As President Trump gives Iran “a few days” to reach a deal with the United States, Iran insists it has learned military lessons from past clashes.
Published May 20, 2026
Iran warned that a new conflict would bring “many more surprises” after US President Donald Trump gave Iran “a few days” to reach a deal.
Meanwhile, US Vice President J.D. Vance said both sides had made “significant progress” in negotiations to end the war that has sparked a global energy crisis.
At the same time, Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to host Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks centered on energy and arms deals, with wars in Iran and Ukraine weighing heavily on the talks.
Here’s what we know:
in iran
US resident released from prison: Iranian authorities have released Shahab Dalili, an Iranian national and permanent resident of the US, who was imprisoned for 10 years in Tehran’s Evin Prison, according to the Human Rights Defenders News Agency (HRANA). Dalili has since returned to the United States, human rights groups said. Military warns of widespread retaliation: Iran’s military said it would “open a new front” against the United States if Washington launched a new attack. According to Iran’s ISNA news agency, military spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Iran would respond with “new equipment and new methods” if the conflict resumes.
war diplomacy
Vance says negotiations are progressing: The US vice president said negotiations with Iran were “progressing well,” but warned Washington he was prepared to resume military operations if diplomacy fails. G7 emphasizes economic partnership: G7 finance ministers pledged closer cooperation to address war-related economic risks after talks in Paris that also highlighted tensions between the United States and some allies.
in the US
President Trump predicts early end to conflict: The US president said the US would end the war with Iran “very quickly” and insisted Tehran was eager to reach a deal. His remarks came as the Republican-controlled Senate introduced a war powers resolution that would require Congressional approval for continued U.S. military action against Iran. School strike investigation underway: A senior U.S. military official has refused to take responsibility for a strike on Iranian schools that killed 155 people on the first day of the war, saying a “complex” investigation is still underway. Concerns grow over new U.S. attacks: Journalist Alex Marquardt told Al Jazeera that President Donald Trump’s patience with Iran appears to be “running out of thin air” despite Gulf-led mediation efforts involving Pakistan and Turkiye. Marquardt said there had been little progress in negotiations in recent weeks, raising the possibility that the United States would resume military strikes if they remained stalled.
in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza
19 killed in Israeli attack: 19 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Ten people, including three children and three women, were killed in Deir Kanun al-Nakhr in the Tayre district, while nine people were killed in separate attacks elsewhere in the south. Hezbollah steps up attacks: The group says its fighters have carried out 26 attacks against Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, including clashes near the town of Hadassah. The group also reported targeting Israeli military concentrations in several areas, including Ratchav. Israeli airstrikes cause massive fire in Gaza City: Before dawn, Israeli airstrikes hit homes in Gaza City’s Nasr district, setting off what witnesses described as a “huge fire”. Verified footage showed civil defense personnel responding to the scene, but no immediate casualties were reported. Health facilities damaged in Lebanon: The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health said the airstrike brought the number of medical facilities damaged by Israel during the conflict to 31, and condemned the destruction of a primary health center in al-Mashuk, in the Tire region. The Israeli military said in a Telegram post on Wednesday that a siren in Malkia, in the country’s north, was a false alarm. It added that interceptors were fired at “wrong targets” in the Kiryat Shmona and Margalyot regions.
