First modification: 05/06/2026 - 14:15 Last modification: 05/06/2026 - 22:04

For the first time since the ceasefire, Israel attacked the suburbs of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, on Wednesday, May 6. The Israeli Army claims it launched an attack that targeted a senior Hezbollah commander. Meanwhile, and after the publication of an 'Axios' report on a memorandum of understanding to end the war, an Iranian deputy responded that it is "more of an illusion than a reality." The Chancellery of the Islamic Republic, for its part, assured that it is still studying the offer. Hours earlier, Donald Trump assured that if Tehran does not accept a pact, it will resume bombing at “a much higher level and intensity.” The Republican's statement came a day after announcing the suspension of the “Freedom Project” in Hormuz to try to reach an agreement with his counterpart.

The essentials:

Below, the main news from the Middle East this Wednesday, May 6, amid the fragile truces in Iran and Lebanon:

Trump to Pope Leo XIV: "Whether it likes it or not, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon"

US President Donald Trump again accused Pope Leo XIV this Wednesday of wanting Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and insisted, on the eve of Secretary of State Marco Rubio visiting the Vatican, that this cannot happen even if it is not to the pontiff's liking.

"As far as the Pope is concerned, it is very simple; whether he likes it or not, Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon. He seemed to suggest that they can, and I say that they cannot, because if that happened, the entire world would become a hostage, and we are not going to allow that to happen," said the president when asked by journalists in the Oval Office.

The Brent gives up almost 8% and closes at 101 dollars due to a possible US peace agreement. -Iran

Brent oil for delivery in July fell almost 8% this Wednesday and closed above $101 a barrel in the London futures market amid investor optimism that the United States and Iran will soon close a peace agreement.

North Sea crude oil, the benchmark in Europe, fell 7.83% to $101.27 on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in London, which implies a difference of $8.60 lower than the last session, when it ended at $109.87.

Trump says there are "very good" talks with Iran and sees an agreement "very possible"

US President Donald Trump said this Wednesday that Washington is holding "very good" talks in recent hours with Tehran and that he sees it "very possible" to reach an agreement to end the war against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron claims he discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz with the Iranian president

French President Emmanuel Macron declared this Wednesday that he held new talks with the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, during which he reiterated the importance of facilitating maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron added that he had encouraged the Iranian president to consider plans by France and the United Kingdom to establish an international mission that lays the foundation for a safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz. "I have invited the Iranian president to take advantage of this opportunity and I intend to raise the issue with President Trump," Macron said on platform X.

During the call, Pezeshkian stressed that Tehran "within the framework of international law, is willing to seriously pursue the diplomatic route to end the war and achieve the full realization of the rights of the Iranian people," Iranian state media reported. "The president of our country referred to Iran's distrust of the United States and stated that this is due to the hostile actions of the American side, which recently attacked our country on two occasions during negotiations," the reports stated.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi is "between life and death"

Uranium, Hormuz and frozen assets: US? Are the US and Iran advancing on a text to end the war?

A key step towards the solution to the conflict that has unleashed terror in the Middle East since the end of February could be found in a one-page, 14-point memorandum, with which Washington seeks to seduce Iran to reach an agreement, according to four sources cited by the American media 'Axios'. The unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian nuclear moratorium and the unlocking of million-dollar funds to Tehran are essential topics in the document. However, from Tehran, the response seems ambiguous: an Iranian deputy pointed out that the plan is "more of an illusion than a reality," but the Foreign Ministry assured that the Islamic Republic is studying the offer.

Iranian Foreign Ministry assures that it is analyzing the latest US proposal

Iran's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that Tehran is still analyzing a ceasefire proposal from the United States.

However, the ministry spokesperson declared to state media that Tehran had already categorically rejected the proposals that, according to the media 'Axios', the United States had presented for the agreement.

'Axios' had reported hours earlier that the agreement included Iran accepting a moratorium on uranium enrichment.

Iran's state agency ISNA said the report constituted mere media speculation, adding that Iranian officials were focused on talks to end the war and that the Islamic Republic's development of nuclear weapons is not on the table.

