The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.The statement furthers an argument laid out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s position, said for purposes of that law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb 28 have terminated.” The official said the US military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began April 7.While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the US Navy is maintaining a blockade to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea. (Agencies)’Mojtaba Khamenei in perfect health despite injuries’: Iran supreme leader’s key aideMay 1, 2026 12:49 pmAyatollah Mohsen Qomi, Member of the Assembly of Experts and the Deputy for International Affairs in the office of the Supreme Leader of Iran, dismissed claims by the US on Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and said that the leader is healthy, Fars News Agency reported. Qomi said that such tactics are used by the West to elicit their reaction and engage in rumour mongering.Trump’s upcoming China visit influences strategic options on IranMay 1, 2026 10:51 amReports from American media suggest that President Donald Trump’s forthcoming diplomatic mission to China is significantly influencing his strategic deliberations concerning the conflict in Iran. According to Jattvibe, an anonymous White House official indicated that the scheduled trip is among the various factors currently being considered by the President as he evaluates his military and diplomatic options.Iran accuses Arab nations of complicity in ‘aggression’ over hosting US-Israeli basesMay 1, 2026 10:47 amIran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, has formally responded to a joint letter sent by six Arab states to the UN and the UN Security Council regarding the ongoing regional tensions. The Iranian envoy hit back at the signatory states, alleging their complicity in military actions against Tehran. Iravani stated that those countries have participated in the aggression against Iran by “placing at the disposal of the US-Israeli enemy the military bases located on their soil, from which airstrikes were launched against Iran.” Defending Tehran’s military responses, the diplomat asserted that the Islamic Republic’s actions were consistent with global legal standards. Iravani says Iran has used its “legitimate right to self-defense, as stipulated in the UN Charter, in response to the aggression.”Fighting continues in southern LebanonMay 1, 2026 9:18 amDespite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, the group has continued to claim attacks on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. Israel’s military said one of its soldiers was killed in battle there Thursday, raising the troop casualties to 17 since the Iran war started. Air raid sirens sounded multiple times in border communities in northern Israel on Thursday, too. The Israeli military said it struck military structures used by Hezbollah, and the Lebanese Health Ministry said 9 were killed in strikes, including women and children. Late on Thursday, the foreign ministry of the United Arab Emirates – which has come under attack by Iran during war – announced a travel ban for its citizens covering Iran, Lebanon and Iraq, and urged those already in those countries to return home.Crackdown intensifies in IranMay 1, 2026 9:14 amIran announced on Thursday it hanged a 21-year-old man over charges stemming from the nationwide protests in January, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported. The agency identified the executed man as Sasan Azadvar, from Isfahan. It said he was hanged for the crime of “effectively cooperating with the enemy by attacking police officers” during the protests. Activists and rights groups say a crackdown on dissent, including a wave of executions, has further intensified since the US-Israel war with Iran.Khamenei signals Strait will remain shutMay 1, 2026 9:13 amIn his remarks, Khamenei seemed to signal Iran would maintain its control over the waterway, which sits in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman. Iran had been charging some ships reportedly USD 2 million apiece to travel through the strait. He said that Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz will make the Gulf more secure, and that Tehran’s “legal rules and new management” of the strait will benefit all the region’s nations.Ceasefire shaken as Strait remains shutMay 1, 2026 9:12 amThe US blockade – which, as of Thursday, has turned back some 44 commercial vessels, according to US Central Command – is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of crucial revenue while also potentially creating a situation where Tehran has to shut off production because it has nowhere to store oil. A recent Iranian proposal would push negotiations on the country’s nuclear program to a later date. Trump said one of the major reasons he went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has long maintained that its program is peaceful, though it enriched uranium at near-weapons-grade levels of 60 per cent.Iran’s supreme leader vows to protect nuclear, missile capabilitiesMay 1, 2026 9:07 amIran’s supreme leader defiantly vowed to protect the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which US President Donald Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war’s shaky ceasefire. In a statement read by a state television anchor on Thursday, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters” and that a “new chapter” was being written in the region’s history. Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over as supreme leader following the killing of his father in the war’s opening airstrikes.Iran dying to make a deal, says TrumpMay 1, 2026 9:00 amUS President Donald Trump has said that Iran was “dying to make a deal” to end the now paused war and virtually ruled out resuming air strikes. Trump’s remarks during a media interaction at the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon came at a time when Iran threatened fresh strikes if the US resumed the war which has been paused since the warring sides agreed to a ceasefire on April 8.CENTCOM briefs Trump on new plan of strikes on IranMay 1, 2026 8:59 amUS President Donald Trump on Thursday received a briefing on new plans of strikes on Iran by the CENTCOM, Axios reported. Two US officials told Axios that the briefing by CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper and Chairperson of the Joint Chiefs lasted for around 45 minutes. Earlier on Wednesday (local time), Axios reported that the new possible military operations indicate US’s willingness to exert a final blow to Iran amid the fragile ceasefire. As per Axios, the briefing pertains to a plan prepared by the CENTCOM a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran likely including infrastructure targets to break the ice as the ceasefire has reached a stalemate”. Another plan is to ‘take over’ the Strait of Hormuz and open it to commercial shipping. The final aspect of the plan is a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.US reaches out to Maldives after Muizzu slams Iran warMay 1, 2026 8:37 amThe US has sought clarification from the Maldives days after President Mohammad Muizzu lashed out at Washington over the war with Iran. The matter came up on Wednesday when US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Sergio Gor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Bethany Morrison spoke to Maldivian Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam and discussed the US-Maldives relationship.