Middle East: Iran says any new attack will widen war
What you need to know
- Iran's army has said it will expand the conflict with the US and Israel beyond the region if Iran comes under renewed attack
- The army warned that it would 'open new fronts' as US President Donald Trump sends mixed signals about a path forward in negotiations
- The US State Department welcomed Tehran's release of an Iranian citizen with permanent residency in the US from one of its prisons
- Chinese President Xi Jinping advised against expanded hostilities in the Middle East during meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Skip next section South Korea says oil tanker transits Strait of Hormuz05/20/2026May 20, 2026South Korea says oil tanker transits Strait of Hormuz
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday told parliamentarians in Seoul that an oil tanker sailing under the nation's flag had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, bound for the port of Ulsan.
"At this very moment, our oil tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz," he told the National Assembly.
MarineTraffic, a ship-tracking site, showed the South Korean-flagged, crude oil tanker Universal Winner in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday after it departed the port of Mina Al Mhadi in Kuwait.
Previously, another South Korean tanker sailing under a Panamanian flag was hit by airborne objects and damaged in the strait on May 4, sparking concerns about the safety of the country's ships.
https://p.dw.com/p/5E2t5Skip next section China's Xi calls for Middle East ceasefire, says escalation 'inadvisable'05/20/2026May 20, 2026China's Xi calls for Middle East ceasefire, says escalation 'inadvisable'
China's President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for a "comprehensive ceasefire" that could open the path toward a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East.
Commenting during a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi said, "A comprehensive ceasefire is of the utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important."
The US and Iran struck a tentative ceasefire in mid-April after Washington and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, yet the pause in open hostilities has failed to lead to any conclusion to the conflict.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon kill at least 19, injure dozens more
Lebanon's Health Ministry on Wednesday said at least 19 people had been killed and another 32 injured by Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday.
Several children were among those killed as Israel continued its attempts to destroy Iran-backed Hezbollah militant cells, the Health Ministry said.
Israeli strikes reportedly hit targets in the village of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, the city of Nabatiyeh, and across the Tyre district.
The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel reached new levels of intensity in the wake of the Israeli-US assault on Iran in late February. More than 3,000 people have been killed in southern Lebanon since early March and millions have been displaced.
Despite a mid-April ceasefire, both sides have continued the fight, with Israeli forces in northern Israel and southern Lebanon being targeted as Israel pounds the neighboring nation in hopes of establishing a security zone to protect Israeli citizens.
https://p.dw.com/p/5E2nGSkip next section US resident home after 10 years in Iranian prison, State Department saysPublished 05/20/2026Published May 20, 2026last updated 05/20/2026last updated May 20, 2026US resident home after 10 years in Iranian prison, State Department says
The US State Department on Wednesday said an Iranian citizen with permanent residency in the United States has been released from an Iranian prison.
"The State Department happily welcomes the safe return of Shahab Dalili from his detention in Iran. Iran should immediately release all those unjustly detained in Iran," a State Department spokesperson said.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), "Shahab Dalili, an Iranian citizen and US permanent resident who had been imprisoned in Evin Prison, was released after serving 10 years in prison. Following his release, he returned to the United States."
Dalili was arrested in 2016 when he visited Iran to attend his father's funeral. He was jailed for allegedly "cooperating with a hostile government," a charge he has denied.
Speaking after Dalili's release, the US State Department said President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would "continue to work for the release of all unjustly detained Americans."
https://p.dw.com/p/5E2UcSkip next section Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatens to expand war if attacked by US05/20/2026May 20, 2026Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatens to expand war if attacked by US
Iran's army on Wednesday threatened to "open new fronts" in the war with the US and Israel.
"If the enemy is foolish enough to fall into the Zionist trap again and launches new aggression against our beloved Iran, we will open new fronts against it, with new equipment and new methods," army spokesman Mohammed Akraminia told Iranian state news agency ISNA.
The statement comes just days after US President Donald Trump said he would hold off on planned strikes against Iran in hopes of attaining a peace deal with Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5E2D4Skip next section Welcome to our coverage05/20/2026May 20, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Jon Shelton | Sean Sinico EditorHello and welcome to DW's coverage of the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran and wider developments across the Middle East on this Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Today we will follow an Iranian army threat to expand the conflict far beyond the region in the event of new US attacks, as well as Iran's release of an Iranian-born US permanent resident.
Chinese President Xi Jinping today also warned that further hostilities in the region would be "inadvisable" in comments made while hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Israel continued to pound Lebanon, where airstrikes killed 19 people and injured dozens more.
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