An Iranian official has stated that around 80 percent of war-damaged areas in Tehran have been repaired. The information was reported by the state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), quoting Tehran’s Deputy Governor Yed Kamaluddin Mirzafarian. According to the report, more than 60,000 residential and commercial units in Tehran province were damaged during what Iran calls the “third imposed war,” involving U.S.-Israeli attacks.

The IRIB report added that since the conflict began on February 28, Iran’s direct and indirect losses are estimated at about 270 billion dollars. The war also caused extensive damage to key infrastructure, including bridges, ports, rail networks, universities, research centers, power plants, and water treatment facilities. Many hospitals, educational institutions, and homes were either partially or completely destroyed.

Iranian authorities said reconstruction efforts are progressing rapidly, and normal conditions have been restored in most parts of the capital, according to the report.

Influential American neoconservative thinker and longtime pro-Israel strategist Robert Kagan has warned that the United States is heading toward a 'total defeat' in its ongoing conflict with Iran. Writing in The Atlantic, Kagan argued that the war has inflicted irreparable damage on Washington’s global standing and that no decisive American victory can reverse the losses. He described the conflict as both a military and strategic setback for the US.

Kagan, co-founder of the Project for the New American Century and a key advocate of US military interventionism, drew parallels between the current situation and past crises such as Pearl Harbor and the Vietnam War. He said the balance of power over the Strait of Hormuz has shifted, turning Iran from a regional into a global power. According to him, the war has exposed an unreliable America unable to finish what it starts.

He further warned that the Trump administration now faces limited options, with diminished leverage to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or maintain pressure on Tehran. Kagan also cautioned that the conflict could prove disastrous for Israel, potentially reducing US and Israeli influence across the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for a three-day visit, marking the first trip to China by a top U.S. leader in a decade. He landed on Wednesday aboard Air Force One, with formal meetings scheduled for Thursday and Friday between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. The itinerary includes an official welcome at the Great Hall of the People and a visit to Zhongnanhai, the residence and workplace of China’s top leadership.

The visit was originally planned for March but was postponed after U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran at the end of February. Discussions are expected to cover the Iran conflict, where China has been playing a growing mediating role, though Trump stated before departure that he did not need Xi Jinping’s help on the issue. Trade, technology, and Taiwan are also expected to feature prominently in the talks.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that he would urge China to further open its market to major U.S. technology companies, whose top executives are accompanying him. Beijing’s key priority will be extending the “trade truce” agreement reached last October, which temporarily eased tariff tensions between the two nations.

A meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing is expected to center on the ongoing war involving Iran. The United States is increasing pressure on China to use its economic and political influence over Tehran to help end the conflict. China remains Iran’s largest trading partner and has maintained a decades-old alliance with the country.

Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and expressed Beijing’s readiness to assist in reducing tensions. Despite China’s desire for peace, its economy is already struggling with slow growth and rising unemployment, challenges that predate Trump’s tariff measures. The Middle East conflict has added new strain, with rising oil prices affecting factory costs and export orders.

China has voiced support for Pakistan’s peace plan as part of its measured mediation efforts, while also seeking to avoid direct involvement in the conflict.

A new US intelligence assessment has found that Iran has regained operational control over most of its missile bases, mobile launchers, and underground facilities, contradicting public claims by President Donald Trump’s administration that Iran’s military power was destroyed. The report states that 30 of Iran’s 33 missile bases near the Strait of Hormuz are now functional, allowing potential threats to US warships and oil tankers in the region.

According to the assessment, Iran retains about 70 percent of its mobile missile launchers and prewar missile stockpiles, including both ballistic and cruise missiles. Nearly 90 percent of its underground missile storage and launch centers have also returned to partial or full operation. These findings challenge earlier statements by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had asserted that Iran’s military capability was shattered by US-Israeli operations.

The report also notes that the US military has depleted significant missile reserves during the conflict, using over 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, more than 1,000 Tomahawks, and 1,300 Patriot interceptors. Analysts warn that replenishing these arsenals could take years, and renewed conflict with Iran could heighten both military and economic pressure on the US while destabilizing global energy markets reliant on the Strait of Hormuz.

