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08:13
Any Agreement With Iran Must Be Approved By Congress, Says Graham
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (file photo)
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has again said that any agreement between the United States and Iran must be approved by the US Congress.
His renewed emphasis on the issue came after Trump announced that, at the request of Arab Gulf leaders, he hadpostponed a planned May 19 attackon Iran.
Responding on X, Grahamwrotethat any agreement between Tehran and Washington "must come before Congress for approval, as was the case for the JCPOA under President Obama," referring to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from in 2018.
While expressing skepticism about the prospects for reaching a deal with the Islamic republic, Graham nevertheless added that if the conflict could be ended "through diplomatic means that achieve our national security objectives, that would be a major accomplishment.
Graham said Trump wanted Iran to halt uranium enrichment, surrender control of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the United States, stop interfering in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, abandon its long-range ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs, and end support for armed proxy groups across the region.
The US senator, however, also said he was deeply skeptical Iran would agree to terms that would make any new accord substantially different from the 2015 nuclear deal, adding that time will tell.
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08:48
More Than 100 Couples Married In Tehran With Military Vehicles And Machine Guns
A mass wedding ceremony for 110 couples was held on May 18 at Imam Hossein Square in central Tehran.
Images published from the event show military vehicles and machine guns present at the celebration venue.
A government-backed Janfada campaign -- meaning "devotion" or "self-sacrifice" -- was launched with the aim of demonstrating public preparedness in the face of a possible ground attack.
At the same time, weapons training courses in public spaces have also begun in recent days.
The ceremony took place while a fragile cease-fire remains in effect between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
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07:45
More Than 4,000 Arrested, 50 Executed Since Start Of War, Says Rights Group
The HRANA human rights group says Iranian authorities arrested at least 4,023 people and carried out 50 executions following the start of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, according to a new report examining both the military campaign and its domestic fallout.
According to thereport,detainees faced accusations including espionage, threatening national security, and sharing information related to the conflict. It added that Iranians experienced a convergence of harm through increased domestic repression during the war.
HRANA said conditions inside detention facilities sharply deteriorated, while authorities expanded checkpoints, intensified movement restrictions, and imposed a prolonged internet blackout that reduced national connectivity to about 1 percent of normal levels.
The report also documented the human toll of the conflict itself, verifying at least 3,636 deaths, including 1,701 civilians, 1,221 military personnel, and 714 unidentified individuals. HRANA additionally confirmed the deaths of 307 children and injuries to 2,213 others during the attacks.
Titled Between Missiles And Repression, the report published on May 18 is based on what HRANA described as 6,324 verified incidents documented through open-source material, external reporting, and its network of sources inside Iran. The group said all incidents included in the report were corroborated by at least two independent sources.
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23:59
18.5.2026
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
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22:05
18.5.2026
Trump Says He's Paused Planned Iran Strike As Peace Negotiations Continue
US President Donald Trump speaking at the White House on May 18, 2026.
US President Donald Trump says he has paused a planned military strike on Iran to allow negotiations over ending the conflict in the Middle East, after Tehran submitted a new peace proposal through Pakistan.
Trumpsaid in a Truth Social poston May 18 that he had told the military that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moments notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.
Facing pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reduce the wars economic impact, Trump said leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had urged him to hold off on the attack because a Deal will be made.
Iran confirmed its views had been relayed to Washington via Pakistan, though a Pakistani source warned: We don't have much time.
Speaking to journalists hours after saying he had postponed a military attack planned for Tuesday, Trump said the United States would be satisfied if it could reach an agreement with Iran that prevents Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Trump added that there "seems to be a good chance that a deal can be worked out," while Pakistan described the talks as "difficult."
Irans proposal reportedly prioritizes ending the conflict, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and easing sanctions, while deferring disputes over Tehrans nuclear program.
Iranian sources also claimed Washington had shown greater flexibility on frozen assets and civilian nuclear activity, though the US has not confirmed any concessions.
With reporting by Reuters
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20:03
18.5.2026
US Extends Russian Oil Waiver As Bessent Urges Tougher Iran Sanctions
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a G7 meeting in Paris on May 18.
WASHINGTON -- The US Treasury Department has extended for another 30 days a sanctions waiver allowing at-risk countries to purchase Russian oil shipments at sea, as supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continue to roil global energy markets.
US Treasury is issuing a temporary 30-day general license to provide the most vulnerable nations with the ability to temporarily access Russian oil currently stranded at sea, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessentsaid in a post on X.
Bessent said the waiver would help stabilize the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries while limiting Chinas ability to stockpile discounted Russian oil.
The decision highlights the increasingly difficult balancing act facing Washington and its allies as they seek to sustain pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine while also trying to prevent a wider energy shock tied to escalating tensions with Iran.
The waiver expired over the weekend before being renewed after several poorer countries requested more time to secure supplies disrupted by the closure of Persian Gulf shipping routes, according to a source familiar with the decision. The countries were not identified.
Oil markets remained volatile despite the extension. Brent crude rose about 1.5 percent on May 18 to roughly $111 a barrel amid continuing concerns over Gulf supplies.
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19:34
18.5.2026
Iranian TV Presenter Fires Gun At UAE Flag Amid Growing Public Militarization
An armed Iranian state TV presenter fired at a United Arab Emirates flag during a broadcast amid signs of growing public militarization in Iran. It came as US President Donald Trump issued threats of renewed attacks on Iran if it didn't reach a deal to end the nearly three-month-long conflict.
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