- 22 May 2026 - 23:59(23:59 GMT)
Our coverage continues
This live page is closing, but our 24-hour coverage of the conflict continues.
Join us for all the latest developments, analyses and reactions here.
A person stands in the sea, against the backdrop of smoke rising from the site of an Israeli strike that hit the southern Lebanese village of al-Mansouri on Friday [Kawant Haju/AFP] - 22 May 2026 - 23:45(23:45 GMT)
Here’s what happened today
- Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir, arrived in Tehran amid ongoing mediation efforts to end the US-Israel war on Iran.
- Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, told UN chief Antonio Guterres that Washington’s “excessive demands” are the main obstacle to reaching a deal.
- US Navy chief Hung Cao said Washington is pausing a $14bn arms sale to Taiwan to conserve munitions for its war on Iran.
- Lebanese politician Bilal Abdallah said Israel’s targeting of Tebnine Hospital, the last remaining fully functioning hospital in southern Lebanon, was a war crime.
- 22 May 2026 - 23:30(23:30 GMT)
Qatar discusses mediation efforts with Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Jordan
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed has spoken with the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan about the “ongoing Pakistan-led mediation efforts between the United States and Iran”.
A brief summary of Sheikh Mohammed’s call with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal, released by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said both sides stressed “the importance of addressing underlying causes of regional crises through peaceful dialogue”.
They also “focused on coordinating diplomatic efforts to support de-escalation initiatives”.
As we’ve been reporting, a Qatari delegation is in Tehran to support Pakistan led mediation efforts.
Advertisement - 22 May 2026 - 23:15(23:15 GMT)
Italy PM says two-state solution only way for ‘just and lasting peace’
We earlier reported that nine Western nations have jointly condemned Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, with a particular warning over the controversial E1 project.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later said that the two-state solution is the only way forward for “just and lasting peace”.
Israel plans to build thousands of housing units east of Jerusalem that would link the illegal Maale Adumim settlement to the city, effectively cutting the West Bank in two.
The Palestinian presidency welcomed the joint statement, calling it “an important step in the right direction”, and urged concrete measures to pressure Israel into halting its policies.
- 22 May 2026 - 23:00(23:00 GMT)
Iran says US ‘excessive demands’ blocking Pakistan-mediated talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has told the UN chief that Washington’s “excessive demands” are the main obstacle to ongoing peace negotiations.
Araghchi, speaking by phone with Antonio Guterres, said the US had repeatedly undermined diplomacy through broken promises, contradictory positions, and military aggression, but Iran is nonetheless engaging seriously in the Pakistan-mediated talks.
Guterres rejected the use of force against any state’s sovereignty and called for diplomacy to restore stability in the region, according to an Iranian Foreign Ministry readout as reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
- 22 May 2026 - 22:45(22:45 GMT)
US lawmaker pushes gas tax suspension amid Iran war price surge
A California congressman says US families are being squeezed at the pump as a result of the US war on Iran, and is co-sponsoring legislation to suspend the 18.4 percent federal gas tax through October 2026.
“Since the administration dragged us into a war with Iran, gas prices have exploded,” Representative Mark Levin said on X. “Every commute costs more. Every school run costs more. Every small business running on tight margins is bleeding cash to fill the tank.”
Families are getting crushed at the pump.
Since the administration dragged us into a war with Iran, gas prices have exploded. Every commute costs more. Every school run costs more. Every small business running on tight margins is bleeding cash to fill the tank.
So here’s one…
— Rep. Mike Levin (@RepMikeLevin) May 22, 2026
- 22 May 2026 - 22:30(22:30 GMT)
Photos: Displaced Lebanese families shelter along Beirut waterfront
A displaced family at a camp for people who fled their homes in Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon during relentless Israeli attacks [AFP] 
Soubhiye Zeiter, 63, distributes mana’eesh, a popular Lebanese flatbread, at a makeshift bakery in the tent encampment along Beirut’s waterfront [AFP] 
More than 1.6 million Lebanese have been displaced during the constant Israeli air strikes and artillery fire [AFP] - 22 May 2026 - 22:15(22:15 GMT)
Qatar, Saudi Arabia discuss ‘efforts to maintain security’
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke on the phone with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani during the ongoing mediation efforts in Tehran.
