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Iran-Israel war LIVE: Iran Guards vow war will 'spread far beyond region' if U.S. resumes attacks
Live Iran-Israel war LIVE: Iran Guards vow war will 'spread far beyond region' if U.S. resumes attacks U.S. President Trump says the war would be over "very quickly"; Vance acknowledges difficulties in negotiating with a fractured Iranian leadership…
Iran-Israel war LIVE: Iran Guards vow war will ‘spread far beyond region’ if U.S. resumes attacks
U.S. President Trump says the war would be over “very quickly”; Vance acknowledges difficulties in negotiating with a fractured Iranian leadership
Updated – May 20, 2026 03:38 pm IST
A police officer stands guard in front of a banner with portraits of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, and late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping said further hostilities in West Asia is “inadvisable”, calling for a “comprehensive” ceasefire, as he spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday (May 20, 2026), state media reported. Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed.
Also read | Iran officially announces new body to manage Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) said the war would be over “very quickly”. His comments came after saying he had paused a planned resumption of hostilities following a new proposal by Tehran to end the conflict. Iran’s leaders are begging for a deal, he said, adding that a new U.S. attack would happen in coming days if no agreement was reached. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance acknowledged difficulties in negotiating with a fractured Iranian leadership.
Also read | Qatar says U.S.-Iran negotiations need ‘more time’
Iranian state media said Tehran’s latest peace proposal involves ending hostilities on all fronts including Lebanon, the exit of U.S. forces from areas close to Iran, and reparations for destruction caused by the U.S.-Israeli attacks. Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions, release of frozen funds and an end to the U.S. marine blockade. The terms as described in the Iranian reports appeared little changed from Iran’s previous offer, which Trump rejected last week as “garbage.”
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- May 20, 2026 15:38 European gas prices range-bound as Trump’s positive comments on Iran ease market worries
Benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices traded in a narrow range on Wednesday (May 20) morning as the market closely monitored U.S.-Iran peace talks after after positive comments from the U.S. President and his deputy.
The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub edged down by 0.10 euro to 51.71 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) by 0809 GMT, ICE data showed.
The British front-month contract was down 0.18 pence at 126.47 pence per therm.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the war would be over “very quickly” while Vice-President J.D. Vance talked up progress in talks with Tehran about an agreement to end hostilities.
-Reuters
- May 20, 2026 15:03 India must be alert amid West Asia crisis, no immediate worry: Civil Aviation Minister Naidu
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) said the country must be prepared to tackle any possible fallout of the escalating crisis in West Asia, although the situation was “not worrisome for India at present”.
During his maiden visit to Ranchi, Mr. Naidu said every sector, including civil aviation, must plan proactively to minimise the impact of the cirsis on people and the country.
“The situation is not worrisome at present, but we need to remain alert. Every sector, including civil aviation, has to assess the impact and prepare short-term, medium-term and long-term strategies,” he told reporters.
-Read the story here
India must be alert amid West Asia crisis, no immediate worry: Civil Aviation Minister Naidu
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu emphasises India’s preparedness amid West Asia crisis while discussing aviation improvements and ongoing crash investigations.
- May 20, 2026 14:17 LPG: Ship scarcity hits U.S. imports
With the Persian Gulf, from where 60% of India’s LPG consumption came shut, the U.S. has emerged as a major LPG supplier. In March, 4.5 lakh LPG shipments left the U.S. for India, up from 3.2 lakh and 2.7 lakh tonnes in previous months, as per data from Kpler, a source of global trade intelligence. India imported nearly 10 lakh tonnes in March.
In April, however, shipments that left the U.S. for India dropped to 3.72 lakh tonnes and for the half-month in May, it was 1.67 lakh tonnes, as per Kpler.
The reason for less lifting in subsequent months, shipping experts say, is less gas carrier availability due in-part to ships taking the Cape of Good Hope route around Africa rather than the shorter Suez Canal route. “U.S-India voyages via Suez Canal have been absent since January 2024, dropping in the aftermath of the increase in Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea waterway since end of 2023.
Read the story here
LPG: Ship scarcity hits U.S. imports
Around 40% of US–Asia LPG cargoes are now being re-routed via the Cape of Good Hope
- May 20, 2026 14:02 Iran Guards vow war will ‘spread far beyond region’ if U.S. resumes attacks
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned on Wednesday (May 20) that the West Asian war will extend beyond the region if the United States and Israel resume attacks on the Islamic republic.
“If the aggression against Iran is repeated, the promised regional war will this time spread far beyond the region, and our devastating blows will crush you,” the Guards said in a statement on their website Sepah News.
The warning comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington could strike Iran again if no deal on a lasting settlement is reached in the coming days.
“The American-Zionist enemy… must know that despite the offensive carried out against us using the full capabilities of the world’s two most expensive armies, we have not deployed the full power of the Islamic revolution,” the Guards said.
