"Iraq is not outside the war. It is already part of its geography," a former adviser to the Iraqi prime minister told Newsweek.

The United States is weighing new military strikes on Iran, U.S. media outlets reported on Friday (May 22, 2026). The reports, from CBS and Axios, come just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not travel to attend his son’s wedding this weekend due to “circumstances on government” and his “love for the United States of America.”

Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as mediation efforts between Iran and the United States gained momentum, even as Iranian officials cautioned that differences remain “deep and significant”.

Since the opening US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, the war in Iran has reshaped the Middle East in real time, with brinkmanship over the Strait of Hormuz and a haphazard final push toward ceasefire.

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

A member of the Revolutionary Guard’s volunteer Basij force demonstrates how to handle a Kalashnikov-style assault rifle during a weapons training class in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Bakhtiari nomads,

India, May 22 -- US-Israel-Iran War Latest Update: A senior United Arab Emirates official has warned that the chances of a successful agreement between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz remain uncertain,