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Iran’s Guard Warns Protesters as More Unrest Roils Country

In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, Iranians protests the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police last month, in Tehran, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (AP)
In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, Iranians protests the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police last month, in Tehran, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (AP)
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Iran’s Guard Warns Protesters as More Unrest Roils Country

In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, Iranians protests the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police last month, in Tehran, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (AP)
In this photo taken by an individual not employed by the Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran, Iranians protests the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by the morality police last month, in Tehran, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. (AP)

Iran's Revolutionary Guard issued a new warning on Saturday to anti-government protesters, even as demonstrations continued in cities and university campuses across the country for the sixth straight week.

Also on Saturday, authorities reported that the gunman who killed 15 people at a major Shiite holy site in southern Iran earlier this week died in a hospital from injuries sustained during his arrest. Tehran has not disclosed details about the man who carried out Wednesday's attack on Shah Cheragh in Shiraz, Iran's second-holiest Shiite shrine.

The ISIS group claimed responsibility for the shooting. But Iran’s government has tried to blame the attack on the largely peaceful protests roiling the country, without offering evidence. Amaq, the militant group's media arm, released a video on Saturday that purportedly shows the Shiraz attacker pledging allegiance to the group.

The nationwide unrest — sparked by the Sept. 16 death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police — has rocked the country for a month and a half. Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating the country's strict dress code for women.

At the funeral for victims of the shooting attack in Shiraz, the chief of the Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, appealed to Iranians to stop protesting. The Guard and other security forces have violently cracked down on demonstrations with live ammunition, anti-riot pellets and tear gas.

“Today is the end of the riots. Do not go to the streets anymore!” Salami said on Saturday as crowds thronged the coffins of the victims of the Shiraz attack. “We are telling our youth, the minority of you who have been deceived, stop the evil acts.”

He added in the same harsh tone: "This ominous sedition will bring no happy ending to you. Do not ruin your future!”

Despite the threat, student associations reported protests at dozens of universities across the country on Saturday, from the capital of Tehran to the central cities of Isfahan and Yazd. Videos spread online show students chanting for freedom and the end of Iran's clerical rule.

At the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in the northwestern city of Sanandaj, the human rights group Hengaw reported that security forces opened fire on protesters, critically wounding a student.

University campuses have become hotbeds of opposition, fueling the protest movement and prompting a harsh backlash from security forces.

The Iranian government has repeatedly alleged that foreign powers have orchestrated the protests, without providing evidence. The protests have become one of the most serious threats to Iran’s ruling clerics since the 1979 revolution.

The protests first focused on the state-mandated hijab, or headscarf, for women but quickly grew into calls for the downfall of Iran's theocracy itself. At least 270 people have been killed and 14,000 have been arrested in the protests that have swept over 125 Iranian cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran.

A court in Tehran on Saturday heard the case of several protesters charged with “corruption on earth” — a term often used to describe attempts to overthrow the Iranian government that carries the death penalty. Judicial officials have announced charges against hundreds of people in Tehran and other provinces as they seek to quash dissent.

On Friday, Iranian security forces opened fire on demonstrators in the southeastern flash point city of Zahedan, killing at least two people, according to activists.

Zahedan, in Iran’s long-restive Sistan and Baluchestan province, has seen the deadliest violence in protests so far. Activists estimate that in Zahedan alone, nearly 100 people have been killed since a Sept. 30 rally set off a violent police response.

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World

Germany’s Merz Marks a Year in Office Facing Deep Transatlantic Crisis

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a press statement ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Executive Committee meeting at the Chabad Synagogue in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2026. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a press statement ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Executive Committee meeting at the Chabad Synagogue in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2026. (EPA)
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Germany’s Merz Marks a Year in Office Facing Deep Transatlantic Crisis

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a press statement ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Executive Committee meeting at the Chabad Synagogue in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2026. (EPA)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a press statement ahead of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Executive Committee meeting at the Chabad Synagogue in Berlin, Germany, 04 May 2026. (EPA)

Chancellor Friedrich Merz marks a year in office this week facing the biggest crisis with Washington in decades, after President Donald Trump said he would hit European auto imports with 25% tariffs and pull thousands of troops out of Germany.

The moves, announced on Friday after Trump reacted angrily to criticism by Merz of US strategy in the Iran war, underline the break in transatlantic relations that has become increasingly apparent in Trump's second term and add to an array of problems now facing the German leader.

"We can see what's going on with Donald Trump and the US, and that this is having an impact. We can see that China is getting stronger and stronger," Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, Merz's deputy and the head of his Social Democrat coalition partners, told Reuters.

"We can see that Europe isn't strong enough. In this regard, a great deal depends on Germany."

MERZ'S CONSERVATIVES TRAILING IN OPINION POLLS

After two years of recession, a timid recovery risks being extinguished by the energy shock from the Iran conflict, a promised package of tax, welfare and health reforms has been overshadowed by coalition wrangling.

