Iran war live: Tehran plans tolls in Hormuz; Trump warns of ‘very bad time’

There have been more than 30 attacks on different parts of the country, including air strikes here in the southwest sector. One of them on al-Mansouri and then several more strikes in places very near the city of Tyre.

There have also been artillery shelling on the towns of Qlailah, Hanine and Majdal Zoun.

Further east into the Nabatieh region, there are reports of air strikes and artillery shelling on multiple locations, including Yohmor as well as Arnoun. And this is a part of a pattern that we’re seeing grow over time.

For weeks now, there has been an ongoing ceasefire in Lebanon, but it hasn’t stopped Israel from carrying out strikes like we’re seeing today, as this ceasefire is extended, and there’s no sign of this ending anytime soon.

As a result of Israel’s forced evacuation orders, we are also seeing thousands of people flee from areas in the south. Highways are filled with people from Sidon towards Beirut, fearing the ongoing attacks that Israel is carrying out on the south of the country.

I am a few kilometres away from the southern coast of Iran and adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran says the strait is open to all but closed to Iran’s adversaries, and any passage through this geo-strategically significant chokepoint should be coordinated with the Iranian military side.

Local sources say the number of ships and vessels transiting the strait has slightly increased but remains much lower than during the war.

Iran also says it is critically important for the US to lift the blockade on Iranian ships and vessels.

Other sticking points include the nuclear dossier of the country, and in particular, the stockpile of highly enriched uranium, as well as Iranian demands for the removal of sanctions, frozen assets, war reparations, and most importantly, the security assurances to make sure that it’s not going to get into the trap of a vicious circle of war, a period of peace, and then another round of confrontation.

The situation, by and large, is marked by uncertainty, ambiguity and complexity. People are watching closely to see whether or not diplomacy is going to be given sufficient chance to resolve all these complexities, or there is going to be another round of confrontation down the road.

After months of war and disruption, businesses across Iran say it’s becoming harder to survive. The economy was already battered by years of sanctions, inflation and a falling currency.

Watch our video report below:

• Iran says it will soon reveal its plan to manage traffic ⁠through the Strait of ⁠Hormuz, including the charging of tolls. It says “enemy” weapons shipments will not be allowed to transit the waterway. 
• US President Donald Trump has warned Iran it will have a “very bad time” if a peace deal is not reached soon, as Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf declared that the world “stands at the cusp of a new order”.
• The US military says it has “redirected” 78 commercial ships and “disabled” four vessels amid its continued blockade of Iranian ports.
• Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 11 Palestinians and wounded more than 60 others over the past day.
• Hamas has confirmed the killing of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of its Qassam Brigades, in an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip on Friday.
• Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has held talks on “regional stability and bilateral cooperation” with his Iranian counterpart during a surprise visit to Tehran.
• Israel says it has attacked 100 sites in southern Lebanon over the past two days after the two countries agreed to extend a purported “ceasefire” for an additional 45 days.

Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of developments out of Iran, Lebanon, the United States and Israel.

Stay with us for the latest news and analyses from across the Middle East and beyond.

You can find our updates from Saturday, May 16, here.