AS IT HAPPENED: Putin makes mad dash to China as world woos superpower; Trump calls off planned strikes, says 'very good chance' of nuclear deal; Eleven Australians onboard Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israel

Thanks for joining us for our live coverage of the Middle East conflict.

Here are the biggest events to happen today, May 19:

- US President Donald Trump claimed he called off a strike on Iran planned for today after the request of his allies in the region. He added "serious negotiations" were under way.

- Up to 11 Australians are believed to be part of a Gaza flotilla that was intercepted by the Israeli military overnight. Israeli reports claimed most of the group was transported to Greece, but that some were taken to Israel.

- The Iranian government held a mass wedding as part of its "sacrifice for Iran" event in Tehran. It combined traditional marriage ceremonies with patriotic symbolism such as flags, portraits and a lilac-coloured missile.

- The Australian government announced it has secured 100 million litres of jet fuel to start arriving in the country next month after striking a deal with China.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Australia has secured a crucial deal with China, seeing Australia get 100 million litres of jet fuel in three shipments.

He said the deliveries will arrive early next month, and will consist of more than 600,000 barrels.

The agreement came after Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held discussions. Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited China earlier this month.

"In the face of global challenges, my Government will leave no stone unturned to shield Australians from the impact of global fuel challenges," he said in a statement.

A New York Times poll has shown that support in the USA continues to fall for the Iran war and for supporting the state of Israel.

The poll, conducted alongside Siena University, found just 30 per cent supported the war, and that more than two-thirds now opposed it.

It also found 57 per cent of respondents opposed providing military aid to Israel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is travelling to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week, just a few days after US President Donald Trump wrapped up his own trip to Beijing.

Putin is scheduled to be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday in a visit likely to be closely watched as Beijing seeks to maintain stable relations with the United States while also preserving strong ties with Russia.

The Kremlin has said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, but also "key international and regional issues." The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001.

"The Trump visit was about stabilising the world's most important bilateral relationship; the Putin visit is about reassuring a long-standing strategic partner," said Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general for the Beijing-based think tank Centre for China & Globalization.

"For China, these two tracks are not mutually exclusive."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping met during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, last August. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

The Iranian government held a mass wedding as part of its "Sacrifice for Iran" event in Tehran.

It combined traditional marriage ceremonies with patriotic symbolism such as flags, portraits and a lilac-coloured missile.

The ceremonies involving 110 couples were held simultaneously in several major squares across Tehran late on Monday, reports state media.

- With Associated Press

The Australian sharemarket has bounced back in early trading this morning following Trump's decision to pause planned new military operations against Iran.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose by 1 per cent, an encouraging start after yesterday's trading when it fell by 1.5 per cent.

Two gunmen who unleashed a hail of bullets on a mosque before turning the weapons on themselves have been identified.

Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, are understood to be the shooters who killed three people, including a security guard, at the Islamic Centre in San Diego on the US West Coast.

The gunfire triggered a massive response from heavily armed police who swarmed the scene within minutes to escort children and adults from a school inside the complex.

Investigators are looking at possible anti-Islamic notes found in a car where police discovered the dead suspects.

The attack happened on the second day of Dhu'l-Hijja, one of the holiest months on the Islamic calendar.

A new poll has found Trump's approval rating among American voters has sunk to 37 per cent on the back of his handling of the war.

It was the worst mark for the president since he returned to the White House last year.

The New York Times/Siena survey found that 64 per cent of respondents say they think the conflict in Iran was the wrong decision, with 30 per cent saying they agree.

But they are split along party lines: 93 per cent of surveyed Democrats think Trump made the wrong decision, while 70 per cent of Republicans are inclined to back the president.

When asked if waging the war would be worth it for the US, 55 per cent responded negatively.

Here is more from what Trump said during the White House healthcare event.

The US president says will be "probably satisfied" if Iran agrees to no nuclear weapons, when asked by reporters about developments in the war.

He was speaking after the leaders of Gulf countries asked him to put back planned strikes on Iran.

"I was asked by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and some others if we could put it off for two or three days, a short period of time, because they think that they are getting very close to making a deal.

"And if we can do that where there's no nuclear weapon going into the hands of Iran, I think and if they're satisfied, we will be probably satisfied."

Trump reiterated his demand the US would not permit Iran to possess a nuclear weapon.

"And there seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I'd be very happy."

Trump has just spoken about his decision to postpone a planned attack on Iran at the request of US allies in the Middle East.

He said they asked him to put off the attack for two to three days because they feel they are close to a deal with Iran.

"It's a very positive development, but we'll see whether or not it amounts to anything," Trump said.

"We've had periods of time where we had, we thought, pretty much getting close to making a deal, and it didn't work out. But this is a little bit different."

He made the remarks during a healthcare event at the White House.

Earlier, Trump announced in a social media post that he was holding off on the planned strikes on Tuesday.