Israel claims it launched an attack on the commander of Hezbollah's elite force

The Israeli military says it carried out an attack on Wednesday in the southern suburbs of Beirut, in a Hezbollah stronghold known as Dahiyeh, against the commander of the militant group's elite Radwan force, according to an official Israeli statement.

This attack was the first in the Beirut suburbs since the April 16 ceasefire, although hostilities in southern Lebanon have not ceased.

"Radwan operatives, led by this commander, were responsible for shooting into Israeli communities and wounding IDF soldiers," according to a joint statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

A senior Hezbollah commander was killed by Israel on the outskirts of Beirut, a source from the Shiite group told AFP

A US military plane neutralizes a ship that was trying to break the Iranian blockade

U.S. military forces fired several shots at the empty Iranian-flagged tanker M/T Hasna on Wednesday, disabling it as it attempted to sail toward an Iranian port in violation of the blockade, U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.

Top Iranian negotiator says US seeks to force Tehran's 'surrender'

According to Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, the Donald Trump Administration is seeking Tehran's surrender through various means, including a naval blockade.

"The enemy, with its new strategy, seeks, through a naval blockade, economic pressure and media manipulation, to destroy the cohesion of the country to force us to surrender," Ghalibaf declared in a voice message published on his official Telegram channel.

US proposal to end war an 'illusion, not reality': Iranian official

An Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday that an Axios report that includes the text of a US proposal for an agreement with Iran to end the war is "more wishful thinking than reality."

"The Axios text is more American wishful thinking than reality; the Americans will gain nothing in a war they are losing that they did not win in direct negotiations," Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Parliament's foreign policy and national security committee, posted on X.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also responded to the Axios report, telling Iran's Isna news agency that Tehran is still analyzing the US proposal.

The statements that cast doubt on the proximity of an agreement come after Trump's threats to intensify bombing if Iran does not accept a pact and suggestions from the Revolutionary Guard about the possible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Report from Beijing: China receives Araqchi and insists on the need for a truce in Iran

Iran says it is reviewing the new US proposal

A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, quoted by the Iranian news agency ISNA, declared this Wednesday that the Government of his country is reviewing a new US proposal. The announcement comes after two sources, cited by 'Axios', indicated that Washington and Tehran "are close" to a one-page memorandum to end the war in the Gulf, leaving sensitive issues such as the Iranian nuclear program for later.

The spokesperson assured that Tehran would communicate its response soon through Pakistan, a country that hosted the only peace talks to date and which has since served as the main communication channel between the parties.

In a morning social media post, US President Donald Trump did not offer details of any specific proposals, but said the war could end if "Iran accepts what was agreed." Trump later told the New York Post that it was still too early to consider face-to-face meetings to sign an agreement.

"US and Iran close to closing memorandum to end war": 'Axios'

France and its allies can guarantee the security of the Strait of Hormuz: Elysee Palace

France and its partners can guarantee the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron reported this Wednesday.

Paris wants the Strait of Hormuz issue to be kept out of current talks between the United States and Iran, he added.

The French Armed Forces previously reported that the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier group was moving to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as part of joint efforts by France and the United Kingdom to prepare for a possible future mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Recent indirect talks took place between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials

This is what sources from Pakistan, the country that mediates between the parties, assure to the Arab media 'Al Arabiya'.

US and Iran close to one-page memorandum to end war: 'Axios'

The White House believes it is close to a deal with Iran on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and establish a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations, US news portal Axios reported, citing two administration officials.

French aircraft carrier group moves to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden

The French aircraft carrier group Charles de Gaulle is moving to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as part of the joint efforts of France and the United Kingdom to prepare a future mission that guarantees free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by the French Army this Wednesday, May 6.

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces also highlighted in a statement that the aircraft carrier group crossed the Suez Canal this Wednesday, heading south of the Red Maar.

This French aircraft carrier strike group was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean shortly after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, and may remain at sea for four to five months.

Israeli Army announces the start of attacks against Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon,

The warning comes despite a ceasefire aimed at stopping fighting with the Iran-backed militant group.

Previously, the Israeli Army reported several incidents in which drones exploded near soldiers operating in southern Lebanon. These attacks occur after a new order from the military institution that affects a dozen towns and villages in southern Lebanon, forcing more families to flee their homes.

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