Felix Tamsut | Shakeel Sobhan AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa
Published 05/22/2026Published May 22, 2026
US Secretary of State Rubio said there was "a little bit of movement" in negotiations to end the Iran war. Meanwhile, four European nations called on Israel to stop the expansion of West Bank settlements.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EAPK
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Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
US Secretary of State Rubio points to 'slight progress' in ongoing Iran peace talks
Four European countries call on Israel to stop settlement expansion
Two killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon
US House Republicans cancel vote to force Trump to end Iran war
This blog was a roundup of the latest updates related to the Iran war and its fallout on Friday, May 22. It is now closed.
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Skip next section Lebanon: 10 killed in Israeli airstrikes
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Lebanon: 10 killed in Israeli airstrikes
Dmytro Hubenko Editor
Ten people, including six paramedics and a child, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Friday, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, which said the attacks "violated international law."
Four of the medical personnel, from Hezbollah's Islamic Health Association, were killed in a strike on the village of Hanouiyeh which injured two others.
Another six people, including a young Syrian girl and two more paramedics were killed in the village of Deir Qanoun al Nahr in the coastal Tyre region.
The paramedics were reportedly from the Al-Risala Scouts Association, a paramedic group affiliated with the Amal movement, which is allied with Hezbollah.
An additional six people were injured, including three paramedics and a Syrian woman.
The Israeli military claimed that it struck several Hezbollah infrastructure sites in the area of Hanouiyeh where it said Hezbollah members were present.
The strikes came the day after the World Health Organization reported 169 confirmed attacks on healthcare workers and facilities in Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began, resulting in 116 deaths.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EDY6
Skip next section Pakistani and Qatari teams in Tehran for talks
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Pakistani and Qatari teams in Tehran for talks
Diplomatic delegations from both Pakistan and Qatar were in Tehran on Friday as part of separate efforts to mediate a peace deal between Iran and the United States.
Pakistan's military said in a statement on Friday evening that the influential Field Marshall Asim Munir had arrived in the Iranian capital "as part of ongoing mediation efforts" and had been welcomed by Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni.
But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei cautioned that the visit did not necessarily mean that "we have reached a turning point or a decisive situation," reiterating that disagreements between Iran and the United States were "deep and extensive."
Baqaei also confirmed earlier media reports that a Qatari negotiating team was also in Tehran on Friday and had held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
"In recent days, many countries, both regional and non-regional, have been trying to help bring the war to an end," he said, adding that "Pakistan remains the official mediator."
Earlier, Reuters news agency reported that a Qatari delegation had traveled to Tehran in coordination with the United States to help "reach a final deal that would end the war and address outstanding issues with Iran."
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to comment, but Doha has been a key intermediary in several international conflicts in recent years, including mediating between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and maintaining relations with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Qatar has also been severely impacted by the war, with Iran targeting its liquefied natural gas production facility at Ras Laffan in an attack that wiped out roughly 17% of the country's LNG export capacity.
Asked about the Qatari team in Iran, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden on Friday: "Obviously other countries have interests, especially Gulf countries that are in the middle of all this … [and] we talk to all of them. I would just say that the primary country we've been working with on all of this is Pakistan, and that remains the case."
https://p.dw.com/p/5EDT9
Skip next section READ: Who will win the Hormuz endurance game?
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
READ: Who will win the Hormuz endurance game?
Iran is betting that its sanctions‑hardened economy can outlast the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
The United States, meanwhile, is contending with elevated oil prices, renewed inflation pressure and rising global recession risks.
Who will blink first?
Read this analysis from Nik Martin from DW's business desk.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ED8I
Skip next section Pakistan army chief heads to Iran
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Pakistan army chief heads to Iran
Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir departed for an official visit to Tehran on Friday, security sources confirmed to international news agencies.
Munir, Pakistan's most senior military figure who has taken on an increasingly influential role in the country's foreign relations, was initially expected in the Iranian capital on Thursday, but his departure was delayed.
"Munir has left today for an official visit where he will have meetings with Iranian leadership," Pakistani sources said, according to the AFP news agency
Munir's trip comes after Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi traveled to Iran on Wednesday for talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
It also comes as Iran continues to examine a latest US proposal to end the Middle East war.
Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator between the United States and Iran due to its diplomatic ties to the former and its geographical and cultural proximity to the latter.
When direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials took place in Islamabad in April, Munir was at the center of the action, greeting both delegations upon arrival, including US Vice President JD Vance.
But the Islamabad talks ultimately failed, with Iran accusing the US of making "excessive demands."
Iran war: What's next after Islamabad talks fail?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5ED4w
Skip next section Rubio: 'Plan B' required to reopen Strait of Hormuz
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Rubio: 'Plan B' required to reopen Strait of Hormuz
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that a "Plan B" may be required to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States and Iran fail to reach a deal in their ongoing war.
"We all would love to see an agreement with Iran in which the straits are open and they abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions. That's what we would all hope for and that's what we're going to continue to work on," Rubio told reporters in Helsingborg, Sweden, following a meeting with fellow NATO foreign ministers.
"But, we also have to have a Plan B. What if Iran refuses to open the straits? What if Iran decides: 'We're going to own the straits, and we're going to charge tolls for it?' At that point, something has to be done about it. They're not just going to voluntarily open the straits."
Rubio said he'd "raised that point today" and "got a lot of nods" from other NATO foreign ministers since "there are other countries here today which would be more deeply impacted by that than even the United States.
"I don't know if it would be a NATO mission, but there would certainly be NATO countries which could contribute," he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ED4G
Skip next section 'Slight progress' in Iran peace negotiations: Rubio
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
'Slight progress' in Iran peace negotiations: Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke about the negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the war, saying "slight progress" had been made.
Negotiators saw "a little bit of movement and that's good," Rubio said, adding that conversations were ongoing.
Rubio spoke following a meeting with his NATO counterparts in Sweden.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to carry out an extensive military operation against Iran should negotiations not bear fruit.
Fighting in the war, which began with US-Israeli strikes at the end of February, halted in April as part of a ceasefire agreement while talks for a lasting peace continue.
https://p.dw.com/p/5ECac
Skip next section European countries propose ban on goods from settlements
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
European countries propose ban on goods from settlements
Ten European countries brought forward a proposal for the European Commission to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said on her X account.
"Europe cannot continue to defend a rules-based international order whilepermitting trade with illegal settlements," McEntee said, adding that the Israeli settlements are a breach of international law.
"Europe’s trade policy must be consistent with its legal and moral obligations," the Irish minister wrote.
One European country that has already announced a ban on goods from Israeli West Bank settlements is the Netherlands.
Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma took to his X account on Friday to say that the country "does not wish to contribute to the maintenance of that unlawful situation."
Israel is 'advancing the annexation of the West Bank'
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https://p.dw.com/p/5ECXH
Skip next section European leaders calls for settlement expansion stop
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
European leaders calls for settlement expansion stop
The leaders of Germany, Britain, Italy and France called on the Israeli government to stop its expansion of settlements, while also ensuring accountability for settler violence.
"Over the past few months, the situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly," the four countries said in a statement, "Settler violence is at unprecedented levels. The policies and practices of the Israeli government, including a further entrenchment of Israeli control, are undermining stability and prospects for a two-state solution.
Parts of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government are known to have contacts with extreme settlers, and the government has repeatedly emphasized its intention to continue expanding Jewish settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank.
Several Israeli ministers have openly said the newly founded settlements are meant to prevent the possible establishment of a Palestinian state.
The European statement said, "International law is clear: Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal."
The countries concluded their statement reaffirming their "unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on a negotiated two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and security within secure and recognised borders."
Israel pushes illegal West Bank settlement to record numbers
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https://p.dw.com/p/5ECRd
Skip next section Dozens of ships go through Hormuz Strait: Iran
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Dozens of ships go through Hormuz Strait: Iran
The past 24 hours saw 35 ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has said.
The vessels' passing was made possible by their coordination with the IranianRevolutionary Guard Corps, according to the country's state broadcaster.
Data provider Kpler only confirmed 10 passages on Wednesday, an increase from four the previous day.
