US strikes Iran tankers as UAE reports fresh missile and drone attacks |
US strikes Iran tankers as UAE reports fresh missile and drone attacks
Strikes on Iranian tankers and fresh exchanges in the Gulf escalate tensions as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a deal proposal.
Rosaleen Carroll
May 8, 2026
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency and taken on May 2, 2026, the Gambia-flagged tanker vessel Bili is pictured anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. — Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images
The United States carried out strikes on Iranian oil tankers on Friday after renewed clashes threatened to upend a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, as the US awaits an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday that it had “disabled” two empty Iranian oil tankers, the M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, as they attempted to reach an Iranian port. It said it had carried out the action by "firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran.” CENTCOM said its actions were in line with enforcing the ongoing US blockade on Iranian ports and ships.
Meanwhile, US........