Iran delivers fresh talks proposal to Pakistani mediators
What you need to know
- Iran has sent a new proposal for negotiations with the US to Pakistan, Iranian state media reported
- A 60-day deadline for US congressional approval of the war runs out on Friday
- US officials argue that the war has already ended because of the ceasefire with Iran
- Trump says 'probably' will pull US troops from Spain and Italy over their opposition to the war
Here is a selection of updates from or concerning the conflict between Iran, Israel and the US on May 1, 2026.
Skip next section Trump says he's not satisfied with Iran's new proposal05/01/2026May 1, 2026Trump says he's not satisfied with Iran's new proposal
President Donald Trump said he's "not satisfied" with Iran's latest proposal regarding negotiations to end the war between the two countries.
"They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens," Trump told reporters at the White House.
He said that negotiations have continued by phone since he canceled a planned trip by US officials to Pakistan last week.
Trump also expressed frustration with Iran's leaders. "It’s a very disjointed leadership," he said. "They all want to make a deal, but they’re all messed up."
https://p.dw.com/p/5D96NSkip next section WATCH: How the Hormuz crisis fuels US‑China rivalry at Panama Canal05/01/2026May 1, 2026WATCH: How the Hormuz crisis fuels US‑China rivalry at Panama Canal
With Iran peace talks stalled and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz disrupted, the Panama Canal is seeing an uptick in traffic.
How the Hormuz crisis fuels US‑China rivalry at Panama Canal
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https://p.dw.com/p/5D92OSkip next section Iran delivers new proposal to Pakistan, state news agency reports05/01/2026May 1, 2026Iran delivers new proposal to Pakistan, state news agency reports
Iran has sent a new proposal for talks with the US to Pakistan, which has emerged as a key mediator between Tehran and Washington as the war drags on, Iranian state news agency IRNA said.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also made a series of phone calls to several of his counterparts today about "new initiatives related to ending the war."
Araghchi spoke with foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Azerbaijan, the report said. Araghchi also spoke with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Pakistan is yet to confirm the news.
US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire with Tehran on April 21 but the US military maintains its blockade of Iranian ports.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D8yfSkip next section German vice chancellor Klingbeil hits back at Trump over Iran05/01/2026May 1, 2026German vice chancellor Klingbeil hits back at Trump over Iran
Dmytro Hubenko EditorGerman Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil has defended Chancellor Friedrich Merz against criticism from the United States, pushing back at President Donald Trump.
Klingbeil’s remarks came after Merz accused the US of entering the conflict without a clear strategy and warned that Iran was humiliating Washington in negotiations. Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, saying Merz had "no idea what he's talking about," and criticized German government policy on immigration and energy.
Klingbeil, who is also Germany's finance minister, said his country does not need tips from Trump and urged him instead to focus on securing serious peace talks over Iran.
"We really don't need any advice from Donald Trump right now. He should see the mess he's made. He should make sure that serious peace talks are now being held in Iran," Klingbeil said.
Read more about how Klingbeil questioned Trump's approach to war with Iran.
German Chancellor Merz criticizes US over Iran war
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https://p.dw.com/p/5D8SwSkip next section Iran war hampers delivery of aid to refugees in Africa: UN05/01/2026May 1, 2026Iran war hampers delivery of aid to refugees in Africa: UN
The UN refugee agency has warned that the cost of delivering aid to humanitarian crises in Sudan and Chad has more than doubled as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up fuel and freight costs, and caused significant delays in aid shipments, the UNHCR said.
Ships that previously traveled from Dubai through the strait are being replaced by ships coming from Europe around the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa, adding up to 25 days to delivery times, spokesperson Carlotta Wolf told reporters in Geneva.
"People in dire need are receiving things that are ready later than what's needed," she said.
Transport costs for shipping humanitarian aid from Dubai — which hosts the agency's biggest global stockpile of relief items — to Sudan and neighbouring Chad had risen from $927,000 (€780,000) to $1.87 million, Wolf said.
She added that rising fuel prices in Kenya had slowed down truck transport between the UNHCR hub in Nairobi and people in need in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan.
"Every dollar that is spent additionally on transportation is $1 less that we can provide to people forcibly on the ground, or less people that we can support," Wolf said.
Can Nigeria and Angola shield Africa from oil hikes?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5D85KSkip next section IN DEPTH: Iran war expands press crackdown, leaving information vacuum05/01/2026May 1, 2026IN DEPTH: Iran war expands press crackdown, leaving information vacuum
Daniel AmeriIran has long ranked among the world's most repressive countries for press freedom. In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders placed Iran 177th out of 180 countries, below Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, which ranked 175th.
