LIVE UPDATES: Conflict in the Middle East (May 11, 2026)

The safe passage for Philippine-flagged vessels and Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz is still valid despite the reported drone attack on a container ship carrying Filipino crew members, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

“The existing arrangement between the Philippines and Iran on safe passage remains valid and in effect,” said DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona in a message to GMA News Online.

“The DFA and DMW continue to ensure the safety and well being of our nationals amidst the tension in the Middle East,” she added.

SEOUL — South Korea's presidential Blue House on Monday condemned in the strongest terms an attack against a cargo ship operated by a Korean shipper this month in the Strait of Hormuz and said it plans to respond once the source of the attack is identified.

Experts conducted an initial forensic analysis of the damage to the port stern, a Blue House official said. The attack had led to a fire in the vessel's engine room.

Namu, the vessel operated by the shipper HMM Co. 011200.KS, was not in violation of any rules in effect at the time in the waters off the United Arab Emirates and it was a case of an attack against a commercial vessel that cannot be justified, the official said.

DUBAI/WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Sunday rejected Iran's response to a US proposal for peace talks, dashing hopes for an imminent end to the 10-week-old conflict that has caused widespread damage in Iran and Lebanon, paralyzed maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and driven up global energy prices.

Days after the US floated an offer in the hopes of re-opening negotiations, Iran on Sunday released a response focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state TV said. Within hours of the Iranian proposal's release, Trump dismissed it with a post on social media.

"I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE," Trump wrote on Truth Social, without giving further detail. Oil prices rose $3 a barrel after the United States and Iran failed to reach agreement.

Iran's proposal includes a demand for compensation for war damages and an emphasis on Iranian sovereignty over the strait, state media said. It also calls on the US to end its naval blockade, guarantee no further attacks, lift sanctions and end a US ban on Iranian oil sales, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said.

The US had proposed an end to fighting before starting talks on more contentious issues, including Iran's nuclear program.

The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources saying Iran proposed diluting some of its highly enriched uranium and transferring the remainder to a third country.

Pakistan, which has been mediating talks over the war, forwarded the Iranian response to the US, a Pakistani official said.

Despite a month-old ceasefire in the conflict and after some 48 hours of relative calm, hostile drones were detected over several Gulf countries on Sunday, underlining the threat still facing the region.

But the QatarEnergy-operated carrier Al Kharaitiyat passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz en route to Pakistan's Port Qasim, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. It was the first Qatari vessel carrying liquefied natural gas to cross the strait since the US and Israel started the war on February 28.

Sources said earlier the transfer, which offered a modicum of relief to Pakistan after a wave of power blackouts caused by a halt to gas imports, had been approved by Iran to build confidence with Pakistan and with Qatar, another mediator.

In addition, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier bound for Brazil that had previously attempted to transit the strait on May 4 passed through, using a route designated by Iran’s armed forces, Tasnim reported on Sunday.

Trump under pressure to end war ahead of China visit

With Trump due to visit China this week, there has been mounting pressure to draw a line under the war, which has ignited a global energy crisis and poses a growing threat to the world economy.

Tehran has largely blocked non-Iranian shipping through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried one-fifth of the world's oil supply and has emerged as one of the central pressure points in the war.

Addressing whether combat operations against Iran were over, Trump said in remarks aired on Sunday: "They are defeated, but that doesn't mean they're done."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war was not over because there was "more work to be done" to remove enriched uranium from Iran, dismantle enrichment sites and address Iran's proxies and ballistic missile capabilities.

The best way to remove the enriched uranium would be through diplomacy, Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes," without ruling out removing it by force.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a social media post that Iran would "never bow down to the enemy" and would "defend national interests with strength."

Despite diplomatic efforts to break a deadlock, the threat to shipping lanes and the economies of the region remained high.

Recent days have seen the biggest flare-ups in fighting in and around the strait since a ceasefire began. On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two drones coming from Iran, while Qatar condemned a drone attack that hit a cargo ship coming from Abu Dhabi in its waters. Kuwait said its air defences had dealt with hostile drones that entered its airspace.

Clashes have also continued in southern Lebanon between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced on April 16.

Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reignited on March 2 when the Lebanese group opened fire after Tehran came under US-Israeli attack. The latest talks between Israel and Lebanon are due to start in Washington on May 14.