Merz's freewheeling communication style, ‌which he himself acknowledges ‌is sometimes impulsive, has also irritated voters. Already squeezed by stifling competition from China, carmakers, the backbone of Germany's ‌industrial ⁠base, now face ⁠a spike in tariffs from 15% to 25% from one of their most important export markets.

In an interview with German public television on Sunday, Merz, who was sworn into office on May 6 last year, acknowledged public doubts, reflected in opinion polls that now put the far-right Alternative for Germany ahead of his conservatives as the country's most popular party.

"The doubts are growing. Not about me, but about the coalition," he said.

For much of his first year, Merz has made up for discontent at home with a relatively assured performance abroad, for a while enjoying a reputation as one of the few European leaders to establish a good personal relationship with Trump.

"He has strengthened key relationships, particularly with France and Poland, and has secured European influence in the context of the war in Ukraine through forums such as the E3," said Oliver Lembcke, a political ⁠scientist at Ruhr University Bochum, adding that Merz's main problem was at home.

"In domestic policy, he's fallen short ‌of expectations – particularly when it comes to leadership."

A fluent English speaker, Merz continues to believe in the US ‌alliance, which he has sought to preserve while Germany rebuilds its own depleted armed forces after decades of neglect.

With the war in Ukraine still raging on the European ‌Union's doorstep, he has also moved carefully to try to persuade Trump not to turn against Kyiv entirely.

But he has repeatedly warned that the era ‌of relying on US forces to protect Europe is over and has become increasingly critical of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, refusing to send German forces to help clear the strategic Strait of Hormuz until fighting stops and a full international mission is agreed.

MUCH DEPENDS ON GERMANY

The events of the past week, however, have made clear how fine a line there is to tread with a US administration that has made no secret of its disdain for Europe's leaders, even those like Merz or Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who were ‌once praised by Trump.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius downplayed the significance of Trump's decision to withdraw at least 5,000 troops from Germany and withhold the planned deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles, saying at the weekend that the ⁠move came as no surprise.

Merz denied that ⁠the decision was prompted by his remark to students last week that the US had no exit strategy in Iran and was being "humiliated", despite Trump's angry social media attacks on the chancellor he once called a friend.

Such communication snags have marked Merz's year in office, including when he sparked outrage last year by suggesting that migration had altered the appearance of German towns.

But Trump's impatience with Europe has been abundantly clear throughout his time in office, notably since Vice President JD Vance's stinging attack at last year's Munich Security Conference.

"I think that just sped things up, but it wasn't what set it off," said Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee from Merz's conservative CDU party. He said scrapping a Biden-era plan to deploy a US battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles was more serious for Germany.

"That undermines our deterrent. And it undermines trust in the US. And that is the real bad news," he said.

It remains unclear exactly what troops will be withdrawn from the 40,000 US forces stationed in Germany and how that will affect some of the biggest US military facilities outside the United States, including the sprawling Ramstein air base.

Although polls show Trump is deeply unpopular in Germany and public opinion overwhelmingly backs staying out of the war with Iran, the presence of US troops has become a fixture for Germans in the western part of the country.

In Landstuhl, home to one of the biggest US military hospitals, local resident Maria Raftopoulo said relationships between locals and US personnel had been deep over the years.

"And even though there are fewer Americans now, they still provide jobs, they still rent, they contribute to the region doing as well as it does."

World

Taiwan Leader Says Island Has 'Right to Engage with the World'

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (R) and Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla（L) arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport following his visit to Eswatini, in Taoyuan on May 5, 2026. I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (R) and Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla（L) arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport following his visit to Eswatini, in Taoyuan on May 5, 2026. I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
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Taiwan Leader Says Island Has 'Right to Engage with the World'

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (R) and Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla（L) arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport following his visit to Eswatini, in Taoyuan on May 5, 2026. I-Hwa Cheng / AFP
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (R) and Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla（L) arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport following his visit to Eswatini, in Taoyuan on May 5, 2026. I-Hwa Cheng / AFP

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday the democratic island has the "right to engage with the world", after he returned from a trip to Africa that Taipei has accused Beijing of trying to derail.

Taiwan said China applied "intense pressure" to Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar to revoke overflight permits for Lai's original trip to Eswatini, Taipei's only ally in Africa, which had been scheduled for April 22-26, AFP said.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and opposes the self-governed island's participation in international organizations and exchanges with other countries.

"Taiwanese people are people of the world; Taiwanese people have the right to engage with the world," Lai told reporters at Taipei's international airport after his flight home on the Eswatini king's plane.

Lai flew on the king's aircraft to Eswatini on Saturday.

"We will not shrink back because of suppression," Lai said, flanked by Eswatini Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla who had flown to Taiwan with him and his delegation.

