Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Monday, including US President Donald Trump saying Iran’s proposal to end the war is “not acceptable,” Trump announcing that the US will help escort neutral ships through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday, an Iranian lawmaker warning that any US plan for the strait would constitute a ceasefire violation, and the US military confirming that it will launch “Project Freedom” to secure transit in the waterway.
NEWS IN BRIEF
US President Donald Trump said he had studied Iran's proposal to end the war and that he found it unacceptable.
"It's not acceptable to me. I've studied it, I've studied everything — it's not acceptable," Trump told the Israeli media outlet Kan News.
The remarks follow his post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, in which he said he would soon review the Iranian plan but expressed skepticism. He said Tehran had "not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity, and the world, over the last 47 years."
US President Donald Trump said the United States would begin escorting neutral foreign vessels safely out of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning Middle East time, describing the effort as a “humanitarian gesture” toward countries caught up in a conflict they have no part in.
Trump said ships from countries around the world had asked the US for help after becoming trapped in the waterway. He said he had instructed his representatives to inform those nations that the US Navy would use its "best efforts" to guide their ships and crews out of the restricted passage
A senior Iranian lawmaker warned that any US involvement in managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would constitute a violation of the ceasefire, rejecting Washington’s proposed role in the waterway.
Ibrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said “any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces will “support merchant vessels seeking to freely transit” the Strait of Hormuz under President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom.”
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin supporting Project Freedom, May 4, to restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” it said in a post on the US social media platform X.
CENTCOM added that support for merchant vessels transiting the strait will include guided-missile destroyers, more than 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms and 15,000 service members.
NEWS IN BRIEF
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Syria’s Economy and Industry Minister Nidal al-Shaar issued a decision to form a Syrian-Egyptian business council as part of efforts to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to the SANA news agency, the decision includes the appointment of Ghassan Karim as chairman of the council, Ahmed Ragheb Agha and Muhammad Basil Radwan Samaqia as deputy heads and Wael Khair al-Nen as executive director.
The Asian Development Bank announced $70 billion in new energy and digital infrastructure initiatives through 2035.
"Energy and digital access will define the region’s future," said the bank's President Masato Kanda in a statement.
The Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative will link national and subregional power systems to enable the flow of renewable energy, while the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway aims to close digital infrastructure gaps and support AI-driven growth across the region.
Seven OPEC+ member countries announced a production adjustment of 188,000 barrels per day (bpd) starting from June.
Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman met virtually to review global market conditions and the outlook.
In their collective commitment to support oil market stability, they decided to implement a production adjustment of 188,000 barrels per day from the additional voluntary adjustments announced in April 2023.
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