Iran-US war latest: UK sends destroyer back to Middle East while Trump awaits Tehran’s response to peace plan
The UK is redeploying the HMS Dragon to the Middle East ahead of a possible international mission to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
As part of a proposed UK and French-led defensive mission, the warship will “pre-position” in the region, ready to contribute once hostilities between Iran and US-Israeli forces end.
It comes as Donald Trump said he was still expecting a reply from Iran regarding a US peace proposal, though as of Saturday morning no such response had been announced.
“I’m getting a letter supposedly tonight,” the US president told reporters. “So we’ll see how that goes.”
With negotiations hanging in the balance, the US and Iran continue to engage in hostilities.
The US Navy struck two Iranian-flagged oil tankers on Friday accused of breaking the American blockade, after US and Iranian forces exchanged fire overnight on Thursday. Iran has accused the US of violating the ongoing ceasefire, which President Trump insists is still holding.
In a post on X earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of consistently opting for a “reckless military adventure” every time a “diplomatic solution is on the table”.Merz says Europe wants a strong NATO and shares US goal of ending Iran war
German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Saturday that Europe wants to work to keep the NATO alliance functioning, despite differences with the United States that the Iran war has exposed.
Tensions between Donald Trump's administration and European NATO partners have raised questions about the future of NATO.
Already high after US criticism of Europe over defence spending and issues like immigration policy, the tensions have increased after Germany and other European countries refused to support the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran that began at the end of February.
"We are really willing to keep this alliance alive for the future," Merz said at a press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
He also said Sweden and Finland had strengthened the European pillar of the alliance.
"We know that there are some differences. We know that we are seeing challenges, all of us, but our final goal is to bring this conflict to an end and to guarantee that Iran is not able to produce nuclear weapons," Merz said.
"And this goal is a common goal between America and Europe."
Dan Haygarth9 May 2026 15:30
Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 15:05Suspected oil spill at Iran's main oil hub
A satellite image shows a suspected oil spill near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil hub.
The photo, which was taken on Wednesday, shows that the spill covers dozens of square kilometres of sea.
“The slick appears visually consistent with oil,” Leon Moreland, a researcher at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, said.
He estimated that it was covering an area of approximately 45 square km.
The Pentagon declined to say whether there had been recent strikes on Kharg Island.
Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 14:45
Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 14:25Watch: Trump's message to Pope Leo ahead of Rubio visit
President Trump revealed he told Secretary of State Marco Rubio to tell Pope Leo that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon” ahead of a key visit last week.
Rubio met with the American-born Catholic leader Thursday after weeks of attacks from the president and simmering tensions between the U.S. and the Vatican over the war in Iran.
Amy-Clare Martin9 May 2026 14:05Everything you need to know ahead of Trump's summit with Xi Jinping
Donald Trump is heading to China for a highly-anticipated bilateral summit with Xi Jinping, a year after entering a tariff war with Beijing. Experts believe this is Washington’s attempt to smooth ties with its trade nemesis.
President Trump will be in Beijing from 14-15 May, where both sides are expected to discuss Chinese export controls of rare earths, an agricultural products deal for partial tariff relief, the US-Israel war on Iran, and efforts to bring stability to their relations.
A key topic and a sticking point will be China’s potential invasion of its smaller neighbour Taiwan, which the US strongly opposes.
The Independent’s Arpan Rai reports:
Amy-Clare Martin9 May 2026 13:45Watch: US Navy bombs tanker attempting to breach Strait of Hormuz blockade
Two oil tankers were hit by the US Navy after they attempted the violate America’s Strait of Hormuz blockade on Friday.
US Central Command (CENTCO) released footage showing strikes on the empty tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda as they attempted to sail into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.
US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both vessels after firing into their smokestacks.
Amy-Clare Martin9 May 2026 13:25HMS Dragon heads to Middle East ahead of potential Strait of Hormuz mission
A Royal Navy warship is making its war to the Middle East ahead of a possible international mission to safeguard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Ministry of Defence said the type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon is being deployed from the Eastern Mediterranean and will “pre-position” in the region.
The proposed UK and French-led mission would take place once hostilities between Iran and US-Israeli forces end.
It would involve a coalition of nations willing to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies along with other goods including fertiliser.
A spokesman said: “We can confirm that HMS Dragon will deploy to the Middle East to pre-position ahead of any future multinational mission to protect international shipping when conditions allow them to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
“The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the strait, when conditions allow.”
The decision to move HMS Dragon from the eastern Mediterranean, where it had been defending British bases on Cyprus, will allow the destroyer to contribute immediately should the defensive mission in the strait be launched.
Harriette Boucher9 May 2026 13:16ICYMI: US announces sanctions targeting Iranian weapons supply
The U.S. on Friday announced a bevy of sanctions aimed at impacting the Iranian weapons supply.
The sanctions target 10 individuals and companies located across the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, the Treasury Department said.
Those sanctioned “are enabling efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons, as well as raw materials with applications in Iran’s Shahed‑series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missile program,” Treasury wrote.
“While the surviving IRGC leaders are trapped like rats in a sinking ship, the Treasury Department is unrelenting in our Economic Fury campaign,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“Under President Trump’s decisive leadership, we will continue to act to Keep America Safe and target foreign individuals and companies providing Iran’s military with weapons for use against U.S. forces.”
Amy-Clare Martin9 May 2026 13:05Recap: US awaiting Iran's response to peace proposal
The US and Iran appeared no closer to finding an end to their war on Saturday morning, after a day in which the two sides traded fire in the Gulf despite a tenuous ceasefire:Donald Trump’s team said it expected a response from Tehran to a US peace proposal on Friday evening, though none has yet been announced Speaking in Rome on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was expecting a response the same day, although an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Tehran was still weighing its response Sporadic clashes continued on Friday between Iranian forces and US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported, risking an already shaky ceasefire
Amy-Clare Martin9 May 2026 12:45