"Mutual visits between heads of state should be the most ordinary thing, just like when we go out to visit friends, and are a basic right of every country."

The United States slammed China's "intimidation campaign" after Lai's first trip was delayed. The remarks were rejected by China's foreign minister as "baseless accusations".

On Saturday, China's foreign ministry accused Lai of making a "stowaway-style escape farce" that made him "an international laughing stock".

- 'Sanctions' -

Eswatini, a small enclave kingdom formerly known as Swaziland, is one of 12 countries that still recognize Taiwan. China has persuaded other nations to break diplomatic ties with the self-ruled island.

Lai had planned to visit Eswatini from April 22 to 26 for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III's accession and his 58th birthday.

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung went instead after Lai's trip was postponed.

A Taiwanese security official, who requested anonymity in order to speak to the media, said previously that China had threatened "to revoke substantial debt relief granted to (Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar), halt financing and impose further economic sanctions".

Lai's last official overseas trip was in November 2024, when he visited Taiwan's Pacific allies and transited through the US territory of Guam.

Trump's administration reportedly denied Lai permission to transit through New York last year as part of an official trip to Latin America. Taiwan's foreign ministry denied that he was blocked.

World

World Leaders Pressure Iran as Ceasefire on Brink

Oil tankers sit at anchor offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Oil tankers sit at anchor offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
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World Leaders Pressure Iran as Ceasefire on Brink

Oil tankers sit at anchor offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Oil tankers sit at anchor offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)

World leaders on Tuesday piled pressure on Tehran to stick to diplomacy to bring an end to the Middle East war, after a salvo of attacks in the region left a ceasefire crumbling.

The scramble for more talks came after Iran and the United States traded fire over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates reported Iranian attacks for the first time since the truce was declared nearly a month ago.

Diplomacy between Washington and Tehran has been deadlocked since the ceasefire, with the United States twice aborting plans for senior officials to attend talks in Pakistan.

Tehran has vowed not to surrender control over the Strait of Hormuz -- the narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil flowed before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz implored Tehran to "return to the negotiating table and stop holding the region and the world hostage", echoing calls from French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Saudi Arabia, whose energy infrastructure has been hit by Iran, joined the calls on Tuesday to de-escalate and called for "diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution".

The United States on Monday said its forces had sunk at least six small Iranian ships, but Iran denied any combat vessels had been hit and accused Washington of killing five civilians on boats.

- 'Dangerous escalation' -

The UAE said it was targeted by a barrage of missiles and drones from Iran, calling the attacks "a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression".

A strike targeting an energy installation in the emirate of Fujairah injured three Indian nationals, UAE authorities said.

They said four cruise missiles were launched, with three successfully shot down and another falling into the sea.

Iran also fired drones at a tanker affiliated with the UAE's state-owned oil giant ADNOC, authorities said.

A senior Iranian military official did not deny the strikes but said Iran had "no pre-planned program to attack the oil facilities in question".

"What happened was the product of the US military's adventurism to create a passage for ships to illegally pass through" the Strait of Hormuz, the official said, according to state television.

"The US military must be held accountable for it."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi -- seen as a moderate in the cleric-run state -- said the clashes showed there was "no military solution to a political crisis" and pointed to Pakistan's efforts to keep mediating.

"The US should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the UAE. Project Freedom is Project Deadlock," he wrote on X.

- US flexes muscle in strait -

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran reopen the strait -- which was open before the war and which Tehran considers a main point of leverage.

On Sunday, Trump announced what he called "Project Freedom" to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a humanitarian effort to help stranded crews.

Much remained unclear about how the plan would operate and how the United States would assist.

US Central Command said Monday that guided-missile destroyers had transited Hormuz and that, as a first step in the project, two US-flagged merchant vessels had travelled out.

But Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied the claim, saying: "No commercial vessels or oil tankers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past few hours."

Seoul said on Monday that an "explosion and fire" had also struck a South Korean ship in the strait.

As of April 29, more than 900 commercial vessels were located in the Gulf, according to maritime intelligence firm AXSMarine.

Trump appeared to play down the Iranian strikes, writing on social media that Iran had "taken some shots" but that it caused little damage.

Oil prices climbed further after the attacks, with the benchmark international contract Brent crude for July delivery jumping more than five percent.

Soaring energy costs for consumers due to the war have caused economic pain around the world and created a political headache for Trump months before congressional elections.

In Lebanon, a separate ceasefire with Israel aimed at halting fighting with Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah also faced further strain on Monday.

Hezbollah and Israeli troops clashed in southern Lebanon, with Israel reporting moderate injuries to two of its soldiers.

Israel has heavily bombed and invaded southern Lebanon in response to aerial attacks by Hezbollah that dragged Lebanon into the war in early March.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,700 people since the fighting began, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called for a security deal and an end to Israeli attacks before any meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a potentially historic encounter which Trump has proposed should take place this month at the White House.