Iran war updates: Pakistan's army chief to visit Tehran

https://p.dw.com/p/5E57S

AdvertisementSkip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is to visit Tehran as a mediator between Iran and the US
• Tehran says it is reviewing Washington's latest peace position after US President Donald Trump said he could wait a few days to "get the right answers"
• Iran has hanged two more men in a wave of executions amid the Middle East war 

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Here is a roundup of the latest headlines from the US-Israeli war on Iran and the wider conflict in the Middle East on Thursday, May 21, 2026:

Skip next section UAE official calls Iran's Hormuz claims 'pipe dreams'05/21/2026May 21, 2026

UAE official calls Iran's Hormuz claims 'pipe dreams'

Iran's claims to control waters in the Strait of Hormuz belonging to the UAE are illusory, a top Emirati official said on Thursday.

"The regime is trying to establish a new reality born from a clear military defeat, but attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz or infringe on the UAE's maritime sovereignty are nothing but pipe dreams," said United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash in a post on X.

On Wednesday, the new Iranian body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz — a globally vital shipping route — said Tehran's control extended to waters south of the UAE port of Fujairah.

In a post on X, which was accompanied by a map, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said it had outlined "the regulatory jurisdiction for the management" of the strait.

It said this covered the area between the line extending from "Kuh-e Mubarak in Iran to the south of Fujairah in the UAE ... to the line connecting the tip of Qeshm island in Iran to Umm Al-Quwain in the UAE."

It added that "transit through this area for the purpose of passing through the Hormuz Strait requires coordination with, and authorization from, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority."

Iran has effectively closed the strait since it came under attack from the US and Israel on February 28 and says it wants to charge ships for passage.

The UAE, whose ties with Iran have been severely strained by the war and has come under attack by Iranian drones and missiles, has strongly opposed Tehran's control of the waterway and called for joint action to reopen it.

https://p.dw.com/p/5E6SMSkip next section Iran reports two more protest-related executions05/21/2026May 21, 2026

Iran reports two more protest-related executions

Iran's judiciary has reported that two more men have been executed for crimes linked to widespread anti-government protests earlier this year.

The judiciary's online portal Misan said the men were "members of terrorist groups" who had organized an armed uprising, thus endangering national security.

The executions come amid a wave of hangings, many carried out in connection with spying allegations after January's mass protests.

 Human rights organization Amnesty International has reported at least 2,159 executions in Iran last year, the highest number since 1981.

Iran's regime wants to fast-track trials of protesters

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https://p.dw.com/p/5E5QJSkip next section Pakistani army chief Munir due in Tehran — Iranian media05/21/2026May 21, 2026

Pakistani army chief Munir due in Tehran — Iranian media

Pakistan's army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is set to visit Tehran on Thursday as Islamabad pursues its role as mediator in the Iran war, Iranian media have said.

Iran's ISNA news agency said Munir would hold "talks and consultations" with Iranian authorities provided no details. Other Iranian media carried the same report.

Munir's visit comes after Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Iran on Wednesday and held talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. 

Pakistan, which borders on Iran to the east, has been mediating between Tehran and Washington in peace efforts.

Among other things, it hosted unsuccessful peace talks in Islamabad in mid-April.

It did, however, succeed in brokering a ceasefire between the two sides that has held, with extensions, since April 8.

https://p.dw.com/p/5E5EGSkip next section Iran says 'reviewing' latest US stance on ending war05/21/2026May 21, 2026

Iran says 'reviewing' latest US stance on ending war

Iran says it is examining the latest position taken by Washington on ending its war, after US President Donald Trump said he could be ready to wait a few days to "get the right answers."

"We have received US views and are reviewing them," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to Iranian state-run agency Nour News.

Washington is putting pressure on Iran to comply quickly with its demands, notably to stop any activities that could lead to the production of nuclear weapons.

"Believe me, if ​we don't get the right answers, it goes very quickly. We're all ready to go," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. ​

Asked how long he ‌would wait, Trump said, "It could be a few days, but it could go very quickly."

He insisted that the US was "in the final stage of Iran."

"We'll see what happens. Either have a deal or we're going to do some things that are a little bit nasty, but hopefully that won't happen," ‌Trump said

"Ideally, I'd like to see few people killed, as opposed to a lot. We can do ‌it either ​way," he said.

https://p.dw.com/p/5E5J8Skip next section Welcome to our coverage05/21/2026May 21, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Timothy Jones | Zac Crellin Editor

DW welcomes all its users to its coverage of events in the Middle East amid a widening conflict triggered by a US-Israeli offensive against Iran launched on February 28.

Although a ceasefire agreement has put a stop to hostilities in Iran itself since April 8, US President Donald Trump has warned that he believes the time for diplomacy is almost over.

Pakistan, which is acting as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, is, however, continuing with its peace efforts, reportedly sending its army chief to Iran on the heels of a visit there by its interior minister.

Tehran, meanwhile, has said it is reviewing Washington's latest position on ending the war.

DW will be looking at these peace efforts, as well as the consequences for the Middle East region and the world of a conflict that is also directly affecting several other countries besides Iran.

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