The United States military carried out strikes on Iran's southern port facilities at Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas on Thursday evening, a senior US official confirmed to a Fox News correspondent. In addition to the confirmation, the official was quick to insist the operation did not mark a resumption of hostilities or the collapse of the fragile ceasefire. The senior US official confirmed to Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin that the strikes targeted Iranian oil port facilities, while stressing it was "NOT a restarting of the war or end to the ceasefire." A senior US official tells me that it was a US military strike on Iran's Qeshm port and Bandar Abbas moments ago but added this is NOT a restarting of the war or end to the ceasefire.— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) May 7, 2026 The strike on one of Iran's oil ports comes two days after Iran fired 15 ballistic and cruise… https://t.co/tAcmuSbd51 The strikes on Iran ports came after US intercepted Iranian attacks targeting three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and carried out retaliatory self-defense strikes. First footage of a massive explosion after a US strike on Bandar Abbas, Iran. pic.twitter.com/V6eaBbAx7x— Darya Safai MP (@SafaiDarya) May 7, 2026 CENTCOM confirmed the retaliatory action in a statement, saying "US forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with self-defense strikes as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman." May 7, 2026 US President Trump addressed the confrontation directly on Truth Social. "Three World Class American Destroyers just transited, very successfully, out of the Strait of Hormuz, under fire. There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers," Trump wrote, adding that Iranian boats "went to the bottom of the Sea, quickly and efficiently." Griffin provided context to the strikes in her post: the Qeshm and Bandar Abbas hits followed Iran's reported firing of 15 ballistic and cruise missiles at UAE's Fujairah Port two days prior — attacks that top Pentagon leaders had controversially described as not rising to the level of a ceasefire breach. ALSO READ: 'Ceasefire Still On': Trump Labels Hormuz Flare-Up, Iran Strikes As 'Love Tap', Says Talks Going 'Very Well' Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported that residents in Bandar Abbas heard several sounds resembling explosions originating from areas around the city. The exact source and location of the blasts remain undetermined. Tasnim news agency also confirmed the sounds, citing local sources who suggested they may be linked to operations by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. ALSO READ: US, Iran Exchange Fire In Hormuz, Trump Threatens More Strikes If Deal Not Signed 'Fast' The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the conflict, has been largely blocked since the U.S.-Israeli air campaign began on February 28. Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
Iranian Official
The Iranian government strongly condemns the United States' unprovoked military aggression against its sovereign territory, with strikes targeting key oil port facilities on Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas. These attacks constitute a clear violation of Iran's national sovereignty and international law, following Iran's defensive measures against US naval provocations in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran affirms its right to resist foreign aggression and defend its borders.
Israeli
US forces struck Iranian oil ports at Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in direct response to Tehran's unprovoked ballistic and cruise missile attacks on American warships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. From Israel's perspective, this episode exposes the Iranian regime's relentless existential threat—leveraging naval assets and proxy networks to choke strategic waterways and target Western presence—necessitating robust defensive measures to deter wider aggression. The action underscores that such calibrated responses remain essential to prevent escalation toward broader conflict.
Neutral
A senior US official confirmed to Fox News that US forces conducted strikes on Iranian port facilities at Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas on May 7, 2026, while stating the action did not resume hostilities or end the ceasefire. CENTCOM reported that the strikes responded to Iranian attacks on US Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and were conducted in self-defense. Unverified footage of an explosion at one site has appeared online.
Western
US forces conducted precise, limited strikes on Iranian oil port infrastructure at Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas in self-defense after intercepting unprovoked Iranian ballistic and cruise missile attacks targeting three US Navy destroyers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The operation neutralized the immediate threat to maritime traffic and freedom of navigation while remaining calibrated to avoid broader escalation or collapse of the existing ceasefire. CENTCOM confirmed the defensive response targeted facilities supporting Iran's capacity to threaten regional shipping lanes.
Pro-Peace
US strikes on Iranian oil ports at Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas threaten civilian lives and livelihoods in surrounding populated areas, risking deaths, injuries, and economic fallout from damaged infrastructure essential for regional energy supplies. Despite US claims of preserving a fragile ceasefire, these retaliatory actions following intercepted attacks escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and prioritize military responses over diplomatic negotiations that could avert further humanitarian suffering. Civilian populations on both sides bear the brunt of such cycles of violence, underscoring the urgent need for de-escalation through dialogue rather than force.
Global South
US strikes on Iranian oil ports at Qeshm and Bandar Abbas represent a direct violation of Iran’s sovereignty, framed by Washington as “self-defense” while its naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz sustains neo-colonial control over vital energy routes. Despite official denials of breaking the ceasefire, the action exposes the selective application of international rules, where US military power overrides diplomacy and Global South states face repeated institutional paralysis at the UN and beyond. Such interventions prioritize American strategic dominance over regional autonomy and collective energy security.
The United States military carried out strikes on Iran's southern port facilities at Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas on Thursday evening, a senior US official confirmed to a Fox News correspondent. In addition to the confirmation, the official was quick to insist the operation did …
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.