Iran charges high fees for passage through the Strait, one of the world's most important maritime routes for oil, resulting in condemnation by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"There's no country in the world that should accept this," he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EC2G
Skip next section Iran should not 'overestimate its cards', UAE adviser says
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Iran should not 'overestimate its cards', UAE adviser says
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said he believes that the chances of an agreement between the US and Iran to end the war between the two countries are "50-50."
According to Gargash, any such agreement must address the root causes of instability in the region and avoid future conflict.
"My worry is that the Iranians have always over-negotiated," Gargash said at the Globsec conference in Prague, adding Iran missed many opportunities to reach agreements over the years "because of a tendency to overestimate their cards."
"I hope they don't do that this time," he added.
The US and Iran are currently negotiating a possible agreement to end the war between them, with Pakistan acting in a mediating role.
Iran hit the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states over the course of the war with the United States and Israel, citing US bases hosted by the countries.
Can Gulf nations close the gap between Iran and the US?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5EBUi
Skip next section Soldiers loyal to army: Lebanese military
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Soldiers loyal to army: Lebanese military
The Lebanese military said its troops are loyal to the state in the wake of the US sanctions on an army officer Washington accuses of sharing intelligence with Hezbollah, according to a statement cited by the AFP news agency.
Lebanon's army said it "affirms that all officers and members of the military institution are performing their national duties with utmost professionalism, responsibility and discipline, in accordance with the decisions and directives issued by the army command."
Lebanon's soldiers are only loyal to the military institution, the army added.
Why did the US Treasury sanction a Lebanese army officer?
The United States Treasury imposed sanctions on Lebanese army officer Samir Hamadi on Thursday, alongside security official Khattar Nasser Eldin, accusing them of sharing information with Hezbollah.
This was the first time Lebanese officers were sanctioned by the United States.
While Lebanon is formally at war with Israel, the Lebanese government has sought to distance itself from the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam banned Hezbollah — which also has a political wing present in Lebanese parliament — from carrying out military and security activities in March.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EBUY
Skip next section France rules out new oil reserve release over Iran conflict
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
France rules out new oil reserve release over Iran conflict
French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said governments could not yet decide on releasing more strategic oil reserves to ease disruption from the Iran war because the duration and intensity of the conflict remain unclear.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Lescure said a second coordinated release of reserves was not discussed during this week's G7 finance ministers' meeting in Paris.
He said oil stockpiles are finite and any decision on further releases would depend on clearer visibility over the conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Thirty-two member countries of the International Energy Agency released 400 million barrels of oil and refined fuel in March to help stabilize markets after the war disrupted supplies.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EAhO
Skip next section US Navy official says Taiwan arm sales suspended due to Iran war
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
US Navy official says Taiwan arm sales suspended due to Iran war
Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said on Thursday that US arms sales to Taiwan were temporarily paused to ensure the US had sufficient munitions for military operations against Iran.
Speaking at a congressional hearing, Cao said foreign military sales would resume once the administration determined supplies were adequate.
"We're just making sure we have everything, but then the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary," he said.
However, Taiwan's Presidential Office said on Friday it had received no indication that Washington planned to adjust a proposed arms package, reportedly worth up to $14 billion (€12.06 billion), according to Reuters news agency.
US President Donald Trump has not committed to approving the sale and said after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that he would decide on the matter "over the next fairly short period of time."
The US is legally required to provide de facto self-governing Taiwan with defensive weapons, despite recognizing Beijing diplomatically and maintaining only informal ties to Taipei.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EAee
Skip next section Iran condemns US sanctioning of Lebanon ambassador
05/22/2026May 22, 2026
Iran condemns US sanctioning of Lebanon ambassador
Iran condemned the United States' decision to sanction the country's designated ambassador to Beirut.
Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement that the decision to impose sanctions on Mohammad Reza Raouf Sheibani is "another example of the lawlessness and disregard for the principles of international law and the UN Charter."
The country also condemned the sanctioning of Lebanese parliament members of Iran-backed militia Hezbollahand officials of the Amal Movement, a political party that represents Shiite Muslim interests and has an alliance with Hezbollah's political wing in Lebanese parliament.
This comes after Lebanon itself declared Shabani a persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country last March.
https://p.dw.com/p/5EAef
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