According to a brief summary of the call, published by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry, the pair discussed “the latest developments in the region and efforts to maintain security and stability”.
As we’ve been reporting, a Qatari diplomat told Al Jazeera that a Qatari delegation is in Tehran in support of Pakistan’s ongoing mediation efforts between Iran and the US.
🇸🇦📞🇶🇦 | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan receives a phone call from Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. pic.twitter.com/cvqMn8hpKz
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) May 22, 2026
- 22 May 2026 - 22:05(22:05 GMT)
Trump says Venezuela’s oil paid for cost of Iran war ’25 times over’
Trump discussed how the world views his decisions to attack Iran and Venezuela during his speech.
“How did we do in Venezuela? Not bad,” he said. “We’ve taken out so much oil in Venezuela, we paid for the cost of the war [on Iran] about 25 times over.”
The Pentagon said the US war on Iran has cost some $29bn as of earlier this month, although some estimates put the figure much higher.
Trump delivers remarks during a rally in Suffern, New York state, on Friday [Kena Betancur/EPA] Advertisement - 22 May 2026 - 22:00(22:00 GMT)
US pauses Taiwan arms sale due to Iran war, US Navy secretary says
The US has put a $14bn arms sale to Taiwan on hold, with acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao telling a Senate hearing that the pause is to ensure sufficient weaponry for its ongoing war with Iran.
“Right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury,” Cao said, referring to the name of the US military operation against Iran.
The pause comes weeks after Taiwan’s arms sale featured in talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, a notable break from Washington’s previous position that it would not consult Beijing on the matter.
- 22 May 2026 - 21:45(21:45 GMT)
Iran reportedly destroys 20% of US Reaper drone fleet
Iran has taken out more than two dozen US MQ-9 Reaper drones since the war began, inflicting losses worth nearly $1bn, according to Bloomberg.
Many of the Reapers were shot down by Iranian fire while in flight, while others were destroyed in missile strikes on the ground, or lost in accidents.
The drones, which cost about $30m each, are no longer being manufactured for US forces.
- 22 May 2026 - 21:30(21:30 GMT)
Gabbard exit highlights tensions inside Trump team over Iran war
Jason Campbell from the Middle East Institute spoke to Al Jazeera following the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, describing her as an outspoken critic of US military interventions.
Campbell said Gabbard was never a natural fit for the Trump administration.
“She did not have much of an intelligence background in her resume, so given both her outspoken position on some major national security issues as well as a lack of resume, it was always a bit of a curious appointment from the start,” said Campbell.
Many observers noted growing distance between Trump and Gabbard in recent months.
“It was Tulsi Gabbard who was most prominent in bringing on Joe Kent to lead the National Counterterrorism Centre, and he subsequently resigned from that job in protest of the Iran war,” said Campbell.
Gabbard’s apparent refusal to help Trump make the case for the Iran war also saw her sidelined inside the administration, he added.
Campbell noted that while Gabbard attended one key meeting with Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the Iran war in February, she was “absent from a very senior-level meeting discussing the parameters of the war, despite one of her subordinates in CIA Director John Radcliffe being present”.
“So there have been some signs along the way that this may not have been a good match, and I think we’re seeing that come to fruition now,” said Campbell.
Tulsi Gabbard at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill [Nathan Howard/Reuters] - 22 May 2026 - 21:25(21:25 GMT)
Trump reiterates Iran ‘never going to have a nuclear weapon’
The US president briefly mentioned Iran during a speech in New York state.
“We have stopped them. They’re never going to have a nuclear weapon, and they know that,” Trump said. “It’ll be over with soon.”
- 22 May 2026 - 21:20(21:20 GMT)
Hezbollah says hit Israeli position in south Lebanon
Hezbollah has claimed a drone attack on Israeli soldiers in the town of Maroun al-Ras.
In a post on Telegram, the group said it targeted the troops inside a tent.
Hezbollah earlier said it carried out a series of attacks in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, targeting Israeli soldiers, a tank, and a newly established command centre.
- 22 May 2026 - 21:15(21:15 GMT)
Push from Pakistan, Qatar shows diplomatic progress on Iran talks
Right now, we are seeing a team from Doha, Qatar, getting on board to push negotiations forward.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the visit by the Pakistani field marshal is part of the continued diplomatic process but “we cannot say we have reached a stage where an agreement is close”.
