U.S. Forces disabled two Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, the Pentagon said. The move followed exchanges of fire and came as Gulf states reported a string of drone and missile strikes over the weekend that have put the month-old ceasefire under fresh strain. Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates each said vessels or airspace were struck, and the UAE reported three people wounded. Washington says it's still awaiting a formal Iranian reply to a proposal to extend the truce and reopen the strait; no public response had been confirmed by May 8.

U.S. Forces fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday after exchanges of fire between American and Iranian forces, the U.S. Military said. The Pentagon posted video the U.S. Military described as showing smokestacks struck by an American fighter jet.

U.S. Commanders also said they had thwarted attacks on three Navy ships earlier in the week and struck Iranian military facilities in the Strait of Hormuz. Those operations followed a string of interdictions and confrontations in the waterway that normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies, a key reason the area has been a flashpoint since the ceasefire began on April 8.

Battle in the Strait

Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, and Iran has responded by restricting non-Iranian commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Military said. Those overlapping moves have kept naval patrols and interdictions active, raising the odds of further clashes unless the parties reach a diplomatic settlement.

The U.S. Account of strikes on the two tankers came as Iranian officials condemned the action as a violation of the ceasefire. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that U.S. Military action was "hostile" and undermined diplomacy. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any aggression against Iranian vessels would provoke a "heavy assault" on American ships or bases in the region.

A spokesperson for the Iranian parliament's foreign policy and security committee, Ebrahim Rezaei, said Tehran's "restraint is over" and urged the United States not to act "foolishly," language Tehran and its allies say justifies a tougher posture if Iran's shipping is attacked.

Mastheads

U.S. Officials have denied that American ships were struck in recent incidents, but Iranian-affiliated media and state-linked outlets reported casualties and damage after some strikes. One such account said at least one sailor was killed and 10 others injured aboard a cargo vessel. That claim hasn't been independently confirmed by U.S. Officials.

Gulf states report separate strikes

Separately over the weekend, Qatar's Ministry of Defence said a drone struck a cargo ship northeast of Mesaieed port. Qatari officials and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said a fire aboard the vessel was brought under control and that the ship, which arrived from Abu Dhabi, continued on to Mesaieed Port with no casualties and no reported environmental impact.

Kuwait's Defence Ministry said a number of hostile drones were detected in Kuwaiti airspace at dawn and were dealt with "in accordance with established procedures," without specifying the origin of the drones. The ministry didn't provide further details.

The UAE Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted two Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles and engaged two ballistic missiles and three drones. The ministry said three people were wounded in that incident. Iranian state media and other Iranian spokesmen have contested some Gulf-state accounts of damage and casualties in past incidents.

One outlet cited Fars Agency in reporting that the Qatar-struck vessel was sailing under the U.S. Flag and belonged to the United States. That claim appeared in Firstpost and hasn't been corroborated by other sources in the accounts collected by officials.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has denied some Gulf states' accounts in previous incidents, contributing to a pattern of contested claims about responsibility and damage assessments across the region.

Diplomatic activity continues alongside the military moves. The United States says the ceasefire remains in effect while it awaits an Iranian response to a latest proposal to extend the truce, reopen the strait and roll back parts of Tehran's nuclear programme. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hoped to receive "a serious offer" from Iran on Friday.

White House officials expected Pakistani mediators to receive Iran's response on the same day, though no public reply was released by then. U.S. Officials and regional partners have continued patrols and interdictions in and near the Strait of Hormuz while pressing for a formal diplomatic answer.

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U.S. Officials said Pakistani mediators were expected to receive Iran's response, but by May 8 no public reply had been confirmed.

This article was created with AI assistance.