Middle East war live: Trump issues new warning to Iran to accept peace deal
· France 2418/05/2026 - 02:12
Global executions hit highest level since 1981
Iran put to death over 2,150 people last year, a "staggering" increase that pushed recorded worldwide executions to their highest level since 1981, Amnesty International said Monday.
Amnesty said it had confirmed the executions of at least 2,707 people globally in 2025. Of these cases, 2,159 were in Iran, a figure more than double that of 2024, Amnesty said.
18/05/2026 - 00:44
Supertanker resumes Vietnam voyage after US Navy detention
Supertanker Agios Fanourios I is heading for Vietnam to discharge its Iraqi crude oil cargo after it was held by the US Navy for five days in the Gulf of Oman, shipping data on LSEG showed.
The Maltese-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz on May 10 and was sailing in the Gulf of Oman before making a U-turn on May 11. It resumed its journey toward Vietnam on May 16 and is expected to arrive at the Nghi Son refinery on May 30, LSEG data showed.
The US military's Central Command said last week that the vessel was redirected as part of ongoing enforcement of the blockade against Iran.
18/05/2026 - 00:12
Oil prices rise as Iran conflict escalates
Oil prices extended gains on Monday as efforts to end the US-Israeli war with Iran appeared to have stalled, after a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates came under attack and as US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss military options on Iran.
Brent crude futures climbed $1.36, or 1.24%, to $110.62 a barrel by 2202 GMT and US West Texas Intermediate was at $107.26 a barrel, up $1.84, or 1.75%.
18/05/2026 - 00:08
G7 the right forum to discuss ending Iran war: German minister
The Group of Seven countries is the right forum for discussing how to bring a lasting end to the war in Iran, which along with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz poses a serious threat to the global economy, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said on Monday.
Klingbeil will travel to Paris to join a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bankers on Monday and Tuesday.
"Our path as Europeans remains clear: We rely on co-operation rather than confrontation," Klingbeil said. "We rely on partnerships, reliability, open trade, and the strength of the rule of law."
17/05/2026 - 23:54
Israeli strike in east Lebanon kills Islamic Jihad commander
Israeli strikes killed seven people in Lebanon on Sunday, including an Islamic Jihad commander, Lebanese authorities and state media said, despite a fragile ceasefire as Hezbollah called US-brokered talks between the two countries a "dead end".
The health ministry published a "preliminary toll" for Israel's strikes on Sunday, with three people killed in the town of Tayr Felsay, including a child, and two killed in the town of Tayr Debba, including another child.
It said 11 people were wounded in those strikes and four more were wounded in strikes in two other southern towns.
17/05/2026 - 22:56
Saudi says it intercepted three drones that entered from Iraqi airspace
Saudi Arabia on said it intercepted three drones after they entered its territory from Iraqi airspace.
The kingdom's defence ministry said it would take the necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to violate its sovereignty and security.
17/05/2026 - 21:06
Israeli strikes kill eight people in Gaza, medics say
Israeli strikes killed at least eight Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, health officials said, as ceasefire efforts meant to end fighting between Israel and the Hamas militant group falter.
In the weeks since halting its joint bombing with the US in Iran, Israel has stepped up its attacks in Gaza, where Hamas has been tightening its grip, even as Israeli troops remain in control of more than half the territory.
Medics said an Israeli strike killed one Palestinian near a police post and another at a tent encampment in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said it killed a militant who posed an immediate threat to forces in the area.
17/05/2026 - 20:58
Saudi Arabia calls drone attack at UAE nuclear site 'threat' to region
Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry condemned the drone strike that triggered a fire near a nuclear power plant in the neighbouring United Arab Emirates.
The ministry said in a statement that the attack was "a threat to the security and stability of the region" and expressed its solidarity with the UAE, saying it would "support all measures taken to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity" of the country.
17/05/2026 - 20:14
Most of the architects of October 7 attacks have been killed, says Netanyahu
17/05/2026 - 20:05
Lebanon health ministry says Israeli strikes in south kill at least five people
Lebanon's health ministry said that new Israeli strikes on the country's south killed at least five people including two children, despite an ongoing ceasefire.
