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On 24 May 2026 U.S. and Iranian negotiators finalized a draft 60-day memorandum that swaps Iran’s immediate mine-clearing and toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for U.S. suspension of its port blockade and targeted oil-export sanctions waivers, with an announcement expected within days.
Washington and Tehran, after 46 days of cease-fire, signalled that a 14-clause memorandum prepared by Pakistan could be finalised within 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and suspend the three-month war.
On 22–23 May 2026 President Volodymyr Zelensky sent EU leaders a letter flatly rejecting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s plan to give Ukraine non-voting “associate” status as a bridge to full EU membership, calling it “unfair.”
On 22 May 2026, following a night-time drone attack that Moscow says killed six and wounded 39 at a student dormitory in Russian-held Starobilsk, President Vladimir Putin told his generals to draft options for retaliation and pushed for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
On 21 May 2026, days after the Pentagon scrubbed a 4,700-soldier rotation to Europe, President Trump abruptly announced a new deployment of 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland, sowing fresh uncertainty about America’s force posture on the continent.
Field Marshal Asim Munir’s surprise arrival in Tehran on 22 May 2026 launched a fresh round of Pakistani-brokered talks that Washington says show “slight progress” toward turning the April 8 cease-fire into a permanent end to the two-month US-Israeli war against Iran.
On 18–19 May 2026, President Trump publicly canceled a U.S. air-and-missile offensive slated for 19 May, after leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE asked for a brief pause to salvage fast-moving cease-fire talks with Tehran.
On 21 May 2026, President Trump told PM Netanyahu the U.S. is drafting a “letter of intent” that would end active hostilities with Iran and start a 30-day negotiation window, effectively signaling Washington’s willingness to halt the war while Iran maintains control of the vital waterway.
On 21 May 2026 Tehran acknowledged it has the newest U.S. terms, asked Islamabad for more time, and will host Pakistan’s army chief within hours—signalling a decisive moment in back-channel talks to turn the six-week Iran-U.S. cease-fire into a permanent settlement after nearly three months of war.
On 18 May 2026, President Trump publicly halted a U.S. attack slated for the next day, citing direct requests from the rulers of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE who said new Iran-U.S. negotiations were underway.
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