May 8, 2026, 6:29 amMay 8, 2026, 6:38 am
What’s new?
The ceasefire between the USA and Iran is being put to a new test: After Iranian attacks on three US destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military attacked targets in the Islamic Republic in retaliation. This was announced by the US Armed Forces Regional Command (Centcom) responsible for the Middle East on Platform X.
BREAKING: Footage shows Iranian missiles launching at US warships earlier tonight.
Visual confirmation of what CBS and CENTCOM described in earlier reports.
Source: @Spectator_MENA pic.twitter.com/dRbOiCdFjw
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 8, 2026
The Iranian military accused the USA of violating the already fragile ceasefire. Shortly afterwards, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that it had repelled new Iranian attacks.
How does the USA justify the attacks?
“U.S. forces repelled unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with strikes in self-defense as U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz toward the Gulf of Oman on May 7,” Centcom said. Iranian forces fired several missiles and used drones and small boats as the three US ships passed through the strait. No US units were hit.
The US military “neutralized” the threats and attacked Iranian military facilities that were responsible for the attacks – including missile and drone launch pads, command and control centers and intelligence and surveillance centers, it said. No escalation is being sought, but US forces will be protected.
What does Iran say?
After the latest attacks, the Iranian military accused the USA of violating the ceasefire that Trump had recently extended unilaterally for an indefinite period of time. The US military attacked an Iranian oil tanker that was traveling from Iran’s coastal waters towards the Strait of Hormuz, the pro-government broadcaster Press TV quoted Iranian headquarters Khatam al-Anbiya as saying.
According to Press TV, the Iranian military continued to accuse the USA of carrying out air strikes on civilian areas along the coast and on the island of Gheshm in the Strait of Hormuz with the support of “regional countries”. The Iranian armed forces responded immediately and attacked US military ships east of the Strait of Hormuz.
Where are there more attacks?
Early in the morning, the Emirates reported new attacks. The Defense Ministry said air defense is currently repelling missile and drone attacks from Iran. Iran attacked the Gulf state on Monday and Tuesday for the first time since the ceasefire began around four weeks ago. The Iranian armed forces had described their attack as a response to a US initiative to open the blocked Strait of Hormuz, which Trump then suspended on Tuesday.
What does Trump say?
Trump again called on Iran to quickly sign a peace agreement. Otherwise, the US military will hit Iranian units much harder and much more violently in the future, he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Iran is “led by MAD people, and if they had the chance to use a nuclear weapon, they would without question – but they will never get that opportunity.”
US President Donald Trump rages against Iran.Image: keystone
Trump further wrote that the Iranian attackers had suffered serious damage. Their boats sank and their missiles and drones were shot down. “They fell so beautifully onto the ocean, as if a butterfly were falling into its grave!” A normal country would have let these destroyers pass, but Iran is not a normal country. The US ships would now rejoin the US naval blockade against Iran.
ABC News reported that Trump told the station in a telephone interview that “the ceasefire is in effect, it stands.” He compared the attacks on Iran to a small, playful slap in the face. A little later, Trump told journalists that it would be obvious when the ceasefire no longer applies. Then a lot of smoke would rise from Iran – an allusion to a massive bombardment that Trump has already threatened several times.
Iranian response to agreement with US is still pending
What’s next?
According to media reports, the White House is currently waiting for a reaction from Iran to a unilateral declaration of intent with 14 points. The aim is, among other things, to create a framework for negotiations that will initially last 30 days in order to end the war. An easing of US sanctions and agreements on the future of the Strait of Hormuz are also being discussed. In addition, a basis for negotiations on Iran’s controversial nuclear program should be created.
The declared war goal of the USA is to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear program in order to develop nuclear weapons. For Washington, this also includes the complete removal of highly enriched uranium from Iran and the dismantling of its enrichment capacities. To build nuclear weapons, uranium must be very highly enriched. Iran has claimed for years that its nuclear program is purely civilian in nature. (dab/sda/dpa)