EXPLAINERTrump heads to Beijing for high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping as tensions over the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate. Published On 13 May 202613 May 2026United States President Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Tuesday for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying the two leaders would hold a “long talk” on Iran even as trade remains the main focus of the visit.The summit comes as tensions over the war involving Iran continue to escalate, with Tehran accusing Washington and Israel of fabricating “justifications for atrocity”, while Trump insists the conflict will end “peacefully or otherwise”.Meanwhile, Kuwait said it arrested four alleged members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused of planning “hostile” activities after attempting to enter the country via Bubiyan Island, while Qatar has accused Tehran of “weaponising” the Strait of Hormuz and using it to “blackmail” Gulf states as vital energy supplies remain trapped in the region.Here is what we know:In Iran
Iran presses US on peace proposal: Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Washington must accept Tehran’s latest peace plan or face failure. His comments came after Trump, who faces growing pressure over the war’s impact on the US economy, said on Monday the US-Iran ceasefire was on “life support” and that he was considering restarting naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz.
Report says Iran retains missile strength: The New York Times reported Tuesday that classified US intelligence assessments say Iran still has substantial missile capabilities, with about 70 percent of its mobile launchers and pre-war missile stockpile still in action, and has restored access to 30 of 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.
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Chinese supertanker crosses Hormuz: Chinese crude oil supertanker Yuan Hua Hu was reportedly transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, ship-tracking data showed, passing Iran’s Larak Island while heading out of the Gulf.
Hezbollah rules out disarmament talks: Hezbollah chief …