But journalists and media watchdogs say the US-Israel war with Iran has pushed reporting conditions to an even more dangerous point.
Authorities in Iran have long tried to control the public narrative during moments of crisis. But according to journalists inside the country, wartime conditions have made that grip even tighter.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D83kSkip next section UN chief calls for dialogue to end Middle East crisis05/01/2026May 1, 2026UN chief calls for dialogue to end Middle East crisis
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated a plea for immediate negotiations to "open a pathway to peace" in the Iran war.
In a post on X, the UN chief stressed that the "consequences of the Middle East crisis grow dramatically worse with each passing hour."
"The curtailment of navigational rights & freedoms in the area of the Strait of Hormuz disrupts energy, transport, manufacturing & food markets & strangles the global economy," he wrote.
Iran has largely kept the strategically important strait closed to ship traffic, sending prices soaring and sparking concerns about the supply of fertilizer, fuel and other commodities. At the same time the US is maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports.
A ceasefire is currently in place, but talks between the two sides have stalled.
"Now is the time for dialogue, for solutions that pull us back from the brink & for measures that can open a pathway to peace," Guterres said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D80MSkip next section WATCH: US pressure meets defiance from Iran05/01/2026May 1, 2026WATCH: US pressure meets defiance from Iran
Amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, US President Donald Trump claims US pressure is pushing Tehran to the brink.
Iranian leaders have responded defiantly, insisting they will defend their nuclear and missile programs and resist US influence.
Middle East analyst Sina Azodi argues that decades of economic pressure have hurt civilians but failed to force political change. Both sides have signaled a readiness for conflict, yet also share a strong interest in avoiding a prolonged war.
Watch the full interview here:
Iran defies US pressure over nuclear, missile plans
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https://p.dw.com/p/5D7WlSkip next section US Hormuz mission 'not in competition' with France, UK-led effort: French FM05/01/2026May 1, 2026US Hormuz mission 'not in competition' with France, UK-led effort: French FM
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said a UK-France initiative to secure trade in the Strait of Hormuz was "not in competition" with a separate US mission.
The top diplomat was speaking in Abu Dhabi on Friday during a regional tour.
The UK-France mission "is now at an advanced stage, the planning has been finalized, and I have come to present the concept of this mission to a number of our closest partners in the region," Barrot said in comments published by French news agency AFP.
The US, meanwhile, has launched what it's calling a "maritime freedom construct" to ensure free and unimpeded access to shipping through the strait. The key waterway for transporting oil and gas has effectively been closed by Iran since the start of the war, sending energy prices soaring.
The US mission is "not of the same nature as the one we established ... it comes as a sort of complement," Barrot said. "It is not in competition with the initiative we have launched."
https://p.dw.com/p/5D7P3Skip next section UAE leaves OPEC in blow to Saudi-led group05/01/2026May 1, 2026UAE leaves OPEC in blow to Saudi-led group
The UAE leaves OPEC and OPEC+ on Friday in what is seen as a major blow to the oil cartel and its ability to absorb shocks and regulate oil prices.
The UAE is one of the Saudi-led group's biggest producers. Its exit is expected to further strain ties between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, who had repeatedly locked horns over economic issues and politics in the Gulf.
The UAE's decision to leave was not wholly unexpected. For some time, it had complained about OPEC production quotas being too low, preventing it from being able to sell more oil.
"Having invested heavily in expanding energy production capacity in recent years, the bigger picture is that the UAE has been itching to pump more oil," Capital Economics wrote in an analysis.
The UAE is seeking to expand its production capacity to 5 million barrels a day by 2027, well above OPEC's quota of 3.4 million barrels.
The withdrawal is not expected to have any immediate effects on markets, given that world oil supplies are tightly constrained by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D7NnSkip next section Republicans largely back Trump, some demand Congress vote as deadline passes05/01/2026May 1, 2026Republicans largely back Trump, some demand Congress vote as deadline passes
A deadline for the Trump administration to seek congressional approval for the Iran war or end the conflict looked set to pass on Friday without action from lawmakers.
Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday he doesn't plan to intervene or hold a vote to authorize force in Iran: "I'm listening carefully to what the members of our conference are saying, and at this point I don't see that," he said.
The Trump administration says it believes the law that obligates the president to seek congressional authorization after 60 days of conflict doesn't apply because hostilities with Iran were "terminated" by a ceasefire implemented on April 7.
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said he would vote to authorize the war if President Donald Trump asked for it.
