War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has stated that the attack on the United Arab Emirates that resulted in injuries to three of its nationals was “unacceptable”.

“We call for the immediate cessation of these hostilities and the targeting of civilian infrastructure and innocent civilians,” it said. It also called for free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.

“India stands ready to support all efforts for a peaceful resolution of issues,” it said.

South Korea’s Blue House has convened a meeting led by Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik to discuss the fire on a Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz, MoneyToday reported, according to Reuters.

Oil prices eased more than one per cent after climbing by as much as 6pc in the previous session on signs the US Navy is loosening Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, potentially opening up supply from the Middle East, AFP reports.

Brent oil futures for July fell $1.22, or 1.1pc, to $113.22 per barrel at 0323 GMT after settling up 5.8pc on Monday. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell $2.02, or 1.9pc, to $104.40, after gaining 4.4pc in the previous session.

The Israeli military said its troops were targeted twice by Hezbollah mortar fire in southern Lebanon in recent hours, Al Jazeera reports.

The military said its forces suffered no casualties from the twin attacks.

China has, for the first time, invoked a law targeting companies that comply with foreign sanctions it rejects, escalating a pushback against the US blacklisting of several oil refineries over purchases of Iranian crude, Reuters reports.

Washington and other Western governments have sanctioned a number of Chinese firms for trading Iranian or Russian oil, drawing repeated criticism from Beijing.

Iranian state media has reported that six so-called Iranian small boats targeted by the US military in the Strait of Hormuz were not IRGC-affiliated, but civilian vessels carrying goods and passengers, and five people were killed in the attack, Al Jazeera reports.

A military official told the Tasnim news agency that, after US reports of the attacks, an investigation was carried out by Iranian authorities, who found that US forces had “attacked and fired upon two small cargo boats carrying civilians that were moving from Khasab on the coast of Oman towards the Iranian coast”.

US President Donald Trump has launched a maritime military initiative “Project Freedom”, ordering US forces to ‘assist’ commercial vessels currently trapped within the Strait of Hormuz following an ongoing blockage by Iranian forces in swift response to the US-Israel war on Iran.

The move signifies an escalation in US involvement in the region, positioning thousands of troops and substantial naval hardware at the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint.

Trump framed the operation as a “rescue mission” for mariners caught in the crossfire of escalating tensions.

Read more here.

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry has said that authorities will investigate the cause of a fire on a South Korean-operated ship in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel is towed to a nearby port, Reuters reports.

“The exact cause of the accident would be figured out after the vessel is towed and its damage is assessed,” the ministry said in a statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, “Events in Hormuz make clear that there’s no military solution to a political crisis.“

“As talks are making progress with Pakistan’s gracious effort, the US should be wary of being dragged back into a quagmire by ill-wishers. So should the United Arab Emirates,” he said.

“Project Freedom is Project Deadlock,” he said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the Iranian drone and missile strikes targeting the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Reuters reports.

Starmer called on Iran to engage in diplomacy to prevent further escalation in the Middle East, the prime minister’s office said.

“We stand in solidarity with the UAE and will continue to support the defence of our partners in the Gulf. This escalation must cease. Iran needs to engage meaningfully in negotiations to ensure the ceasefire in the Middle East endures, and a long-term diplomatic solution is achieved,” Starmer said.

Saudi Arabia has called to de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East after Iran and the United States traded fire, rattling a fragile ceasefire, AFP reports.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s concern regarding the current military escalation in the region, and calls for the need to de-escalate,” the foreign ministry said.

The ministry said it supported “diplomatic efforts to reach a political solution” in the war.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has condemned Iranian attacks on the UAE and expressed solidarity with Emirati leadership.

“I extend my full solidarity to [UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan], the people of the UAE, and our partners across the Middle East,” she says in a post on X.

“These attacks are unacceptable and constitute a clear violation of sovereignty and international law,” she adds. “Security in the region has direct consequences for Europe.”

Von der Leyen adds that the EU will “keep working closely with our partners on de-escalation and diplomatic resolution, to bring an end to the Iranian regime’s brutal actions … both against its neighbours and its own people.”

Qatar’s emir has spoken to the UAE president over the phone, where he has expressed “strong condemnation of the Iranian attacks targeting civilian sites and facilities in the sisterly United Arab Emirates using missiles and drones”, Al Jazeera reports quoting a statement from his office.

“He affirmed the State of Qatar’s full solidarity with the UAE and its support for all measures taken by the UAE to maintain its security and stability,” the statement adds.

United States Central Command (Centcom) says that 50 commercial vessels have been redirected by US forces to “ensure compliance” with Washington’s naval blockade.

The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi has acknowledged that three Indian nationals have been wounded in an Iranian strike on the Fujairah oil terminal.

In a post on X, the embassy says, “We are in touch with local authorities for ensuring adequate medical care and welfare of the affected Indian nationals.”

US President Donald Trump has threatened that Iran will be “blown off the face of the Earth” if they attack US vessels carrying out “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reports.

The US president tells Fox News he believes Iran has become “much more malleable” in peace negotiations and emphasises that the US military build-up in the region is continuing.

“We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before,” Trump tells Fox News’ Trey Yingst.

“We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”

The UAE’s Ministry of Education has announced it is reintroducing distance learning from Tuesday (May 5) until Friday (May 8), for students, teachers and administrative staff across nurseries and all public and private schools nationwide.

“This measure is being taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the educational community,” the ministry says on X. “The situation will be reviewed on Friday, 8 May 2026, and the period may be extended if necessary.”

The United States and Gulf nations are drafting a UN Security Council resolution designed to condemn Iran for blocking the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli bombing campaign, Reuters reports citing Washington’s Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz.

Waltz says negotiations will take place this week on the resolution, which comes after permanent Security Council members Russia and China blocked a resolution last month that Washington hoped would galvanise international efforts to restore freedom of navigation of the waterway.

The US is co-drafting the new resolution with Bahrain with input from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Waltz tells reporters, adding that it is expected to require Iran to cease attacks on merchant shipping and attempts to impose tolls on shipping in the strait

It is further expected that it will demand that Iran stop placing sea mines and disclose the locations of mines.

Read more here.

US President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post, has called on South Korea to join US efforts to protect ship movements near Iran, Reuters reports.

He adds that War Secretary Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference on Tuesday with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar says the world should prepare for the energy price and supply crisis, stemming from the Iran war, potentially lasting longer, Reuters reports.

Speaking to broadcaster TVNET, Bayraktar added that Turkiye is not experiencing any supply issues at the moment, but that certain developments regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the withdrawal of the United Arab Emirates from OPEC last month add to the uncertainties.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has discussed evolving regional developments with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who lauded “Pakistan’s efforts to promote engagement and mediation between the parties”, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

“DPM/FM reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy in pursuit of regional and global peace and stability,” the FO says in a post on X.

“They also discussed global economic implications and other wider impacts of the conflict,” it adds. “Both sides agreed to remain in close contact on bilateral matters, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest.”

President Donald Trump has downplayed tensions after US warships entered the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran had “taken some shots” but caused no harm apart from damage to a South Korean vessel, AFP reports.

“Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait,” Trump says on his Truth Social platform as oil prices jump over the renewed hostilities.

Iran had “no plans” to target the United Arab Emirates, AFP reports citing Iranian state television, after the UAE accused Tehran of fresh attacks.

A senior Iranian military official says “Iran had no plans to target the UAE”, state broadcaster IRIB reports.