Kuwaiti authorities detained four individuals earlier this month for attempting to infiltrate the country by sea. According to a statement from Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, published by the state news agency KUNA, the detainees admitted to being members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The group included two navy colonels, a captain, and a lieutenant commander, who allegedly tried to enter Bubiyan Island on May 1 using a fishing boat hired for hostile activities against Kuwait.

The ministry said a firefight occurred between Kuwaiti forces and the infiltrators, injuring one Kuwaiti soldier, while two IRGC members managed to escape. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Tutunji, to deliver a protest note, calling the incident a hostile act and a clear attack on national sovereignty. Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations as baseless, claiming the officers had mistakenly entered Kuwaiti waters due to navigation errors.

Kuwait has maintained a strict stance toward individuals and groups linked to Iran since the start of the ongoing regional conflict, according to the report.

Russia has successfully conducted a test launch of its new-generation intercontinental ballistic missile, Sarmat, which President Vladimir Putin described as the world's most powerful. According to Al Jazeera, the announcement was made after a video aired on Russian state television showing Strategic Missile Forces Commander Sergei Karakaev informing Putin of the successful launch. Putin stated that the missile would be formally inducted into Russia’s armed forces by the end of the year.

Putin claimed that Sarmat’s warhead capacity is four times greater than comparable Western missiles and that it can travel more than 35,000 kilometers due to its sub-orbital flight capability. The missile, known in the West as “Satan 2,” has been in development since 2011 and is designed to replace the Soviet-era Voyevoda system. The report noted that the Sarmat program has faced setbacks, including a major explosion during a 2024 test.

The test comes amid renewed global security concerns following the expiration of the New START arms control treaty between Russia and the United States, leaving both nations free to develop nuclear weapons without formal limits.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi announced that work is underway to draft regulations for managing the Strait of Hormuz. He said the framework will be based on international law. Aragchi made the statement during a meeting in Tehran with Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik.

Earlier, senior Iranian officials had indicated Tehran’s intention to establish a new legal system for the strategic waterway. Aragchi criticized the United States for what he described as extremist attitudes, threats, and provocative rhetoric, saying these factors, along with a lack of goodwill, have hindered progress toward any potential agreement.

He added that tensions surrounding the Strait stem from U.S. and Israeli military aggression against Iran and the continued blockade of Iranian seaports. Aragchi emphasized that Iran’s regulatory initiative aims to align with international legal standards.

The United Kingdom has announced plans to deploy drones, Typhoon fighter jets, and Royal Navy warships as part of a multinational military mission to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz. The UK Ministry of Defence stated on Tuesday, May 12, that the decision followed a virtual meeting involving defense ministers and representatives from more than 40 countries. The mission will include automated mine detection systems, drone defense technology, and specialized mine clearance teams.

The initiative will receive funding of approximately £115 million (about $152 million). It will utilize the Royal Navy’s modular “Beehive” system and autonomous “Kraken” drone vessels designed to detect and respond to maritime threats. The destroyer HMS Dragon has already departed for the Middle East after additional training, equipped with the advanced Sea Viper air defense system. Eurofighter Typhoon jets stationed in the region will also be prepared for aerial patrols over strategic waterways.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the mission aims to restore confidence in maritime security and commercial navigation in the Hormuz Strait, describing it as a defensive and cooperative international effort.

Recent reports indicate that the ceasefire in southern Lebanon exists only on paper, as fighting continues to escalate across the region. Israeli forces have reportedly issued new evacuation orders for at least six villages, including Abbassiyeh, forcing residents to leave their homes amid growing insecurity and displacement.

The situation has created severe humanitarian strain, particularly on the region’s limited healthcare infrastructure. Only three hospitals remain operational across the Tyre district, serving more than one hundred thousand residents. Many injured civilians struggle to reach medical facilities due to dangerous and lengthy travel routes from remote southern villages.

Ongoing attacks in both Nabatieh and Tyre districts have further disrupted daily life and worsened safety conditions. Analysts cited in the report suggest that the continuing violence is deepening the humanitarian crisis and raising serious doubts about the effectiveness of the declared ceasefire.