They are focusing right now on reaching an agreement on ending the war on all fronts. An Iranian official has told Al Jazeera that Qatar’s supportive role for the Pakistani mediator is vital.
From all of that there is progress. They are exchanging messages and there is a push from external actors such as Pakistan and Qatar.
- 22 May 2026 - 21:00(21:00 GMT)
Qatar’s role ‘in support’ of Pakistani mediation efforts, diplomat says
Al Jazeera spoke with a Qatari diplomat who shared – on condition of anonymity – the following updates about Doha’s role in ongoing US-Iran peace negotiations:
- Our delegation’s visit to Tehran comes within the framework of regional consultations and coordination with our brothers in Pakistan and other countries in the region.
- The Qatari delegation’s visit to Tehran is also in support of the Pakistani mediation efforts.
- Qatar affirms its appreciation for Pakistan’s pivotal role in supporting regional security and stability.
- Qatar reaffirms its support for regional and international efforts to end the escalation in the region.
- 22 May 2026 - 20:45(20:45 GMT)
Iran’s top diplomat speaks with UN chief on US peace talks
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has spoken with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
They phoned to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the ongoing diplomatic discussions between Iran and the US, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Advertisement - 22 May 2026 - 20:30(20:30 GMT)
Israeli settlers storm Palestinian home in Hebron as Israeli forces impose curfew
Israeli settlers have stormed a Palestinian home in Hebron’s Old City as Israeli forces tightened restrictions and imposed a curfew in the area.
Activist Aref Jaber told WAFA news agency that settlers entered the home of Atef Jaber in Wadi al-Hussein, near the Kiryat Arba settlement east of Hebron. Israeli soldiers reinforced their presence and sealed off parts of the Old City.
Illegal settlers also stormed the eastern part of Sa’ir, east of Hebron, where they were provocative and shouted abuse at Palestinians.
Police stand between Israeli settlers scuffling with activists in the Old City of Jerusalem [File: Ilia Yefimovich/AFP] - 22 May 2026 - 20:15(20:15 GMT)
Iran frames Strait of Hormuz pay tolls as a ‘security service’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there needs to be a “Plan B” in the Strait of Hormuz, which could mean a new escalation with Iran.
This type of language to Iranians is not acceptable – that’s what we’ve learnt from their previous responses. Iran says its finger is “on the trigger” when it comes to any kind of escalation in the strait, or another round of combat.
Regarding tolls, revenue and fees, Iran says it’s providing a “security service” for vessels that must pass safely through the strategic waterway. Hours ago it announced more than 30 vessels passed through Hormuz in coordination of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy over the past day.
Tehran’s response right now is it’s controlling the Strait of Hormuz with a new mechanism – and within a “new reality”. It’s not accepting the US threats, and at the same time projecting control over the waterway.
- 22 May 2026 - 20:07(20:07 GMT)
Iran official: Lifting sanctions on oil not part of peace negotiations
We have more comments from an Iranian source on the ongoing peace talks.
“Ending the war, lifting the US blockade, and ensuring the stability of the Strait of Hormuz are priorities,” the Iranian official told Al Jazeera.
“Releasing [our] frozen assets and lifting sanctions on oil exports are not details for us.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official also praised efforts by Qatar to assist in mediation efforts. “Qatar’s supportive role for the Pakistani mediator is vital, important and fundamental.”
Iran war updates: Tehran says US uranium handover demand will kill the deal
These were the updates on the US-Israel war on Iran and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon for Friday, May 22, 2026.
Published On 22 May 2026
This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage here.
- Iran says peace negotiations with the United States face “deep and significant” differences, and it’s difficult to say if a deal can be reached in the next “weeks or months”.
- Pakistan’s powerful military chief, Asim Munir, has arrived in Tehran with a high-level security delegation, which analysts say is a positive sign as negotiators try to narrow the wide gaps between the US and Iran on a deal.
- An Israeli strike on Lebanon’s Deir Qanoun en-Nahr has killed at least six people – including two rescuers and a Syrian child – as nonstop deadly attacks go on despite a “ceasefire”.
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says 35 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz with Iran’s permission over the last 24 hours as fears over the global economy continue to rise.
