“Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the foreign ministry said, adding there were no injuries.
Iran’s navy says it has prevented the entry of enemy warships into the Strait of Hormuz by issuing a “swift and decisive warning”, according to state TV.
Iran’s armed forces issued several warnings today to foreign navies not to cross into the Strait of Hormuz or face a “decisive response”.
Iran’s Fars news agency, citing local sources, reports that two missiles have hit a US frigate near Jask island after it ignored warnings from the IRGC and disregarded “security protocols” for transit in the Strait of Hormuz.
“According to these sources, the American frigate has been prevented from continuing its course due to these strikes and has been forced to retreat and flee the area,” Fars claimed.
It added that there were no further details at the moment about any damages or any casualties.
Major-General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya central military headquarters, has warned foreign navies against entering the Strait of Hormuz to escort commercial vessels, Al Jazeera reports.
He also said the “criminal leaders and terrorist army of the United States” have “put the security of global trade and economy at risk”.
“Supporters of the evil America should be careful and do not do anything that will lead to irreparable regret,” he was quoted as saying by Fars.
He said the US’s move to “disrupt the current situation will have no result other than complicating the situation and jeopardising the security of vessels” in the Strait of Hormuz.
Seoul says 'explosion and fire' on South Korean ship in Hormuz strait
Seoul says that an “explosion and fire” struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, AFP reports.The foreign ministry says that around 8:40pm in Seoul (4:40pm PKT), “an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company … anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz”, adding that there were “no casualties to date”.
Jordan has condemned Iranian drone attacks on an Emirati oil tanker, calling the incident “a blatant violation” of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 2817.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Affairs affirmed in a statement Jordan’s rejection and condemnation of this attack, emphasising Jordan’s absolute solidarity with the sisterly United Arab Emirates, and its full support for all steps it takes to protect its sovereignty, security, and the safety of its citizens,” the foreign ministry says.
Qatar’s foreign ministry “strongly condemns” an Iranian attack on an Emirati oil tanker, deeming it “a flagrant violation of the rules of international law and freedom of maritime navigation”.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renews the State of Qatar’s categorical rejection of using the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip, and its call to reopen it without conditions, and its affirmation that freedom of navigation in this vital passage is a firmly established principle that admits no compromise, and that the continued closure of the strait exposes the vital interests of the region’s countries to danger,” a statement reads.
Doha has emphasised the need for Iran to stop attacking Gulf nations, while also expressing solidarity with the United Arab Emirates.
EU warns airlines, member states to prepare for all scenarios as jet fuel crisis remains uncertain
The European Commission warns that airlines and member states should prepare for all scenarios as uncertainty persists over how long the jet fuel crisis will last, Anadolu reports.
Speaking at the commission’s daily press briefing in Brussels, spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen says the EU executive is coordinating closely with member states and industry stakeholders amid concerns over jet fuel supplies.
“I don’t think anyone knows how long this situation will last, so the best we can do and the most effective thing that we can do and that we are doing is to prepare for all eventualities,” Itkonen says.
She adds that close coordination and cooperation with EU member states and other stakeholders remained “absolutely crucial,” further stating that it is “the only way” for the bloc to take further action if necessary.
UAE authorities have just sent a second message to mobile phones in Dubai, noting that the situation is now safe and residents may resume normal activities, Al Jazeera reports.
Earlier, authorities sent a mobile phone alert for a potential missile attack, nearly a month into a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war.
It was the first alert to be sent by the authorities in recent weeks.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports that nearly 2,700 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2.
Citing Lebanon’s health ministry, Tasnim reports that 2,696 people have been killed and 8,264 others have been injured.
South Korea said it is verifying intelligence that a South Korean-flagged vessel was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, Yonhap News reports, according to Reuters.
Jassim Mohammed al-Badawi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has denounced “in the strongest terms” the Iranian attack on an Emirati oil tanker during transit in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reports
“The continuation of these brutal Iranian attacks by targeting ships passing through the strait is piracy and serious extortion of the security of sea lanes and straits,” al-Badawi is quoted as saying in a statement on the GCC’s website.
“His Excellency expressed the GCC’s full solidarity with the United Arab Emirates and its support in all measures it takes to preserve its sovereignty, security and stability.”
UAE carrier Emirates says it has restored 96 per cent of its global network after widespread disruption and mass cancellations across the Middle East during the US-Israeli war on Iran, CNN reports.
Despite not reaching full normality, the Dubai-based airline says it carried around 4.7 million travellers during the conflict and is now operating across 72 countries.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that Washington will be watching to see whether China steps up diplomacy with Iran to get Tehran to open up the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports.
Bessent told Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom” he would urge the Chinese to join the US in supporting the opening of the Strait.
The United Arab Emirates has issued a mobile phone alert for a potential missile attack, nearly a month into a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war, AFP reports.
“Due to the current situation, potential missile threats, immediately seek a safe place in the closest secure building,” the message read.
It was the first alert to be sent by the authorities in recent weeks.
The Iranian military says in a statement that missiles fired at US vessels were “warning shots”, according to the country’s Fars news agency.
According to the statement, US destroyers attempted to approach the Strait of Hormuz in the Sea of Oman by turning off their radar. As soon as they turned their radar back on, they were detected and warned over radio by the Iranian navy to turn away.
“After the American destroyers ignored the warning, the [Iranian] army’s brave servicemen issued another alert, explicitly stating that any attempt to enter the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire and would be met with a response from naval forces,” the statement reads.
“At this stage, and following the disregard by American–Zionist destroyers for the initial warning, the navy fired warning shots using cruise missiles, rockets, and combat drones near the hostile enemy vessels to issue a warning; responsibility and the dangerous consequences of such actions will lie with the hostile adversary,” it adds.
US Central Command (Centcom) says two US-flagged merchant vessels “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey,” as Washington launches its naval mission dubbed Project Freedom, Al Jazeera reports.
In a statement on X, it says US Navy guided-missile destroyers were deployed to guarantee safe passage to American forces who are “actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping”.
Fifteen Iranian sailors from the Touska cargo ship, who were evacuated and brought to Pakistan along with the ship, have entered Iranian territory through the Rimdan border terminal, crossing over from Balochistan, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
According to the Foreign Office, 22 crew members from the seized Iranian vessel were evacuated to Pakistan as a “confidence-building measure” by the US.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says he “strongly advised” an Iranian colleague that Tehran must be ready to negotiate an end to the war with the United States, Al Jazeera reports.
Wadephul has also said, during a press conference in Athens, that there is no doubt that there will be any shortfall in Nato’s deterrence capability in Europe.
Iranian crew members from a US-seized vessel arrive at Pakistan’s Gabd border before they are handed over to Iranian authorities in Gwadar, Balochistan, on May 4, 2026. — AFP
Iranian crew members from a US-seized vessel speak with security officials (R) at Pakistan’s Gabd border as they are handed over to Iranian authorities in Gwadar, Balochistan, on May 4, 2026.
Two drones hit the MV Barakah off the coast of Oman but no one was injured, UAE state oil giant Adnoc confirms, adding that the ship was not loaded, according to AFP.