Iran reports 'sporadic clashes' with US forces in Hormuz as carrier jets target oil tankers
TEHRAN, IRAN: Fresh tensions erupted in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, May 8, after Iranian media reported what it described as “sporadic clashes” between Iranian military units and US naval assets, raising fresh questions over the durability of the fragile ceasefire that Washington and Tehran have both insisted remains in place.
The latest flare-up comes as backchannel talks over a peace framework continue, with both sides publicly claiming they do not want a return to full-scale conflict.
🇮🇷🇺🇸| BREAKING: Fars reports sporadic clashes in the Strait of Hormoz between Iran-US forces
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For the past hour, sporadic clashes took place between Iran’s armed forces and US Navy vessels.
This comes after CENTCOM “disabled” 2 empty VLCC tankers returning to Iran.
The earlier… pic.twitter.com/HeZY4rtkSr
Iran reports fresh confrontation
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported that “for the last hour, sporadic clashes have taken place between the Iranian armed forces and American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz,” signaling another volatile moment in one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.
The report followed overnight military activity in the Gulf region and came just hours after US officials said military operations were still being conducted under what they described as defensive enforcement measures.
The Strait of Hormuz remains central to the ongoing standoff, with nearly a fifth of the world’s oil shipments typically passing through the narrow waterway.
Any renewed military exchange in the area has immediate implications for energy markets and global shipping routes.
US moves against Iranian tankers
Earlier Friday, United States Central Command announced that US naval aircraft had disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
According to CENTCOM, fighter jets launched from the USS George HW Bush (CVN-77) targeted the smokestacks of the vessels, identified as M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda using precision munitions, preventing them from continuing toward Iranian ports.
US officials described both ships as unladen tankers allegedly attempting to violate the maritime blockade.
“US forces in the Middle East remain committed to full enforcement of the blockade of vessels entering or leaving Iran,” CENTCOM commander Adm Brad Cooper said in a statement, according to the military release.
The latest confrontation marks the most serious military exchange since the ceasefire announced in April.
