Click here to follow the latest updates on the conflict with Iran.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would remain at the White House during Memorial Day weekend rather than attend family wedding celebrations in the Bahamas.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had wanted to be with his son, Donald Trump Jr., and his son’s fiancée, Bettina Anderson, but said government responsibilities required him to stay in Washington.

“Circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so,” Trump wrote.

“I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time,” he added.

Trump did not elaborate on what specifically prompted the decision, though the remarks come amid escalating tensions involving Iran and ongoing diplomatic negotiations in the region.

The president concluded the post by congratulating Trump Jr. and Anderson ahead of their wedding celebrations in the Bahamas over the holiday weekend.

Former Trump administration envoy Morgan Ortagus said Friday that U.S. allies must help secure the Strait of Hormuz as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

Speaking on “The Story,” Ortagus dismissed Iran’s reported plan to charge ships fees for passage through the strategic waterway, arguing such a move would set a dangerous global precedent.

“If they were to try to charge a toll or a fee, or whatever fancy word you want to put on it, this would be basically unprecedented,” Ortagus said.

The former deputy special presidential envoy to the Middle East warned that allowing Iran to impose fees in the Strait of Hormuz could encourage other countries, including China, to pursue similar restrictions in key waterways.

“Since World War II, the United States Navy … has ensured freedom of navigation and freedom of the seas,” Ortagus said. “We can’t let the Islamic Republic of Iran … run the Strait of Hormuz.”

“Our friends and allies need to get in the fight,” she added.

Ortagus also argued Iran’s leadership structure has been thrown into “chaos” following what she described as President Donald Trump’s “decisive military action,” saying Tehran’s negotiators are likely attempting to buy time amid uncertainty inside the regime.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes and has become a growing flashpoint in negotiations involving Iran, the United States and regional intermediaries

Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov on Friday suggested Iran’s public messaging about the conflict with the United States is more credible than Washington’s, accusing the U.S. of sending “less responsible” signals about the situation.

“We get very controversial messages,” Ulyanov wrote on X. “It looks like the Iranian assessments are closer to actual states of affairs. The messages from the US are less responsible at this point.”

Ulyanov did not specify which U.S. statements he was referencing.

The remarks come amid escalating tensions involving Iran and competing narratives from Tehran and Washington over the impact of recent military and economic pressure campaigns.

Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, has frequently criticized U.S. policy toward Iran while advocating for continued diplomatic engagement with Tehran.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is urging Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to sanction any entity paying Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing the fees help finance the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In a letter sent Thursday, Cotton called on the Treasury Department to use existing authorities against the newly launched Persian Gulf Strait Authority, or PGSA, which Iran says will regulate transit through the strategic waterway.

Cotton accused Tehran of attempting to establish an illegal “toll booth” system through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.”

“The PGSA cannot operate without the consent of other nations, and the United States must ensure every actor enabling the terrorist Iranian regime is held accountable,” Cotton wrote.

The Arkansas Republican said the PGSA operates directly under the IRGC, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization.

According to Cotton’s letter, Iran’s framework would require ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to disclose ownership, cargo and crew information while paying fees that could reportedly reach $2 million per vessel.

Cotton also said he is preparing legislation that would provide the administration with additional sanctions authorities if needed.

The push comes amid growing tensions involving Iran and increasing scrutiny over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy corridor.

U.S. Central Command shared new images Thursday showing a U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter operating from the USS Tripoli during ongoing maritime operations tied to tensions with Iran.

The photos, posted to X, show the helicopter lifting off from the amphibious assault ship on May 16.

“A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter lifts off from USS Tripoli (LHA 7), May 16, during the U.S. blockade against Iranian ports,” CENTCOM wrote.

The military said the Venom helicopter is capable of carrying out multiple mission types, including maritime interdictions, reconnaissance and close air support operations.

The USS Tripoli has operated in the region amid heightened tensions involving Iran and continued U.S. military activity around key shipping routes and strategic waterways.

The U.S. Air Force has deployed A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft to the Middle East equipped with a newly tested aerial refueling system that allows the jets to refuel from HC-130J Combat King II aircraft, according to newly released photos.

The images, released Wednesday, show A-10Cs assigned to the Michigan Air National Guard’s 107th Fighter Squadron refueling from an HC-130J in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on May 9.

