{"id":417336,"date":"2026-05-08T03:41:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/417336\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T03:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T03:41:16","slug":"us-says-it-thwarted-iranian-attacks-on-3-navy-ships-in-strait-of-hormuz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/417336\/","title":{"rendered":"US says it thwarted Iranian attacks on 3 navy ships in Strait of Hormuz"},"content":{"rendered":"

The US military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces,” highlighting the fragility of the month-old ceasefire between the two countries.<\/p>\n

US Central Command said in a social media post that U.S. forces intercepted “unprovoked Iranian attacks” and responded with self-defense strikes.<\/p>\n

The US military said no ships were hit. It said it doesn’t seek escalation but “remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.”<\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington that the ceasefire was holding despite the violence.<\/p>\n

“They trifled with us today. We blew them away,” Trump said.<\/p>\n

In a phone interview with ABC News, he described the strikes as a “love tap”.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Iranian state media said the country’s armed forces exchanged fire with “the enemy” on Qeshm Island in the strait. It is the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, home to about 150,000 people. It also houses a water desalination plant.<\/p>\n

Iran attacks US warships as explosions heard in Tehran – Watch on TVNZ+<\/a><\/p>\n

Iranian state media also reported loud noises and defensive fire in western Tehran. In southern Iran, explosions were heard near Bandar Abbas, semiofficial Iranian news agencies Fars and Tasnim said. The reports did not identify the source of the blasts.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the day, a shipping data company reported that Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

The Iranian effort to formalise control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial vessels bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A container ship sits at anchor as a small motorboat passes in the foreground in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n

US administration has sent mixed messages<\/p>\n

The ceasefire between the US and Iran has largely held since April 8. In-person talks between the two countries, hosted by Pakistan last month, failed to reach an agreement to end the war that began February 28 when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.<\/p>\n

Earlier Thursday, Tehran said it was examining the latest US proposals for ending the war.<\/p>\n

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic Republic was reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace negotiations, but Iran “has not yet reached a conclusion, and no response has been given to the US side,” Iranian state TV reported.<\/p>\n

At the Vatican, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Middle East peace efforts with Pope Leo XIV, whose opposition to the Iran war has led to open sparring with Trump.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration has sent mixed messages on its strategy to end the war. The tenuous ceasefire and previous declarations that military operations were over have given way to new threats of bombing if Tehran does not accept a deal that allows for resumption of oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict.<\/p>\n

Trump reiterated those after Thursday’s exchange of fire.<\/p>\n

“They have to understand: If it doesn\u2019t get signed, they\u2019re going to have a lot of pain,” he told reporters.<\/p>\n

Asked how close the US was to a deal with Iran, Trump said: “It could happen any day,” but quickly added, “And it might not happen.”<\/p>\n

Pakistan says it expects a deal soon<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A public bus drives past a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of US President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by phone Thursday with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expect an agreement sooner rather than later,\u201d Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday. \u201cWe hope the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but to international peace as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

He declined to give a timeline.<\/p>\n

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking in televised remarks, said Islamabad remained in \u201ccontinuous contact with Iran and the United States, day and night, to stop the war and extend the ceasefire\u201d.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon were scheduled to resume next week in Washington, according to a US official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the closed-door meetings. The official said talks will be held May 14 and 15.<\/p>\n

Iran creates agency to control passage at Hormuz<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A bulk cargo ship sits at anchor in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n

The report by shipping data firm Lloyd\u2019s List Intelligence that Iran has established a new government agency to approve transit and collect tolls from shipping in the strait raised concerns over the freedom of navigation on which global trade depends.<\/p>\n

The agency, called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, is \u201cpositioning itself as the only valid authority to grant permission to ships transiting the strait,\u201d Lloyd\u2019s reported in an online briefing Thursday. Lloyd’s said the authority had emailed it an application form for ships seeking passage.<\/p>\n

Iran has effectively closed the Strait, a vital waterway for the shipment of supplies of oil, gas, fertiliser, and other petroleum products, while the US is blockading Iranian ports<\/a>. The disruptions have sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.<\/p>\n

The new Iranian agency formalises an existing, albeit murky, vetting lane that takes vessels through the Strait\u2019s northern waters near the Iranian coastline. Iran controls which ships are allowed to pass and, for at least some vessels, imposes a tax on their cargo.<\/p>\n

Maritime law experts say Iran\u2019s demands to vet or tax vessels violate international law. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea calls for countries to permit peaceful passage through their territorial waters.<\/p>\n

The US and its Gulf allies are pushing for the UN Security Council to support a resolution that condemns Iran\u2019s chokehold on the Strait and threatens sanctions. A prior resolution calling for reopening the Strait was vetoed by Iran’s allies, Russia and China.<\/p>\n

Iran’s president reports lengthy meeting with new supreme leader<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A mourner holds a poster depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Top Iranian officials have said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is playing a key role in overseeing negotiations with the US. But he remains in hiding and has not appeared in public since he was wounded early in the war.<\/p>\n

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he met recently for more than two hours with Khamenei. In remarks aired Thursday on Iranian state television, Pezeshkian praised the supreme leader\u2019s \u201csincere\u201d behaviour in what he said was a long in-person meeting.<\/p>\n

Khamenei has only released a series of written statements since being named supreme leader in March. He replaced his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the war\u2019s initial strikes.<\/p>\n

Saudi official says kingdom did not support US effort to reopen Strait<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A man stands in the water, appearing to fish, as bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels line the horizon in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran (Source: Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Trump did not consult with US ally Saudi Arabia before launching the short-lived effort to force open a shipping passage through the Strait, according to a Saudi official who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe told them that we are not part of this and that they can\u2019t use our territories and bases for this,\u201d the official said Thursday.<\/p>\n

The official said Saudi Arabia sent a message to Iran that the kingdom would not be involved in US attacks related to Trump\u2019s attempt to reopen the Strait.<\/p>\n

Trump suspended the effort, dubbed Project Freedom, during its second day Tuesday. Only two American-flagged merchant ships are known to have passed through the US-guarded route. The US military said it sank six Iranian small boats threatening civilian ships.<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by 1News.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The US military said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":417337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,5107,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-417336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-middle-east","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/417337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=417336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=417336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}