An Iranian military official said Saturday that a renewed conflict with the United States was "likely", as peace talks remain stalled and President Donald Trump criticized Iran's latest proposal in negotiations.

"A renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely, and evidence has shown that the United States is not committed to any promises or agreements," Mohammad Jafar Asadi of the military's central command center, Khatam al-Anbiya, was quoted as saying by Iran's Fars news agency.

Behind the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, a high-stakes economic battle is unfolding at sea.

On Friday, Iran’s UN representative formally accused the U.S. of violating the UN Charter after the military seized two tankers carrying nearly 4 million barrels of Iranian crude. The incident marks a significant escalation in the U.S. naval blockade, which has intercepted 45 vessels since April in an effort to choke off Tehran’s oil exports.

While President Trump described the seizures as a "profitable business," the human and diplomatic costs continue to mount. Despite mediation efforts via Pakistan, the White House has rejected Tehran’s latest peace proposal, describing the Iranian leadership as "disjointed." Meanwhile, unexploded ordnance near Zanjan killed 14 IRGC members on Friday, marking the deadliest day for Iranian forces since the current truce began.

According to reporting by The Associated Press (AP), Iran has enforced a months-long nationwide internet blackout that is devastating the country's digital economy.

The shutdown, initiated in early 2026, has severed access to global platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, which small businesses relied on to reach customers.

AP journalists Nasser Karimi, Mehdi Fattahi, and Amir-Hussein Radjy report that the outage is costing the Iranian economy up to $40 million daily in direct losses.

With an estimated 10 million jobs dependent on connectivity, the blackout has triggered widespread income loss and layoffs across sectors from e-commerce to independent creatives.

As domestic intranet alternatives prove inadequate and expensive VPNs remain out of reach, many former digital workers have been forced into informal street vending to survive.

Iran requested Russia's S-400 air defense system during talks in Moscow, according to a report.

US officials separately warned of a possible gasoline crisis inside Iran amid sanctions and blocked oil exports.

Flights between Tehran and Moscow have resumed, while Araghchi said strategic ties with Russia are growing.

US officials, including Marco Rubio, maintained pressure on Tehran and questioned its proposals.

Bloomberg reported Iranian oil tankers stranded near Chabahar, and a separate report quoted British rabbis criticizing Israeli policy.

Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton told Kurdistan24 that U.S. and Israeli military actions have caused "considerable damage" to Iran's leadership, nuclear program, and military capabilities, though the regime remains in power. 

He expressed skepticism about negotiations, citing internal divisions in Tehran and wide gaps between U.S. and Iranian positions. Bolton argued that regime change should be the central objective and described the current ceasefire as a "mistake."

He said President Donald Trump is constrained by domestic political pressures, including fuel prices and upcoming elections.

Bolton also addressed Israel's role, criticism from allies, and European assessments of Iran, while emphasizing ongoing security and economic implications of the conflict.

Iran has been selected as one of 34 vice presidents of the 2026 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, a move that has drawn criticism from the United States and several allied countries, including the UAE, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The appointment, confirmed at the opening session of the conference on April 27, sparked diplomatic tensions, with Western officials arguing it undermines the credibility of the treaty, while Iran and supporting states dismissed the objections as politically motivated.

Estimates indicate that Israeli and U.S. strikes have reduced Iran’s steel production capacity by around 10 million tons annually—equivalent to roughly 25–30% of the country’s total output highlighting significant industrial and economic disruption, with potential ripple effects on construction, exports, and domestic supply chains.

Iranian officials have submitted a new diplomatic proposal to the U.S. through Pakistani mediators, offering to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities on the condition that nuclear negotiations are postponed to a later stage.

The development follows President Trump's decision to cancel a high-level mission by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, with the president stating that talks could occur by phone instead.

While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan and Oman to coordinate mediation, Trump signaled his intent to maintain a naval blockade to pressure Tehran into nuclear concessions.

Global energy markets reacted to the stalled diplomacy, with Brent crude rising to $107.75 per barrel.

A Situation Room meeting is scheduled for Monday to assess the U.S. response to the phased de-escalation offer.

Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities reached a peak on Sunday as an IDF soldier, Sgt. Idan Fooks, was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon.

The strike, which targeted a tank repair unit in Taybeh, wounded six other soldiers and utilized fiber-optic-guided drone technology.

In retaliation, the IDF launched widespread airstrikes across southern Lebanon, killing 14 people, including women and children, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of "dismantling" the ceasefire, while Hezbollah described its actions as a legitimate response to Israeli occupation. 

The escalation marks the deadliest day since the April 17 truce began, threatening the three-week extension recently brokered by the United States.

UNIFIL also reported the death of an Indonesian peacekeeper following an investigation into an Israeli tank shell explosion.

The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, told The Guardian that the global oil crisis triggered by the Iran war has permanently altered the fossil fuel industry.

Birol stated the crisis has shattered trust in fossil fuels, predicting a significant boost to renewables and nuclear power as countries revise their energy strategies.

The structural shift coincides with severe logistical paralysis; the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has stranded cargo ships, costing shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd an extra $50 million weekly.

The blockade has also devastated Iraq's economy, dropping its March oil production to just 1.62 million barrels per day and prompting warnings of a 2026 economic recession.

Meanwhile, India has compensated for the Middle East supply shortage by doubling its imports of Russian crude oil to 1.98 million barrels per day in March.