The ministry published a "preliminary toll" for strikes on Sunday, with three killed in the town of Tayr Felsay, including a child, and two more were killed in the town of Tayr Debba, including another child.
It said 11 people were wounded in those strikes.
17/05/2026 - 18:50
Trump says 'clock is ticking' for Iran
US President Donald Trump threatened consequences for Iran if its leaders do not act quickly.
"For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!," he wrote in a Truth Social post.
17/05/2026 - 18:02
Israeli strikes kill five people in Gaza, medics say
Israeli strikes killed at least five Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, health officials said, as ceasefire efforts meant to end fighting between Israel and the Hamas militant group falter.
In the weeks since halting its joint bombing with the US in Iran, Israel has stepped up its attacks in Gaza, where Hamas has been tightening its grip, even as Israeli troops remain in control of more than half the territory.
17/05/2026 - 17:51
UAE calls drone attack at nuclear site 'dangerous escalation'
The United Arab Emirates condemned a drone attack that caused a fire near its nuclear plant, calling it a "dangerous escalation".
"The UAE emphasised that it will not tolerate any threat to its security and sovereignty under any circumstances," a foreign ministry statement said.
17/05/2026 - 17:16
Hezbollah fired 200 projectiles over the weekend at Israel
An Israeli military official said that Hezbollah had fired around 200 projectiles at Israel and its troops over the weekend, despite Israel and Lebanon agreeing to extend a ceasefire.
"Over the weekend, Hezbollah launched approximately 200 projectiles toward the State of Israel and IDF troops, in a clear and ongoing violation of the ceasefire understandings," the official said, in a statement to AFP.
17/05/2026 - 16:34
UAE says drone that hit nuclear site crossed western border
The UAE's ministry of defence said a drone that hit an electrical generator at a nuclear power station Sunday was one of three that had crossed the country's western border.
"Investigations are underway to determine the source of the attacks," the ministry said in a statement.
"The Ministry of Defence announced that on 17th May 2026, UAE air defence systems intercepted three UAVs that entered the country from the western border direction," it said.
"Two were successfully intercepted while the third struck an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the Al Dhafra area."
17/05/2026 - 16:34
Israel strikes Lebanon as Hezbollah calls talks 'dead end'
Israel struck eastern and southern Lebanon, state media reported, despite a fragile ceasefire as Hezbollah called US-brokered talks between the two countries a "dead end".
Two Israeli strikes hit the town of Sohmor in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa valley, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) said, adding that others took place across southern Lebanon.
The Israeli army later issued an evacuation warning to four villages near the southern coastal city of Sidon, dozens of kilometres from the border area, which were also subject to an evacuation warning on Saturday.
Israeli airstrikes hit three of the four villages following the warning, the NNA said.
17/05/2026 - 16:12
Investigations underway to determine source of drone attack near nuclear plant
The UAE's defense ministry said that investigations were underway to determine the source of a drone attack that hit a generator outside the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi.
The defense ministry said it dealt "successfully" with two drones, while a third one hit a generator near the plant. It said the drones were launched from the "western border", without providing further details.
17/05/2026 - 14:02
One Indian national killed in drone attack in Moscow region
One Indian citizen was killed and three others injured "as a result of a drone attack" in the Moscow region, said the Indian Embassy in Russia.
"Embassy staff traveled to the scene of the incident and visited the victims in the hospital," the embassy said in a post on X.
"The embassy expresses its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and is doing everything possible to provide the necessary assistance to the victims," it added.
17/05/2026 - 13:42
IAEA following the situation at UAE nuclear power plant 'closely'
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been informed by the UAE that radiation levels at the Barakah nuclear power plant remain normal, the UN's nuclear agency has said.
"The IAEA is following the situation closely and is in constant contact with the UAE authorities, ready to provide assistance if needed," the agency said in a post on X.
17/05/2026 - 13:32
US response to Iran proposal has 'no tangible concessions', Iranian media says
Iranian media on Sunday said the US failed to make any concrete concessions in its response to Iran's proposal for negotiations to end the war.
Fars news agency said Washington gave a five-point list which included a demand for Iran to keep only one nuclear site in operation and transfer its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US.
The Mehr news agency meanwhile said: "The United States, offering no tangible concessions, wants to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war, which will lead to an impasse in the negotiations."
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)