International mission preparations draw Iranian warning

Surveys show the war is unpopular with US voters facing sharply higher gasoline prices less than six months before congressional elections. The US has also found little international support, with NATO allies refusing calls to send ships to open the Strait of Hormuz without a full peace deal and an internationally mandated mission.

Domestically, Trump has had to fend off attempts by congressional Democrats to force an end to the war through War Powers Act legislation.

"This is a situation that has been made much worse by the actions of Donald Trump, and now he's floundering around trying to figure out a way to get out of it," US Senator Jack Reed, the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" show. —Reuters

DUBAI – An Iranian proposal sent to the United States through mediator Pakistan stresses the need for an end to the war on all fronts and the lifting of sanctions on Tehran, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Sunday, citing an informed source.

The proposal emphasizes the necessity of lifting sanctions by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control on Iranian oil sales during a 30-day period and ending the naval blockade on Iran, Tasnim added.

Tasnim also quoted the source as saying that Iran’s demands include “Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz if certain commitments are undertaken by the US.” The source did not specify what those commitments would be. — Reuters

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will begin this week the special payout of the P5,000 cash relief assistance for transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers and motorcycle (MC) taxi riders in Metro Manila who have yet to receive cash aid.

In a statement, DSWD spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the special payout from May 11 to 15 will cover eligible drivers and riders from Grab and Move It in the National Capital Region (NCR).

She said they are coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and participating transport network companies (TNCs) for the orderly distribution of cash aid to beneficiaries affected by oil price hikes.

“Sa utos po ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na siguraduhin na lahat ay mabibigyan ng tulong, patuloy ang pakikipag-ugnayan ng DSWD sa LTFRB, DICT, at mga transport network companies upang matiyak na maayos at mabilis na maipamahagi ang cash relief assistance sa ating mga TNVS drivers, motorcycle taxi riders, at delivery riders na hindi pa nakatatanggap ng P5,000,” Dumlao said.

(As ordered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that everyone will be given aid, the DSWD continues to coordinate with the LTFRB, DICT, and transport network companies to ensure the orderly and speedy distribution of cash relief assistance to our TNVS, motorcycle taxi riders, and delivery riders who have yet to receive P5,000.)

The cash relief assistance is under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program and is part of efforts to help public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers cope with high oil prices.

As agreed in previous coordination meetings, the DSWD will be the paymaster, while participating TNCs will provide logistical support, including venue arrangements and the scheduling of beneficiaries.

Dumlao said other payout schedules will be announced for other TNVS drivers, MC taxi drivers, and service delivery riders.

Beneficiaries will receive individual schedules and assigned venues from their respective TNCs for claiming their cash assistance.

Dumlao said the participating TNCs should also directly inform their drivers and riders of their schedules.

“Mahigpit nating pinapaalalahanan ang mga benepisyaryo na sundin lamang ang kanilang assigned schedule at venue upang maiwasan ang abala at mas mapabilis ang payout process,” she said.

(We are strictly reminding our beneficiaries to follow their assigned schedule and venue to avoid inconvenience and for a faster payout process.)

Beneficiaries should bring their original driver’s license and one photocopy in claiming the P5,000 cash aid.

The DSWD urged those whose names are not yet included in the list of beneficiaries to wait for further announcements before proceeding to any payout site.

“Kung wala pa sa listahan o wala pang assigned schedule at venue, hinihikayat namin ang mga benepisyaryo na hintayin lamang ang official announcements at schedule mula sa inyong kumpanya at huwag munang pumunta sa payout sites upang maiwasan ang kalituhan,” Dumlao said.

(If your name is not on the list or you have no assigned schedule or venue yet, we urge beneficiaries to wait for the official announcements and schedule from their company and not to go to the payout sites to avoid confusion.)

She said drivers who cannot find their names in the list of beneficiaries may belong to other TNCs with separate payout schedules or may be assigned outside the Metro Manila, where payouts will also be announced separately.

Drivers and riders are encouraged to check the official websites and social media pages of their respective TNCs for updates regarding their assigned schedules and payout venues.

Last week, the DSWD said it is eyeing to finish its distribution of cash relief assistance to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers by May 20. — JMA, GMA News