Day 67 | US and Iranian militaries trade shots as Strait of Hormuz tensions escalate

A US Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker (registration 62-3578), operating from Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, squawked 7700 — the international code for a general emergency — while flying over the Arabian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday

Flight tracking data showed the tanker descending and maneuvering while heading toward Qatar before it vanished from public radar on Flightradar24. OSINT analysts on X shared the aircraft’s full flight path, noting it was last tracked in an area of heavy GPS and AIS jamming and spoofing, which is common amid ongoing regional tensions.

Full path of the US KC-135R Stratotanker that was squawking 7700 emergency before disappearing from @flightradar24. (Reg 62-3578)

There a chance it tried to land in Qatar (signal lost due to gps jamming) but there is also a chance it crashed due to an unknown event/technical… https://t.co/jUbAF26OvR pic.twitter.com/NCKY21J4x3

— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) May 5, 2026

Multiple independent accounts reported two Airbus H125 helicopters lifting off from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar shortly afterward, consistent with a search-and-rescue response.

Additional aircraft activity was observed departing the base, though some helicopters later landed at a small airfield near the Gulf.

No official statement has been released by CENTCOM, the US Air Force, or Qatari authorities confirming a crash, safe landing, or diversion.

OSINT sources emphasize two main possibilities: the signal loss resulted from intense electronic interference in the Strait of Hormuz, or the aircraft suffered a technical issue requiring an emergency landing in Qatar.

Smoke seen rising over water after a drone strike on an oil facility in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

The UAE defense ministry said on Monday Iranian drone and missile attacks were targeting the country.

Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that its aerial units carried out a series of successful drone strikes against 'Israeli' forces operating in southern Lebanon, recording direct hits on four separate targets.

The group confirmed that its drones struck a Merkava tank in the town of Al-Quzah, an Eitan "Namera" armored vehicle in the Khallet Raj area of Deir Siryan, and two D9 military bulldozers one located in Rashaf and another also in Deir Siryan.

A post by US Central Command (CENTCOM) on X shows US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets launching from USS Abraham Lincoln.

"Lincoln is one of two aircraft carriers enforcing the blockade on Iranian ports while also supporting Project Freedom," it says in the post.

Stocks sank Tuesday with a fresh spike in Middle East tensions fanning fears over the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, as the two sides appeared no closer to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

And while oil prices fell, they held most of the huge gains seen Monday after the two countries traded fire over the key waterway and the United Arab Emirates reported a strike on an installation.

The exchanges came after Donald Trump announced a mission called "Project Freedom" to guide ships from neutral countries out of the Gulf, saying it was a humanitarian effort to help stranded crews.

The US president was later quoted by Fox News as warning that Iran would be "blown off the face of the Earth" if it attacked US ships.

Crude prices surged Monday -- with Brent up almost six percent -- after a US admiral said US forces sank six small Iranian boats. Iran denied any had been sunk and earlier fired warning shots at US warships.

That came after the UAE said an energy installation in the emirate of Fujairah had been hit, while the UAE defence ministry announced four cruise missiles were launched from Iran, with three successfully shot down and another falling into the sea.

A senior Iranian military official did not deny the strikes but said: "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, according to state television.

Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the clashes showed there was "no military solution to a political crisis" and pointed to Pakistan's efforts to keep mediating.

Both main oil contracts slipped Tuesday, with West Texas Intermediate shedding more than one percent. However, it was hovering just below $105, and Brent was slightly lower at a little more than $113.

"The US has already demonstrated its willingness to secure passage, successfully guiding vessels through contested waters," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.

"But the response from Tehran has been equally clear, signalling that any proximity to its strategic perimeter will be met with force, raising the stakes into something that feels less like brinkmanship and more like an asymmetric pressure campaign."

Fears that the ceasefire, which has been in place since early April, could fall apart weighed on Asian equities, with Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Bangkok, Manila Wellington and Taipei all down.

Sydney also retreated as the Australian central bank hiked interest rates for the third straight meeting, citing rising energy prices.

London and Paris were down while Frankfurt opened higher.

Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai were closed for holidays.

The losses followed a drop on Wall Street -- where the S&P 500 and Nasdaq came off record highs -- and came after a healthy rally fuelled by fresh interest in all things linked to artificial intelligence.

"Whether Operation Project Freedom actually proceeds, or proves to be the latest in a long line of initiatives and threats that fail to gain traction or are later walked back, remains to be seen," said IG's Tony Sycamore.

"If it does proceed, whether Iran will allow safe passage or instead chooses to fire on escorted vessels is another open question."

Meanwhile, Wells Fargo Investment Institute's Darrell Cronk warned that even if the crisis is brought under control, energy markets and factory activity would likely take some time to get back to normal.

Key figures at around 0715 GMT

• West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.9 percent at $104.39 a barrel
• Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.6 percent to $113.71 a barrel
• Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.0 percent at 25,848.60
• London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.9 percent at 10,268.52
• Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday
• Shanghai - Composite: Closed for a holiday
• Dollar/yen: UP at 157.24 yen from 157.08 yen on Monday
• Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1686 from $1.1701
• Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3531 from $1.3538
• Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.36 pence from 86.41 pence
• New York - Dow: DOWN 1.1 percent at 48,941.90 (close)

Iran’s Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said Tuesday that a “new equation” is taking shape in the Strait of Hormuz, blaming the US for putting the security of maritime navigation and energy at risk.

“A new equation in the Strait of Hormuz is taking shape. The security of maritime navigation and energy transit has been put at risk by the United States and its allies through violations of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade; however, their threat will diminish,” Ghalibaf said on X.

“We know well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we have not even begun yet,” he added.

A fire broke out on two commercial vessels at Dayyer Port in southern Iran, with the cause of incident unknown so far, according to Mehr News Agency.

An 'Israeli' drone attack killed one person in a strike on a group of people in the Al-Ayoun area of Gaza City earlier this morning, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

Medical sources told Wafa that several people were seriously injured in the Israeli strike and were moved to hospital for treatment.

The Health Ministry is Gaza reported on Monday that a total of 72,612 people have been confirmed killed in 'Israel’s' war on the enclave since October 2023, with a further 172,457 people injured and thousands of victims still believed to be buried under rubble.

Iranian news agency Tasnim, citing a military source, reported that US forces struck two civilian cargo boats in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, rejecting Washington’s claim that the vessels were military speedboats.

According to the source, the two small boats were transporting goods and civilians from Khasab on Oman’s coast toward Iran when they were targeted by US forces, killing five people.

The source said Iranian authorities launched an investigation following US reports of the incident, concluding that American forces had opened fire on civilian vessels rather than boats linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

The official described the incident as a “reckless and clumsy” act driven by what he called US military fears over Iranian fast-boat operations in the strategic waterway.

The United States Central Command said Seahawk and Apache attack helicopters were used to destroy small Iranian boats that it said posed a threat to commercial navigation.

Washington said the vessels were destroyed while attempting to interfere with maritime traffic during ongoing US operations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said that the cause of a fire aboard a South Korean-operated vessel in the Strait of Hormuz will only be determined once the ship is brought to port.

“The exact cause of the accident would be figured out after the vessel is towed and its damage is assessed,” the ministry was quoted as saying, by Reuters news agency.

Earlier we reported that a fire was reported in the engine room of the bulk carrier.

There were no reported casualties among the vessel’s 24 crew members on board at the time – 18 foreign nationals and six South Koreans.

According to South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency, the ship was anchored in waters near the UAE in the Strait of Hormuz when the explosion occurred.

US President Donald Trump had earlier said on his Truth Social platform that Iran had fired on what he described as a South Korean cargo ship.

The HMM shipping company, which operates the ship, has so far not confirmed an attack.

Yonhap cited an HMM employee as saying it was not yet clear “whether there was an external attack or whether the explosion was caused by an internal issue on the ship.”

The vessel is now expected to be taken to Dubai by tugboat in the coming days.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on Iran to return to negotiations and stop “holding the region and the world hostage,” while condemning reported attacks on the United Arab Emirates.

