Day 70 | US military strikes sites in Iran as countries exchange fire

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Read more: Day 71 | Despite renewed attacks, US looks for breakthrough proposal from Iran today

• Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam prioritizes a permanent ceasefire as the primary goal of upcoming negotiations with 'Israel'.
• The Lebanese government reaffirms its commitment to state-only arms control.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Al Jazeera today that Lebanon is working to solidify a ceasefire before the next round of negotiations with 'Israel'.

Salam warned that if 'Israeli' aggression continues, the first item on the agenda will be establishing a permanent halt to hostilities.

He emphasized that the goal of these talks is to move beyond the current conflict and reach a state of lasting stability.

Sovereignty and reconstruction

The Prime Minister outlined a comprehensive plan for upcoming discussions, which includes stopping 'Israeli' attacks, securing the release of prisoners, and establishing a clear schedule for the withdrawal of 'Israeli' forces.

Salam noted that this timeline is essential for the return of displaced citizens and the start of large-scale reconstruction efforts.

To ensure the success of these measures, Lebanon is seeking US guarantees to assist in restoring its full sovereignty and territorial integrity.

State as sole authority

Salam highlighted that Lebanon has successfully established its state institutions as the exclusive party authorized to negotiate on its behalf.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restricting all weapons to the hands of the state alone, a move aimed at centralizing military authority.

While focusing on Lebanese interests, Salam acknowledged that the domestic political atmosphere remains influenced by the outcome of wider regional negotiations, including the ongoing Islamabad talks.

Strengthening ties with Syria

In addition to the diplomatic track with 'Israel', Salam announced a scheduled visit to Syria on Saturday to enhance bilateral cooperation.

The talks with the Syrian leadership will focus on economy, transport, and energy sectors. Salam stated that the visit aims to resolve outstanding issues between the two nations through a spirit of cooperation that serves mutual interests.

The Iranian Army announced today that its overnight operations targeting US Navy destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz utilized a coordinated strike package consisting of 8 cruise missiles and 24 "suicide" drones, marking one of the most significant direct engagements of the conflict.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the latest Iranian missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates, describing them as a blatant violation of sovereignty and a threat to regional stability while pledging full solidarity with Abu Dhabi's security measures.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released new imagery of the USS Truxton (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Arabian Sea, as the US naval blockade of Iran reaches a high-water mark of enforcement.

The three guided-missile destroyers are currently part of a massive task force dedicated to sealing off Iranian ports. According to a statement posted by CENTCOM on X, the effectiveness of the blockade has escalated significantly over the last 48 hours.

Photos of USS Truxton (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) operating in the Middle East. The three destroyers are currently sailing in the Arabian Sea supporting the blockade against Iran. As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 57 commercial… pic.twitter.com/8DdbLJ9ZLh

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 8, 2026

Blockade enforcement

CENTCOM reported today that its forces have now successfully:

Redirected 57 commercial vessels: These ships were ordered to turn around or return to their original ports after attempting to transit to or from Iranian coastal areas.

Disabled 4 vessels: Forces utilized kinetic measures -including precision strikes on rudders and smokestacks- to halt non-compliant ships that refused to obey redirection orders.

High-stakes confrontations

The deployment of these specific destroyers comes just one day after they were targeted by a swarm of Iranian missiles, drones, and fast-attack boats while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the intense exchange, CENTCOM confirmed that no US assets were struck, and the destroyers have since returned to their blockade stations.

 Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, previously described the naval presence as a "Wall of Steel," emphasizing that the mission is focused on total enforcement of maritime restrictions on the Iranian coastline.

US Vice President JD Vance is currently meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss a sensitive mediation route managed by Qatar, as the two nations attempt to finalize an agreement to end the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to Axios Correspondent sources, citing a senior US official.

The Tasnim News Agency, quoting an Iranian military source, reports that clashes have currently ceased and "calm has returned to the region" following a period of direct fire exchange between forces in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Assistant Interior Minister announced that all land and sea borders remain fully operational, asserting that the "enemy's blockade" will have no impact on the country's ability to manage imports and exports.

The Iranian Tasnim News Agency reports that active gunfire is echoing across the Strait of Hormuz while a series of powerful explosions has struck the coastal city of Sirik.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed today that American forces have disabled two additional vessels, the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, as they attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade of Iran.

The operation, carried out on May 8, targeted the Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers just before they could reach a port on the Gulf of Oman.

Surgical strikes from the air

The mission was executed by a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

Precision engagement: The fighter jet fired precision munitions directly into the smokestacks of both tankers.

The result: The strikes successfully disabled the engines of the non-compliant ships, preventing them from entering Iranian waters.

Ongoing enforcement pattern

This latest action follows a similar engagement on May 6, involving the M/T Hasna. In that instance, an F/A-18 from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) used its 20mm cannon to destroy the tanker’s rudder, bringing the vessel to a halt.

CENTCOM confirmed that all three recently targeted ships are no longer transiting toward Iran.

Command perspective

Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of CENTCOM, reiterated the military's firm stance on the maritime restrictions.

"US forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran," Adm. Cooper stated. "Our highly trained men and women in uniform are doing incredible work."

To date, US forces have disabled multiple commercial vessels and redirected over 50 others to ensure strict compliance with the blockade.

Intermittent military engagements have been reported in the Strait of Hormuz over the last hour as Iranian armed forces and US naval vessels exchange fire.

A US official told Fox News that the American military launched strikes today against several massive, empty oil tankers that were attempting to bypass the naval blockade and return to Iranian ports.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that its response to the US proposal remains under active study, stating that an official decision will be disclosed only once a final conclusion has been reached.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was expecting a response from Iran on Friday to US proposals for a deal to end the conflict.

"We're expecting a response from them today at some point... I hope it's a serious offer, I really do," Rubio told reporters during a visit to Rome.

An ‘Israeli’ strike on Friday killed four people including two women in the southern Lebanon town of Toura, the health ministry said, as state media reported ‘Israel’ was conducting widespread strikes.

Despite a truce in the war between ‘Israel’ and Hezbollah, fighting has not stopped in south Lebanon, where an ‘Israeli’ strike killed a civil defence rescuer earlier in the day.

The ‘Israeli’ military said that Hezbollah fired a barrage of rockets at the Western Galilee and Haifa Bay.

It said one of the rockets was intercepted, while the others struck “open areas”.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense said Friday that its air defenses “engaged” two ballistic missiles and three drones launched from Iran.

It resulted in three moderate injuries, the statement added.

The Ministry did not clarify how many projectiles were intercepted.

Iran said on Friday it redirected a US-sanctioned oil tanker carrying Iranian oil back to its shores, though it was unclear from its statement why it would have returned it.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran's navy, through a specially planned operation in the Sea of Oman, seized the offending tanker Ocean Koi," the army said in a statement carried by state television, adding that the oil belonged to the "Islamic republic".

It said the ship was redirected to Iran's southern shores after it sought "to damage and disrupt Iran's oil exports," without elaborating.

The ‘Israeli’ military said Friday morning that three soldiers were injured, including one seriously, by Hezbollah drone attacks today.

One drone exploded inside ‘Israel’ close to the border injuring one moderately, and the other seriously.

Another soldier was moderately injured when several drones exploded near ‘Israeli’ soldiers in southern Lebanon, according to the statement.

Iran’s state television reported Friday that the Iranian navy seized the oil tanker “Ocean Koi” in the Gulf of Oman.

According to the report, “special forces from the army carried out the operation based on a judicial order.”

The tanker was then escorted to Iran’s southern coast, it added.