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Iran war live: Trump says Iran attack postponed at request of Gulf allies

Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran says Iranian leaders are ‘projecting defiance’ and rejecting ‘public pressure’ from the US.

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Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Zebdin, Lebanon May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Al Jazeera Live

By Lyndal Rowlands and Zaid Sabah
Published On 19 May 2026

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  • United States President Donald Trump says he has postponed a planned attack on Iran at the request of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and added that “serious negotiations are now taking place”.
  • Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said “dialogue does not mean surrender”, and that Tehran had entered the “dialogue with dignity, authority, and the preservation of the nation’s rights”.
  • Israel’s deadly attacks on Lebanon continue, with at least seven people reported killed on Monday despite a US-brokered “ceasefire” extension agreed upon between Lebanese and Israeli officials.
  • Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Monday that at least 3,020 people have been killed and 9,273 injured in Israel’s bombardment and invasion of the country since March 2.
  • Condemnation is growing after Israeli forces again intercepted boats in the Gaza aid flotilla, with reports of some 47 vessels seized in international waters and hundreds of activists abducted.
6 UpdatesAuto-updates
  • 1m ago
     (00:45 GMT)

    Hezbollah claims multiple attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon

    Hezbollah says its fighters launched 14 attacks on Israeli forces inside southern Lebanon on Monday.

    The group detailed offensive operations using explosive drones, rockets and artillery shells in a statement, with attacks primarily targeted at gatherings of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in several Lebanese border towns and valleys.

    A screengrab taken from a video released by Hezbollah says to show an Israeli tank and soldiers gathered next to it moments before being hit by an FPV drone attack, in Taybeh, Lebanon, with the date of the video given as April 26, 2026. HEZBOLLAH MILITARY MEDIA/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. OVERLAY FROM SOURCE. BLURRING FROM SOURCE. BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE. VERIFICATION: - Buildings and road layout matched satellite imagery - Coordinates: 33.27478413449038, 35.52201974464819 - Exact date not verified - Hezbollah said in a statement on April 27 that it targeted Israeli soldiers in Taybeh with a drone on April 26
    A screengrab taken from a video released by Hezbollah shows an Israeli tank and soldiers moments before being hit by an FPV drone attack, in Taybeh, Lebanon, with the date of the video given as April 26, 2026 [File: handout/Hezbollah military media via Reuters]
  • 16m ago
     (00:30 GMT)

    Here’s the latest from Trump

    Here are some of the latest updates from Trump regarding the war on Iran:

    • Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday afternoon that there is “a very good ⁠chance” that Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE could reach a deal to end the war soon.
    • “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I ‌would be very happy,” Trump said.
    • The US president again emphasised his primary condition that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, but said the US would “be probably satisfied also” if its allies in the region were satisfied.
    • Trump further specified that he had agreed to wait two or three days before bombing Iran after announcing he had delayed an attack planned for Tuesday.
    Centre for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr Mehmet Oz and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stand behind U.S. President Donald Trump as he points while delivering remarks about health care costs and affordability from an auditorium on the White House campus in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 18, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
    Trump took questions from reporters on the US-Israel war on Iran at an event about drug prices at the White House in Washington, DC, on Monday [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]
  • 31m ago
     (00:15 GMT)

    Israeli air strike hits building in Tyre after displacement threat

    The Palestinian Information Center reports that a violent air attack launched by Israeli aircraft hit a building in the al-Mushaqqa area of the Tyre district in southern Lebanon.

    The bombardment occurred after the Israeli military issued a forced displacement order for al-Mushaqqa in the past hour.

    Translation: A violent raid launched by occupation aircraft on a building in the al-Mushaqqa area, Tyre district, southern #Lebanon.

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  • 39m ago
     (00:07 GMT)

    WATCH: Palestinians in Gaza welcome flotilla aid attempts

    Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have welcomed attempts by the latest Gaza flotilla to break Israel’s devastating blockade.

    They also expressed hope that participants in the aid mission would remain safe, as Israeli forces seized their ships.

    Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reports from the Gaza Strip.

  • 43m ago
     (00:03 GMT)

    A recap of recent developments

    • Trump said he has delayed attacking Iran by two to three days because Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE said they were close to reaching a deal with Tehran.
    • Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 3,000 people since March 2, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
    • Israeli forces have detained hundreds of people participating in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, including Margaret Connolly, the sister of Ireland’s president.
    • The US military says it “redirected” at least 85 ships during its blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority said any ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its permission “will be considered illegal”.
    • Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has expressed “full support” for Pakistan-led mediation efforts to end “the crisis through peaceful means”.
    A first responder walks past a broken disabled-person's mobility cart while inspecting damage following Israeli bombardment on the village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in southern Lebanon on May 17, 2026. Israeli strikes targeted eastern and southern Lebanon on May 17, state media reported, despite a fragile ceasefire, as a Hezbollah lawmaker called Lebanon's negotiations with Israel a "dead-end". Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 since the truce began on April 17, according to Lebanese authorities. (Photo by Kawnat HAJU / AFP)
    A first responder walks past a broken mobility chair while inspecting damage following Israeli bombardment of the village of Deir Qanoun en-Nahr in southern Lebanon on May 17, 2026 [Kawnat Haju/AFP]
  • 46m ago
     (00:00 GMT)

    Welcome

    Hello, and welcome to our live coverage of the ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.

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

    You can find our updates from Monday, May 18, here.

    Smoke billows after an Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Tibnit in the southern Nabatieh district on May 18, 2026.
    Smoke billows after an Israeli air strike on the village of Kfar Tibnit in the southern Nabatieh district of Lebanon on Monday [AFP]
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