A young man from Putijana Namapara village in Fulbaria, Mymensingh, was killed in a drone attack on May 2 in a Russia-controlled border area of Ukraine. The victim, identified as A. Rahim, 30, died alongside another Bangladeshi and a Nigerian national. Rahim had traveled to Russia in October of the previous year and secretly joined the Russian army on April 7 of the current year.

The news of Rahim’s death reached his family on Monday evening through his friend Limon Dutta, who also serves in the same Russian military camp. Limon was seriously injured in the same attack, losing a leg and is currently receiving hospital treatment. Rahim’s mother, Romicha Khatun, expressed deep grief, saying her son had gone abroad to support the family financially. His father, Azizul Haque, urged the government to help bring back his son’s body.

Fulbaria police officer-in-charge Md. Rashedul Hasan stated that they have not yet received any official message from the government but assured that the family would receive maximum support.

Fifteen people, including two paramedics, were killed and thirteen others injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon on Tuesday, according to reports. Despite an existing ceasefire, Israel carried out more than fifty attacks, with the Israeli Air Force conducting twenty-three strikes in Tyre district targeting areas such as Tyre, Al-Mansouri, Shrifa, Arjun, and Al-Bazuriyah.

Anadolu Agency reported that in Tair Debba, one Syrian national was killed and his wife injured, while several others were wounded in Al-Mansouri. Twelve additional strikes were launched in Nabatieh district. In Zebchit, three people, including a Lebanese soldier, were killed, and two others died in a house hit in Deir al-Zahrani.

A civil defense team was also attacked in Nabatieh while rescuing an injured person, resulting in the deaths of two paramedics and one civilian. The strikes mark a significant escalation despite the declared ceasefire.

Gulf countries are increasingly turning to Turkey to strengthen their air defense systems as regional tensions with Iran escalate. The shift comes as U.S. defense companies struggle to meet arms and equipment demands, prompting Arab states to seek alternative suppliers. Following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks on American bases, countries such as Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have faced heightened security risks.

Despite possessing advanced defense systems, these nations have struggled to counter Iran’s ballistic missiles and long-range drones, which can evade radar detection. In response, several Gulf states have initiated talks and agreements with Ankara to acquire Turkish-made weapons and defense systems. Kuwait has signed a protocol with Turkey to purchase Bayraktar Akinci drones and Hisar air defense systems, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar have reportedly agreed to buy Korkut 100/25 systems.

The growing Gulf presence at Turkey’s recent SAHA Expo defense exhibition, including active participation from Iraq, underscores the region’s expanding defense cooperation with Ankara.

The United States is reportedly considering launching a new military operation in Iran, codenamed 'Operation Sledgehammer', if the current ceasefire breaks down. NBC News reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration is reviewing the possibility of resuming the conflict that began on February 28. Discussions are underway to rename the previous campaign, 'Operation Epic Fury', to 'Operation Sledgehammer' should new military action be approved.

According to NBC News, the Trump administration had declared the end of 'Operation Epic Fury' after Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in early April. However, a Pentagon official told the outlet that 'Epic Fury' remains ongoing, with the truce only halting large-scale combat operations. The Pentagon has not issued an immediate response regarding the latest reports.

Diplomatic deadlock between the United States and Iran continues, as Tehran has refused to engage in new talks until five specific 'minimum guarantees' are met.

Australia has announced its decision to join a defensive military mission led by the United Kingdom and France to ensure the safety of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement was made by Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles, who stated that Australia will contribute an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to the mission. The aircraft is already deployed in the Middle East and is currently assisting the United Arab Emirates in defending against Iranian drone attacks.

Following a meeting with representatives from around 40 countries, Marles said that once the mission is formally established, Australia is ready to support the independent and strictly defensive multinational initiative led by the UK and France. He emphasized that the mission will complement diplomatic efforts and de-escalation initiatives while demonstrating a tangible commitment to protecting international trade security.

The mission is described as fully defensive in nature and aims to strengthen collective security in a strategically vital maritime corridor.