Several other Republicans, who initially backed limited action against Tehran, have said they would like to see Congress have a say on a longer operation.
Utah's John Curtis said the 60-day deadline demands action and that he would not support more funding for the war without lawmakers' authorization.
"It is time for decision-making from both the administration and from Congress — and that can happen in league with one another, not in conflict," Curtis said.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski said she will introduce a limited authorized use of military force if the administration does not present what she called a "credible plan."
"I do not believe we should engage in open-ended military action without clear accountability," Murkowski said. "Congress has a role."
Maine Senator Susan Collins, who on Thursday voted for the first time in favor of a Democrat resolution to end military action in Iran, said the 60-day deadline is "not a suggestion, it is a requirement."
"The president's authority as commander-in-chief is not without limits," she said.
The war and its connected costs has become increasingly unpopular, likely leaving some Republican lawmakers worried ahead of the mid-term elections coming up later this year.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D7MgSkip next section German tax cut on petrol, diesel seeks to ease impact of Iran war05/01/2026May 1, 2026German tax cut on petrol, diesel seeks to ease impact of Iran war
A tax cut on petrol and diesel designed to ease rising fuel prices driven by the Iran war came into effect in Germany on Friday.
The tax rebate of €0.17 ($0.20) per liter was approved last month and is expected to stay in place until the end of June.
Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for the world's oil, has caused fuel prices to spike.
According to the German automobile association ADAC's gas station app, prices at the pump were below €2 ($2.35) in many parts of the country early on Friday, especially for E10 petrol and in some cases for diesel.
Experts say it remains to be seen to be seen how quickly the tax cut will trickle down to consumers. The rebate only applies to fuel that left tank farms or refineries after midnight, not to the stocks already held by petrol stations. Gas stations are also not required to offer specific prices or discounts.
The German Fuel and Energy Association, has said, however, that the full tax cut would be passed on to customers.
Why Iran fuel crisis hits different in Europe than the US
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https://p.dw.com/p/5D7JRSkip next section Trump says 'probably' will pull troops from Spain, Italy05/01/2026May 1, 2026Trump says 'probably' will pull troops from Spain, Italy
US President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw American troops from Spain and Italy due to their criticism of the war with Iran.
"Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn't I?" Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if he would consider such a move. "Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible."
It came a day after he said Washington was "studying and reviewing the possible reduction" of US troops in Germany.
The US president has lashed out at NATO allies for failing to help with the US-Israeli operation against Iran and for not sending their navies to open the Strait of Hormuz, which has essentially been closed by Tehran since the start of the war.
Last week, a report said the US was considering suspending Spain from the military alliance as part of a range of possible measures to punish allies viewed as uncooperative.
As of December 2025, there were about 36,400 American troops based in Germany, as well as 12,662 in Italy and 3,814 in Spain.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D7CUSkip next section US official says truce already 'terminated' conflict 05/01/2026May 1, 2026US official says truce already 'terminated' conflict
The Trump administration says a ceasefire in place since early April means the war with Iran has already ended for the purposes of an approaching congressional approval deadline.
Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a president can wage military action for 60 days before ending hostilities or seeking authorization from Congress.
The Iran war began with US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28. US President Donald Trump formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours later, meaning the 60-day deadline would be May 1. The resolution also allows the deadline to be extended by 30 days.
A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there had been no exchange of fire between US and Iranian forces since the ceasefire that began a little over three weeks ago.
"For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated," the official added, a position that means Trump would not have to seek congressional approval.
The statement came after US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a hearing in the Senate that it was the administration's "understanding" that the ceasefire paused the 60-day clock. Democrats have disputed that interpretation, saying there are no legal grounds for such a pause.
Earlier, analysts had said they expected Trump to either disregard the deadline or notify Congress that he wanted a 30-day extension.
The ceasefire with Tehran has largely been holding, although Iran maintains its effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the US Navy continues to blockade Iranian ports.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D7CPSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/01/2026May 1, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Natalie Muller | Alex Berry EditorHello and thanks for joining us. Here's a quick recap of what happened on Thursday:
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced a second day of questioning before the House Armed Services Committee over his handling of the Iran war.
Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said his country stands ready to contribute militarily to securing the Strait of Hormuz "if the relevant conditions are met," adding that Iran must come to the negotiating table and stop holding "the entire world hostage."
Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who took up the role after his father’s death in US-Israeli airstrikes, issued a statement saying Iran intended to both maintain a nuclear program and impose "new legal frameworks and management" for Hormuz, possibly including tolls.
Iran's president said the US naval blockade of Iranian ports was in violation of international law and was doomed to fail.
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