 on April 21 carrying 16,000 barrels of oil with 17 crew from several Asian countries, and the cargo ship Sword on April 26, which remains under pirate control.

Analysts attribute the resurgence to reduced anti-piracy patrols as naval forces are redeployed to address the Iran–US conflict and Houthi unrest in the Red Sea. Rising global oil prices, now exceeding $110 per barrel due to the ongoing wars, have made oil tankers more attractive targets for pirates.

Somalia’s waters were once the world’s most dangerous, causing billions in global economic losses before NATO and EU operations curbed piracy. Experts now warn that those gains are at risk of reversal.

North Korea on Sunday dismissed US allegations that it engages in cybercrime to earn illegal income, calling the claims baseless slander. Pyongyang’s foreign ministry, through a statement published by state news agency KCNA, accused Washington of spreading false information and fabricating cyber threats to damage the country’s image for political purposes.

The United States has long accused North Korea of expanding its cyberwarfare program, allegedly stealing billions of dollars in virtual assets over recent years. The US Department of Justice recently sentenced two American citizens for helping North Koreans secure remote IT jobs at US companies, generating illicit funds for Pyongyang’s weapons programs. Investigations found that more than a hundred American firms, including Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor, were targeted.

According to UN findings, North Korean cyberattacks since 2017 have stolen over $3 billion in cryptocurrency, reportedly used to finance weapons development. Cybersecurity analysts also reported attempted attacks on widely used software packages linked to North Korean hackers.

At least 10 people were killed in Israel’s latest airstrike in southern Lebanon, bringing the total death toll to 41 within the past 24 hours, according to Al Jazeera. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that the attacks occurred on Saturday, May 2, and that since March 2 this year, 2,659 people have been killed and 8,183 injured in the country.

The National News Agency said three people were killed in Shoukin town in Nabatieh district, two in a car attack in Kafr Dajjal village, and three more in a house strike in Lwaizeh village. Additional airstrikes were reported near Al-Quds intersection in Nabatieh city and in Siddiqin town in Tyre district.

A ceasefire brokered by the United States between Lebanon and Israel on April 17 has reportedly been repeatedly violated. Israel claims its targets are Hezbollah fighters, while local sources say most of the victims are civilians.

Saudi Arabia is moving closer to Turkey and Pakistan as tensions rise within the Gulf region. The United Arab Emirates has decided to leave OPEC, while Saudi Arabia is shutting down one of its major foreign sports ventures. Both U.S. allies are navigating a complex separation process and facing pressure from Iran. The developments come a year after President Trump’s Gulf visit, which had inspired hopes for a stable, AI-driven, post-oil future in the region.

The UAE’s withdrawal from the Saudi-led oil cartel marks a new fracture in regional alliances, intensified by the Iran war. While UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed initially sought to avoid conflict, he later supported continuing the fight to prevent Iran’s strengthening. In contrast, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shifted from supporting the war to seeking an exit as economic damage mounted. Qatar, hit by direct attacks, has also struggled to balance ties with the U.S. and Iran.

Washington has chosen not to intervene in the Saudi-UAE split, though senior U.S. officials remain concerned about growing hostility between its key Arab partners.

The United States has demanded that Iran completely stop all uranium enrichment as a condition for any agreement to end the ongoing conflict between the two countries. US President Donald Trump reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons and said that military action had been taken to prevent such a possibility. Iran, however, continues to deny any intention of producing nuclear arms, insisting that its nuclear program is entirely for civilian purposes such as electricity generation.

According to the United Nations nuclear monitoring agency, Iran currently possesses about 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, which could theoretically be further refined to produce 10 to 11 nuclear bombs. Iran’s refusal to halt enrichment is based on its interpretation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which it says allows signatory states to enrich uranium for peaceful uses under strict safeguards.

The dispute follows the 2015 agreement under which Iran limited enrichment to 3.67 percent in exchange for sanctions relief. In 2018, President Trump withdrew from that deal, calling it flawed for failing to address Iran’s missile program and regional influence.

US President Donald Trump is considering launching a naval escort mission in the Strait of Hormuz to help stranded commercial tankers move safely under American protection. The information was shared by Kenneth Katzman, an analyst at the Soufan Center, who said Trump aims to resolve the ongoing deadlock with Iran without initiating a new conflict.

Katzman explained that if Iran shows no progress, Trump is likely to proceed with the escort mission, which could benefit Gulf nations and allies like Iraq. However, US sanctions on Iran would remain in place. Katzman warned that any Iranian attack on the escort mission could sharply shift the tone of negotiations, giving Trump tougher options to control the situation.

Analysts cited in the report believe the prolonged standoff ultimately favors the United States, as Iran’s limited maritime trade options could force it to cut oil production and face severe economic strain. Rising oil prices could pose some political challenges for Trump, but Iran’s economic situation would be far worse.