Middle East war live: Sporadic clashes erupt between Iranian and US forces in Hormuz strait
08/05/2026 – 21:05
‘Colonialism and exploitation have no place in future world,’ Iran’s president says
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said that Tehran’s policy is to expand friendly relations based on mutual respect and shared interests.
“The policy of colonialism and exploitation will have no place in the future world. Just as tolerance is deeply rooted in the culture of our people, the struggle against oppression shines in the history of this land,” he wrote in a post on X.
08/05/2026 – 20:52
‘Colonialism and exploitation have no place in future world,’ Iran’s president says
08/05/2026 – 19:55
Rubio urges Europeans to share the Iran burden
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded a two-day visit to Rome on Friday, where he sought to ease tensions with Pope Leo and urged Europeans to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
The task was not easy, given President Donald Trump’s recent sharp criticism of both the Catholic leader and Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of the US leader.
“The world has to start asking itself, what is it willing to do if Iran tries to normalise a control of an international waterway? I think that’s unacceptable,” he told reporters after meeting Meloni.
The appeal was aimed at Italy as well as other European countries, which Trump criticised for not helping the United States to protect the Strait.
08/05/2026 – 19:29
US will ‘facilitate’ talks between Israel and Lebanon next week
The United States will facilitate two days of “intensive talks” – already scheduled for May 14 and 15 – between Israel and Lebanon, the State Department said.
08/05/2026 – 19:17
08/05/2026 – 18:59
Adviser to Iran’s supreme leader compares control of Hormuz to ‘atomic bomb’
An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader compared control over the Strait of Hormuz to having an “atomic bomb”, and vowed not to relinquish it.
“The Strait of Hormuz represents an opportunity as precious as an atomic bomb,” Mohammad Mokhber said in a video published by the Mehr news agency.
“Indeed, having in one’s hands a position that allows you to influence the global economy with a single decision is a major opportunity.”
Pledging not to “forfeit the gains of this war”, he went on to say Iran would “change the (legal) regime of this strait”, through international law if possible, and unilaterally if not.
08/05/2026 – 18:44
Situation in Gulf currently calm, Tasnim reports citing Iranian military source
Iran’s Tasnim agency cites an Iranian military source as saying that the situation in the Gulf is currently calm, “but if Americans try to enter again and cause trouble for Iranian vessels, there is a chance of clashes”.
08/05/2026 – 17:51
US naval blockade measure to be met with military response from now on, Iran says
A senior Iranian MP on Friday said that from now on, US naval blockade measures will be met with military response from Iran, Fars News reported.
08/05/2026 – 17:22
Iran still examining US proposal, foreign ministry spokesman says
08/05/2026 – 17:09
US VP Vance is meeting with PM of Qatar to discuss talks with Iran, Axios reports
US Vice President JD Vance is in a meeting with the prime minister of Qatar to discuss the negotiations with Iran, Axios reports.
The meeting is taking place in Washington.
08/05/2026 – 16:27
Hezbollah says launched missiles at military base in north Israel
Hezbollah said it launched missiles at a military base in northern Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs despite a truce.
In a statement, the group said it targeted a base south of the Israeli city of Nahariya. The Israeli military had said earlier that sirens sounded in several northern cities.
Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs on Wednesday, killing a Hezbollah commander in the first attack on the area in a month.
08/05/2026 – 16:20
US forces strike two empty Iranian oil tankers, Central Command confirms
The US military has struck two empty Iranian-flagged oil tankers that it said were seeking to violate the ongoing US blockade, the US Central Command said in a post on X, confirming an earlier news report.
It added that a third Iranian-flagged vessel had been disabled on Wednesday.
“All three vessels are no longer transiting to Iran,” it said.
08/05/2026 – 16:18
08/05/2026 – 16:16
Sporadic clashes erupt between Iranian forces and US vessels in Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Fars reports
Sporadic clashes erupted about an hour ago between Iranian armed forces and US vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Fars reports.
08/05/2026 – 16:11
US forces disable 2 vessels headed for Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman
08/05/2026 – 16:07
08/05/2026 – 15:51
Suspected oil spill seen on satellite images near Iran’s Kharg Island export hub
A suspected oil spill covering dozens of square kilometres of sea near Iran’s main oil hub of Kharg Island has been seen on satellite imagery this week.
The likely spill – appearing on images as a grey and white slick – covered waters to the west of the 8-kilometre (5-mile) long island, pictures from Copernicus’s Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 satellites showed on May 6-8.
“The slick appears visually consistent with oil,” said Leon Moreland, researcher at the Conflict and Environment Observatory, who estimated that it was covering an area of approximately 45 square km.
Louis Goddard, co-founder of consultancy Data Desk, which focuses on climate and commodities, agreed that the images likely showed an oil slick, which he said was potentially the largest to occur since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran 70 days ago.
The US military and Iran’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the images.
08/05/2026 – 15:44
Iran war hangs over Trump’s Beijing visit
FRANCE 24’s Access Asia looks ahead to US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to China. While both sides will be seeking to reset ties, the war in Iran is set to cloud the trip. Camille Knight gives the details.
08/05/2026 – 15:38
Iran accuses US of ‘blatant violation’ of truce after overnight clashes
Iran accused the United States on Friday of breaching their truce, as both sides blamed the other for triggering an overnight clash in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The action carried out last night was both a blatant violation of international law and a breach of the ceasefire,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to the ISNA news agency.
“At the same time, the country’s defenders delivered a ‘major slap’ to the enemy and repelled the enemies’ aggression with full force,” he continued.