In a post on X, Merz said the UAE had once again been targeted by Iranian drone and missile attacks, strongly condemning the strikes and expressing solidarity with the Emirati people and Germany’s regional partners.

“We strongly condemn these attacks. Our solidarity is with the people of the United Arab Emirates and our partners in the region,” he said, reaffirming Berlin’s support for allies amid escalating tensions.

Merz urged Iran to resume talks and de-escalate, stressing that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz must end.

He added that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and warned against further threats or attacks targeting regional partners, highlighting growing international pressure on Tehran as the crisis deepens.

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned reported Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates, calling them “unjustified and unacceptable,” while pledging continued French support for allies in the region.

In a post on the social media platform X, Macron said France would continue backing its partners in the UAE and across the region to defend their territory and security, emphasizing longstanding cooperation amid escalating tensions in the Gulf.

Macron also urged a durable resolution to the ongoing crisis, outlining two conditions: the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ensure freedom of maritime navigation, and the establishment of a strong agreement providing security guarantees for regional states.

US President Donald Trump could authorize a military response against Iran in the coming days, according to officials cited by The Wall Street Journal, as internal debate continues in Washington over how to handle the nuclear standoff.

Officials said Trump has spent days weighing two competing approaches: punishing Iran over its refusal to abandon its nuclear program or avoiding a broader escalation that could deepen US involvement in the Middle East.

According to the report, Trump has shown reluctance to launch a new bombing campaign, instead favoring a negotiated solution aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear activities.

The official social media account for House Democrats has signaled a shift toward a more aggressive communications strategy, releasing a blunt, single-sentence post targeting President Donald Trump. The post, which simply stated, "Donald Trump is a liar," has quickly gone viral, garnering thousands of shares and sparking intense debate across political lines.

Donald Trump is a liar.

— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) May 4, 2026

Yadollah Javani, deputy political officer of the IRGC, warned that any US attempt to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a “decisive and crushing response”.

“Trump’s problem today is the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. He knocked on every door during the 40-day war and afterwards, but to no avail,” Javani told Iran’s ISNA news agency.

He said the US leader is seeking to open the waterway by “putting pressure” on Iran.

“This means that America is no longer a superpower; it has faced a superpower,” he said, echoing earlier remarks by Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, adding that US losses would far exceed Iran’s.

“The US will test its strength, bring all its might to bear, and will ultimately be defeated,” Javani said.

A man armed with a weapon was shot by officers from the United States Secret Service near the White House, according to authorities.

Iranian state television said the country had no plans to attack oil installations in the United Arab Emirates, rejecting circulating claims amid heightened regional tensions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi says events in the Strait of Hormuz show there is no military solution to the political crisis.

In a post on X, he said ongoing talks are making progress with Pakistan’s mediation efforts and warned the US against being “dragged back into a quagmire,” adding that the UAE should also be cautious.

Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk confirmed Monday that one of its ships traversed the Strait of Hormuz with US military protection and said that all of its crew members are “safe and unharmed.”

The ship, called the Alliance Fairfax, had been in the Persian Gulf when the war broke out in February and was “unable to depart,” according to a statement from Maersk.

Maersk said that it was contacted “recently” by the US military, which “offered the opportunity for the vessel to exit the Gulf under US military protection.”

After coordination with Maersk leadership and the military, “the vessel subsequently exited the Persian Gulf accompanied by US military assets” on Monday.

“Maersk extends its gratitude to the US military for its professionalism and effective coordination in making this operation possible, and the company looks forward to the Alliance Fairfax returning to its normal commercial service,” the statement concluded.

US Central Command earlier announced that two ships transited the strait on Monday. The Alliance Fairfax is part of the US Maritime Security Program, which pays ship operators an annual stipend to keep a commercial ship registered in the US and available for military use.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to express the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of Iran’s reported attacks on the United Arab Emirates, according to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency.

During the call, bin Salman denounced what he described as “unjustified Iranian attacks” targeting the UAE and reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for the Emirati leadership in defending the country’s security and stability.