Reactions and statements from the international community
Inside a state media studio in Tehran, an IRGC Ground Force officer was seen live on air teaching the audience how to use and fire an AK-47 assault rifle, and moments later, a real round was discharged inside the studio.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is continuing to load liquefied natural gas onto tankers that have disabled their tracking systems, as they navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, a route made perilous by the security crisis and tensions with the Islamic Republic regime. Tracking data indicates that some tankers have adopted unusual identification patterns to mitigate risks of seizure or targeting.
U.S. federal authorities have accused a senior commander of Iraq's Kata'ib Hezbollah of planning at least 18 attacks against Western targets, including in Europe and Canada, according to court documents. The commander is also linked to Haj Qaim Kotleh and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and has a history of attacks against American interests.
The U.S. State Department extended the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon for another 45 days following a meeting between President Trump and Xi Jinping. Additionally, the United States arrested a senior commander of Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iraqi terrorist group, who was accused of planning attacks in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Ukrainian sources report that the German army will consider producing and deploying "Flamingo" cruise missiles on its own soil if there is a reduction or complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Europe, as a replacement for U.S. Tomahawk missiles.
Hossein Shariatmadari, a representative of the Islamic Republic's leader at Kayhan newspaper, accused Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Jordan of direct involvement in the recent war and stated they must face retaliation. He also said that while negotiating with America and these Arab countries is part of the regime's mechanism, the war cannot end without exacting harsh revenge against those responsible for the death of Ali Khamenei.
Iraq's new oil minister announced on Saturday, May 16, that the country exported 10 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in April (April 1 to May 10), and stated intentions to cooperate with OPEC to increase production capacity to five million barrels per day. Baghdad has also reached "understandings" with the United States and Iran to mitigate the impact of the Strait of Hormuz blockade on its oil exports.
Israel announced the targeting of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, commander of Hamas's military wing and a key planner of the October 7 attack, in an airstrike on Gaza. Al-Haddad is the highest-ranking Hamas official targeted since the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
On Friday night, the U.S. State Department announced an extension of the ceasefire in Lebanon for 45 additional days. The announcement came as Hezbollah continued launching drones and rockets into northern Israel, where residents remain in bomb shelters.
Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic, sent a message to Pope Leo expressing appreciation for his stance on the Iran war, stating that U.S. and Israeli attacks are against law and human values, and called for a responsible international response to what he termed "illegal actions."
The New York Times reports, citing two Middle Eastern officials, that the United States and Israel are preparing potential attacks against the Islamic Republic, including bombings and special ground operations, with approximately 5,000 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division in the region awaiting instructions.
The Lebanese government sent an unprecedented letter to the United Nations in late April, accusing the Islamic Republic of Iran of abusing diplomatic immunity and interfering in Lebanon's internal affairs by transferring IRGC forces under diplomatic cover, in violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