The capability was first publicly tested earlier this spring and allows the A-10 to switch from its traditional boom refueling setup to a probe-and-drogue system.

The A-10 has historically relied on KC-135 Stratotankers for aerial refueling and has not yet been certified to refuel from the newer KC-46 Pegasus, creating operational limitations in some theaters.

The adapter fits into the aircraft’s nose-mounted refueling receptacle and can reportedly be installed by flight line crews within hours, allowing aircraft to switch between refueling configurations depending on mission needs.

The newly released photos also appear to show the A-10s carrying the “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod, a modular jamming system previously tested on multiple aircraft platforms but not previously seen publicly in an overseas operational deployment aboard the A-10.

The pod was initially developed as a training system before evolving into a combat-capable electronic warfare platform designed to rapidly adapt to enemy air defense systems.

The Air Force has not publicly detailed what missions the A-10s are supporting in the region.

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is warning President Donald Trump against pursuing a diplomatic agreement with Iran, arguing that further negotiations would project “weakness” after recent US military action.

“We are at a moment that will define President Trump’s legacy,” the Mississippi Republican wrote on X.

Wicker said Trump’s “instincts” had been to “finish the job” in Iran, but claimed the president was being “ill advised to pursue a deal that would not be worth the paper it is written on.”

The senator called on Trump to allow US armed forces to continue degrading Iran’s military capabilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route at the center of escalating regional tensions.

“Further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness,” Wicker wrote. “We must finish what we started. It is past time for action.”

The comments come as debate intensifies inside Republican circles over whether the Trump administration should continue pursuing diplomacy with Tehran or escalate military pressure following recent clashes in the region.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry pushed back Friday on growing optimism from Washington over ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration, warning that major differences between the two sides remain unresolved.

Speaking about renewed diplomatic efforts involving Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the talks should not be interpreted as a sign that a breakthrough is imminent.

“Despite becoming more frequent, such exchanges are a continuation of the same diplomatic process. We cannot necessarily say we have reached a point where a deal is near,” Baghaei said, according to Iran International.

“The differences between Iran and the United States are so deep and extensive that it cannot be said we must necessarily reach a result after a few rounds of visits or negotiations within a few weeks,” he added.

Baghaei also said disputes over the Strait of Hormuz and what Tehran describes as US “maritime piracy” remain unresolved issues in the talks.

“Issues such as ending the war on all fronts, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and an end to US maritime piracy remain under discussion,” Baghaei said.

Iran has repeatedly used the term “piracy” to describe US seizures of Iranian-linked oil shipments and naval operations targeting vessels tied to Tehran.

The comments contrasted with remarks from Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier Friday, when he said negotiators had seen “slight progress” and “a little bit of movement” in talks with Iran.

Pakistani officials confirmed to Fox News on Friday that Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has arrived in Tehran. 

Munir has played a key role in mediating between the U.S. and Iran, in regard to reaching a deal to end the war. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier Friday that Pakistan is doing an “admirable job” trying to broker a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran.  

“The primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan and continues to be and they’ve done a, you know, I think an admirable job. And that’s what we continue to work through,” Rubio said. 

Fox News’ Nick Kalman contributed to this post. 

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that Iran’s behavior surrounding the Strait of Hormuz is a “direct assault” on freedom of navigation and global commerce. 

“Iran continues to attempt to hold the global economy hostage by closing the Strait of Hormuz. This direct assault on freedom of navigation and global commerce impacts us all,” Rutte said after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden.  

“It is important that countries are coming together around plans to ensure that the Strait can be open for transit, including by moving essential assets to the region,” he continued. “This is another clear reminder of how security challenges are increasingly interconnected and that Allies and partners have a strong interest in working closely and proactively together.” 

President Donald Trump said Friday that “Iran is dying to make a deal” to end the war.

“We’ll see what happens. But we hit them hard and we had no choice because Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. They cannot have it,” Trump said at the White House.

Trump previously said this week that he had called off a planned strike on Iran on Tuesday after an appeal from Arab leaders.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also warned he had instructed the U.S. military to be prepared to launch a “full, large-scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this post.

The United States has temporarily paused weapons sales to Taiwan in order to ensure readiness for a potential escalation in Iran, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao testified to the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Tuesday.

