The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Seoul denied Iranian involvement in the attack on a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, which has garnered significant media and international attention.
The deputy commander of the Bandar Abbas maritime police base announced the detection and destruction of a six-kilometer-long smuggled fuel transfer pipeline, which was buried under sand and seawater to transfer fuel from the coast to vessels at sea.
The U.S. Department of State announced through its "Rewards for Justice" program that it will pay up to $15 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force, which finance external activities through the sale of sanctioned Iranian oil and front companies. The program specifically names Wang Shaoyun, a Chinese national, and Mahmoud Rashid Amer Al-Habsi, an Omani national, for their roles in orchestrating the sale and transfer of sanctioned Iranian oil to refineries and Chinese state-owned companies.
The Tehran IRGC has announced the "Heavenly Union Ceremony for Self-Sacrificing Couples," where bride and groom will travel through the city in flower-decorated military jeeps, symbolizing the militarization of wedding ceremonies in Iran amid economic and social hardships.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for their role in facilitating the sale and transfer of Iranian oil to China.
On January 15, 2026, President Trump targeted the financial network of the IRGC, announcing a $15 million reward through the "Rewards for Justice" program for disrupting the IRGC's financial networks and money laundering mechanisms. The Trump administration also sanctioned 12 individuals and entities involved in oil sales to China.
Hossein Afshin, the scientific and technological deputy of Masoud Pezeshkian, stated in an interview that shutting down the internet during wartime is not a viable solution, citing that assassinations continued even when the internet was completely offline. NetBlocks reported on Monday that the internet outage in Iran has lasted 73 days.
CNN, citing informed sources, reported that President Trump is increasingly dissatisfied with Iranian officials' handling of negotiations and is more seriously considering resuming large-scale military operations against Iran. Trump's aides and officials are divided, with some advocating for targeted strikes to pressure Iran, while others believe diplomacy should continue.
The U.S. Department of State has offered rewards of up to $15 million through its "Rewards for Justice" program for information leading to the disruption of financial mechanisms of the IRGC and its branches. On the same day, the U.S. government imposed new sanctions on three individuals and nine entities, including four in Hong Kong, four in the United Arab Emirates, and one in Oman.
On May 9, a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer conducted a training mission over the Middle East.
On April 8, Emirati warplanes conducted a covert strike on Iran’s Lavan Island oil refinery, an operation not publicly acknowledged by the UAE.
Morad Vaisi, a senior analyst at Iran International, stated that Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, is being portrayed in Islamic Republic media as a figure of prudence, despite his role in orchestrating the December massacres, which Vaisi describes as the largest street massacre in Iran's history after Khamenei.
Milad Mohammadi, brother of Shariar Mohammadi who died in the 2022 nationwide protests in Iran, announced in an Instagram video the formation of an alliance among grieving mothers from Kurdistan. In the video, Mohammadi highlighted the mothers' pain and their determination to carry on, concluding with a Mother's Day message to all grieving and bereaved mothers.
The United Arab Emirates conducted an airstrike on Iran's Lavan Island refinery during the conflict, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The United Arab Emirates reportedly carried out secret strikes on Iran, targeting an oil refinery and other locations.
The United Arab Emirates has become involved militarily in the conflict with Iran, as former President Donald Trump stated that a ceasefire between the warring parties is collapsing.
Pakistan has permitted Iranian military aircraft to park at its airfields, including the Nur Khan Air Force Base, shielding them from potential American airstrikes, according to US officials cited by CBS News, despite Pakistan's role as a mediator in the US-Iran conflict.
In an interview, former President Donald Trump described the current ceasefire in the conflict with Iran as having only a "one percent" chance of survival, likening it to a moribund state sustained by artificial means. Jason Brodsky, Policy Director of United Against Nuclear Iran, discussed ongoing speculation about whether Trump will pursue diplomatic or military solutions to the Iran issue.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the United Arab Emirates conducted covert military strikes against Iran as tensions in the Gulf region escalated, according to a recent article.
Mojtaba Zolnour, a member of Iran's Parliament Legal and Judicial Commission, stated that Iran can strike vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz from locations such as Semnan, Mashhad, and Tehran, suggesting the capability to close the strait by sinking a few vessels.
