Iranian media reveal some details on proposal sent to U.S. via Pakistan

Iran has submitted a 14-point counterproposal to the United States calling for a permanent end to hostilities and a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Saturday.

The plan was delivered through Pakistani intermediaries in response to a nine-point U.S. proposal, said Tasnim.

While Washington's plan calls for a two-month ceasefire, Tehran is pushing for a 30-day timeline to resolve key issues, insisting that talks focus on "ending the war" rather than a temporary truce, Tasnim reported.

Iran's demands include the withdrawal of U.S. forces from areas near its borders and guarantees of non-aggression, along with economic steps such as lifting a naval blockade, releasing frozen Iranian assets, easing sanctions, and paying compensation.

The proposal also calls for an end to hostilities across multiple fronts, including in Lebanon, and the establishment of a new governing mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route.

Iran is awaiting a formal response from U.S. officials, the report said.

Trump brags U.S. Navy acting "like pirates" in blockade of Iranian ports

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday bragged that the U.S. Navy acted "like pirates" in its blockade of Iranian ports, as the war against Iran reached a 60-day legal deadline.

"We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, we took over the oil. It's a very profitable business," Trump said at an event in Florida on Friday.

"We're like pirates. We're sort of like pirates, but we are not playing games," Trump said.

Trump told lawmakers earlier on Friday that the war against Iran has "terminated," an effort to quelch the fight over the need for Congress to approve the conflict, Politico said.

U.S. May Day rallies against war on Iran, immigrant crackdown draw tens of thousands nationwide

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the United States on Friday to join May Day rallies against the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and defend labor and immigrant rights.

Protests and marches took place in nearly 30 main U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco, according to May Day Strong, a coalition of activist groups and labor unions.

On Friday afternoon, thousands gathered at Washington Square Park in Manhattan, carrying signs such as "Stop war on Iran," "ICE out of our cities," and "Workers united, will never be defeated." Then they marched down Broadway to Foley Square, shouting slogans.

"Right now, the United States is falling into a total disaster," Nancy Goldring, a Montclair University professor and protester, told Xinhua. "We're spending billions on a war on Iran that is useless and insane. And we're aiding Israel to destroy Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon."

No vessel can transit Strait of Hormuz without Iran's permission: army

Iran's army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said on Saturday the country's armed forces are controlling the Strait of Hormuz, and no friendly or hostile vessel can transit the waterway without their permission.

Controlling the Strait of Hormuz is "an inherent right" of Iran, of which the country had not made use for years, Akraminia said, according to footage of his remarks carried by Iranian media.

"At present, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps in the west and the country's army in the east are controlling the strait with power, and no ship, friend or foe, will have the right to pass without the permission and authorization of our forces," he said.

Meanwhile, "different countries are anxiously and urgently requesting Iran through telexes and letters to let their ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Ghanbari as saying.

Pentagon announces deals with AI companies for classified networks

The U.S. Department of Defense said on Friday that it has entered into agreements with eight artificial intelligence companies to deploy advanced AI capabilities on the department's classified networks for operational use.

The eight companies are SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle.

"These agreements accelerate the transformation toward establishing the United States military as an AI-first fighting force and will strengthen our warfighters' ability to maintain decision superiority across all domains of warfare," the department said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy is also expanding its use of AI for mine detection in the Strait of Hormuz, according to media reports. The Navy has signed a contract worth up to 99.7 million U.S. dollars with San Francisco-based AI company Domino Data Lab to enhance its capabilities in detecting naval mines.

U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford leaves Middle East

The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has left the Middle East after taking part in operations against Iran, local media reported Friday, citing a U.S. official.

The move leaves two U.S. aircraft carriers in the region: the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush.

The Ford had been at sea for more than 10 months, breaking the post-Vietnam War record for a U.S. aircraft carrier deployment.

On March 12, two sailors aboard the carrier were injured when a fire broke out in the main laundry spaces, according to the U.S. Navy.

At least 12 killed in Israeli strikes across S. Lebanon

Israeli airstrikes and shelling across southern Lebanon have killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more on Friday night and Saturday morning, according to preliminary reports from Lebanon's Health Ministry and local sources.

Four people, including two women, were killed in an airstrike in the Sidon district, which also wounded four others. In the Tyre district, one woman was killed and seven other people were injured.

An airstrike at dawn in the Iqlim al-Tuffah area killed three people, while a drone strike on a vehicle along a road left two people dead. Another strike on the village of Choukine killed two people and wounded several others.

Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a monastery and a school run by the Sisters of the Holy Savior in the southern village of Yaroun, following a series of explosions that hit homes, shops, roads and other infrastructure. The school had long served as a major educational institution for the Bint Jbeil district.

Sri Lanka reports over 25,000 dengue cases in 2026

Sri Lanka has reported 25,082 dengue cases so far in 2026, a senior health expert from the National Dengue Control Unit said on Saturday.

Consultant Community Physician Dr. Prashila Samaraweera said the highest number of cases came from Colombo, Gampaha, Matara, Galle, Ratnapura and Kalutara districts. There have been 12 dengue-related deaths so far this year.

Samaraweera urged the public to seek immediate medical attention if fever persists for more than two days, saying early diagnosis can help determine whether a patient has dengue.■