“I have not heard, I have not spoken to the Taiwanese. However, we have done some military, foreign military sales to them. And it’s just, right now we’re doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury, which we have plenty, but we’re just making sure we have everything,” Cao testified.

When asked by Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., if sales would be resumed at any point, Cao replied, “That would be up to the secretary of war and the secretary of state, sir.”

“Well, that’s really distressing,” McConnell responded.

Cao did also add that “the foreign military sales will continue when the administration deems necessary.”

His testimony came a week after President Donald Trump’s state visit to China, where Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of Taiwan as a red-line issue.

A Qatari negotiation team is in Tehran on Friday and Saturday “to support the U.S. to reach a final deal that would end the war and address outstanding issues with Iran,” an official with knowledge of the visit told Fox News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst.

The development comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that “slight progress” has been made towards a deal with Iran, but vowed that Tehran “can never have a nuclear weapon.” 

“On the issue of Iran. The news this morning, I know it’s early still in the United States, a little later in the region, in the Middle East, but we await word on those conversations that are ongoing. There’s been some slight progress, I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio said during a visit to Sweden for a meeting of NATO’s foreign ministers.

The Israel Defense Forces said Friday that the Israeli Air Force “intercepted two suspicious aerial targets launched from Lebanese territory toward Israeli territory.” 

“In addition, several falls of suspicious aerial targets were identified in the border area with Lebanon. Details under investigation,” it added in a post on X. 

The development comes after the IDF said it eliminated five Hezbollah terrorists on Thursday who entered a building belonging to the terrorist group in southern Lebanon. 

“Over the past day, weapons storage facilities and terror infrastructures used by the Hezbollah terror organization were attacked, and additional terrorists posing a threat to our forces were eliminated,” the IDF also said. “The IDF will continue to operate to remove threats to IDF forces and the citizens of the State of Israel.” 

U.S. Central Command said Friday that 97 commercial ships have now been redirected as part of the military’s blockade of Iranian ports. 

CENTCOM released a photo showing a U.S. sailor onboard the USS Comstock dock loading ship monitoring a commercial vessel while enforcing the blockade. 

The blockade began on April 13. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Pakistan is doing an “admirable job” trying to mediate a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran. 

“The primary interlocutor on this has been Pakistan and continues to be and they’ve done a, you know, I think an admirable job. And that’s what we continue to work through,” Rubio said. “Obviously, other countries, you know, have interests because especially Gulf countries that are, you know, in the middle of all this, may have their own situation going on. We talk to all of them. But I would just say that the primary country we’ve been working with on all of this is Pakistan, and that remains the case.” 

A Pakistani security source told Axios on Friday that Pakistan’s military commander, Field Marshal Asim Munir, is heading to Tehran, Iran, as part of efforts to reach a U.S.-Iran deal. 

“And it’s my understanding he was supposed to go yesterday, but it could be as early as today that Field Marshal Munir could be traveling there very, very soon,” Rubio said Friday. “And we’re in constant communication with him [and] the highest levels of our government are constantly talking to him.” 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the United States and its allies need to have a “plan B” ready in the event Iran decides not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

“I can tell you that what I hope there is, this is what I hope for, and this is the point I made is, we all would love to see an agreement with Iran in which the Straits are open and they abandon their nuclear ambitions and so forth, their nuclear weapons ambitions,” Rubio said in Helsingborg, Sweden, where he had traveled Friday to attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting. 

“That’s what we would all hope for. And that’s what we’re going to continue to work on. And that’s what work is ongoing, even as I speak to you now in that regard. But we also have to have a plan B, and plan B is what if Iran refuses to open the straits? What if Iran decides we refuse to open the straits, we’re going to own the straits and we’re going to charge tolls for it? Okay, at that point, something has to be done about it,” he continued. 

“So all I’m saying and I’ve said, and I think this has been reiterated by others, there are other countries that agree with me on this, is that we have to start thinking about what do we do if a few weeks from now, Iran decides we don’t care, we’re going to keep the straits closed. We’re going to sink any ship that doesn’t listen to us or doesn’t pay us. Then someone’s going to have to do something about it. They’re not just going to voluntarily reopen the straits in that scenario. So we have to start thinking about it. I raised that point today. I got a lot of nods. I got a lot of people that came up to me afterwards and acknowledged it. But we don’t have an announcement for you today in terms of something that’s happening,” Rubio added. 