-AFP
- May 20, 2026 13:25 Israel’s El Al Airlines moves to Q1 loss on Iran war
El Al Israel Airlines swung to a loss in the first quarter, saying it was hurt by the conflict with Iran that had kept Israel’s airspace largely closed to commercial flights.
El Al, Israel’s flag carrier, said on Wednesday (May 20) it lost a net $67 million in the January-March period, compared with a net profit of $96 million a year earlier.
Citing the war, which began on February 28 and lasted until an April 8 ceasefire, as well as a weak dollar against the shekel and higher fuel costs, revenue in the quarter fell 27% to $562 million.
El Al said damage from the war with Iran totalled $145 million, with $90 million coming in the first quarter and $55 million in second quarter.
-Reuters
- May 20, 2026 12:40 Oil falls after Trump says U.S. will end Iran war ‘very quickly’
Oil prices eased on Wednesday (May 20) after U.S. President Donald Trump again asserted the war with Iran will end “very quickly”, though investors remain wary about the outcome of peace talks amid continued disruptions to West Asian supply from the conflict.
Brent crude oil futures fell 88 cents, or 0.8%, to $110.40 a barrel by 0410 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down 67 cents, or 0.6%, to $103.48.
“Benchmark prices softened on a potential deal as the market gauges the geopolitical outcomes,” said Emril Jamil, a senior oil research analyst at LSEG.
“However, prices are likely to still exhibit some upside potential even if a deal is concluded, given that supply will likely not return to pre-war levels immediately,” he said.
-Reuters
- May 20, 2026 12:05 South Korean oil tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz
A South Korean oil tanker is currently passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s top diplomat said on Wednesday (May 20).
“At this very moment, our oil tanker is passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul.
Ship-tracking site MarineTraffic showed the South Korea-flagged tanker Universal Win on the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz near the entrance to the Gulf of Oman, bound for the southeastern South Korean city of Ulsan after departing Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi port.
The passage comes weeks after a South Korean-operated vessel was hit by airborne objects near the Strait of Hormuz, heightening concerns in Seoul over the safety of South Korean shipping in the region.
-AFP
- May 20, 2026 11:15 At White House briefing, Vance says Iran war won’t be ‘forever’
Vice President J.D. Vance reassured Americans on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) that President Donald Trump’s war with Iran will not become a “forever war,” using a White House briefing to defend his boss’s policies as speculation about his potential successor builds.
Standing in for press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave, Mr. Vance fielded questions from journalists for nearly an hour in a mostly measured manner, a contrast to Mr. Trump’s more confrontational style.
He declined to rule out using taxpayer money to compensate people convicted of assaulting police officers during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, dismissed European concerns over Washington scrapping troop deployment to Poland as overblown and called a reporter’s suggestion that Mr. Trump’s recent stock purchases raised corruption concerns “absurd.”
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At White House briefing, Vance says Iran war won’t be ‘forever’
Vice President J.D. Vance assures Americans that the Iran war will not be a “forever war” during a White House briefing.
- May 20, 2026 11:12 Asian shares track Wall Street’s retreat as bond markets crank up pressure
Asian shares were mostly lower on Wednesday (May 20) as rising bond yields cranked up pressure on stocks and other investments, undermining the AI-driven rally in technology shares.
Bond yields have been climbing as the war with Iran drags on, raising worries over prolonged higher inflation.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 lost 1.2% to 59,834.15.
The euro slipped to $1.1601 from $1.1608.
Chinese shares also fell, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng losing 0.6% to 25,635.82. The Shanghai Composite index shed 0.5% to 4,148.16.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.8% to 8,533.60.
In South Korea, the Kospi gained 0.3% to 7,292.41 after a broad sell-off a day earlier. Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.4%.
-AP
- May 20, 2026 11:01 Xi tells Putin more West Asia hostilities ‘inadvisable’: Chinese state media
Chinese President Xi Jinping said further hostilities in West Asia is “inadvisable”, calling for a “comprehensive” ceasefire, as he spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday (May 20), state media reported.
“A comprehensive ceasefire is of utmost urgency, resuming hostilities is even more inadvisable and maintaining negotiations is particularly important,” Mr. Xi told Mr. Putin, according to Xinhua news agency.
-AFP
- May 20, 2026 10:59 UN Security Council condemns attack on UAE nuclear plant
Russia joined other UN Security Council members on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) to condemn the drone strike on the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, which Abu Dhabi said originated from Iraq where pro-Iranian proxies are active.
The unclaimed drone struck an electrical generator on Sunday (May 17, 2026) near the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant in Barakah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, triggering a fire but causing no injuries nor radiation leak.
“Attacks targeting peaceful nuclear facilities in any country of the world…are categorically unacceptable,” said Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzya.
Read the story here
UN Security Council condemns attack on UAE nuclear plant
UN Security Council condemns drone attack on UAE’s Barakah nuclear plant, emphasizing the unacceptability of targeting peaceful nuclear facilities.
Published – May 20, 2026 10:34 am IST
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Prateek Tanmay