“I know there’s a plan in place for what to do if the shooting stops. That’s what the French UK initiative talks about when the conditions are set, what they mean by what the conditions are set is when no one is shooting,” Rubio said about a European-led plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “But we have to have a plan B for if someone is shooting, you know, how do you reopen the Straits. And so I made that point today. I don’t know if that would be a NATO mission necessarily, but it would certainly be NATO countries that can contribute to it.” 

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran twice this week to meet with Iranian leaders, a report said Friday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the visits underscored Pakistan’s efforts to promote peace between Iran and the U.S., according to The Associated Press.

Andrabi said Pakistan’s mediation efforts are expected to be discussed when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travels to China this weekend for a four-day visit.

Pakistan has served as a key mediator in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

The Associated Press contributed to this post.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that “slight progress” has been made towards a deal with Iran, but vowed that Tehran “can never have a nuclear weapon.” 

Rubio made the remark after President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is holding off on a planned attack on Iran that had been scheduled for Tuesday, citing what he described as “serious negotiations” involving key Middle Eastern allies. 

“On the issue of Iran. The news this morning, I know it’s early still in the United States, a little later in the region, in the Middle East, but we await word on those conversations that are ongoing. There’s been some slight progress, I don’t want to exaggerate it, but there’s been a little bit of movement, and that’s good,” Rubio said. 

“The fundamentals remain the same, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, it just cannot, this regime can never have nuclear weapons, and to achieve that, we’re going to have to address the issue of enrichment. We’re going to have to address the issue of the highly enriched uranium,” he added. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this post. 

U.S. Central Command said late Thursday that the “Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is maintaining peak readiness while enforcing the U.S. blockade against Iranian ports.” 

CENTCOM released new photos showing U.S. Navy fighter jets launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. 

As of Thursday, CENTCOM said 94 commercial ships have been redirected as part of the blockade on Iranian ports, while four have been disabled. 

The blockade has been ongoing for more than a month. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday that “Iran is trying to create a tolling system” in the Strait of Hormuz and that “no country” should accept that. 

“They’re trying to convince Oman, by the way, to join them in this tolling system in an international waterway. There is not a country in the world that should accept that. I don’t know of a country in the world that’s in favor of it, except Iran, but there’s no country in the world that should accept it,” Rubio said in Helsingborg, Sweden, where he had traveled Friday to attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting. 

“I don’t know of anyone in the world that should be in favor of a tolling system in an international waterway, that’s just not acceptable. It can’t happen,” Rubio continued.  

“If that were to happen in the Strait of Hormuz, it will happen in five other places around the world. Why would countries all over the world say, ‘Well, we want to do this too’? Not to mention how vital and critical that strait is to every country represented here today, but frankly, to countries not represented here today, particularly the Indo-Pacific,” he also said.

No deal had been reached with the U.S. as of Thursday, a senior Iranian source told Reuters, while also claiming gaps had narrowed.

Iran has been reviewing the latest peace proposal from President Donald Trump as he warned that further military action remains on the table.

The outlet also reported Iran’s uranium enrichment and Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz continued to be among the sticking points.

This came as a member of Iran’s Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee told state TV that Tehran could act first to break the ceasefire if it believed a U.S. base was preparing an attack.

Fadahossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told state TV, “Anything is possible.”

“It could even come from Iran’s side, frankly. If we feel that something is happening from a U.S. base, Iran has the legitimacy to respond and prevent it,” he said, according to Iran International. 

Yesterdays’ Fox News Digital live blog offers additional coverage of the Iran conflict.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants the Strait of Hormuz to be “open” and “free.” 

“We want it open. We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway,” Trump said. 

Meanwhile, House Republican leaders on Thursday canceled a planned vote on the resolution to limit Trump’s ability to engage in military action against Iran without congressional approval, delaying the matter until June. 

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of cheating in delaying the vote because they knew they were going to lose.

Meeks said Thursday he is sure that he has enough Republicans willing to back an Iran War Powers resolution and predicted that the vote will come up on Wednesday, June 3 due to procedural rules of when it has to be brought up, and that it will pass then. 

Fox News’ Emma Bussey and Tyler Olson contributed to this post.