US Central Command stated that a US aircraft fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Gambia-flagged cargo ship M/V Lian Star in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel ignored more than 20 warnings while attempting to reach an Iranian port [3][5][8][9]. Separately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had shot down a US MQ-1 Predator drone that entered Iranian airspace near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the drone's mission as a "hostile operation" [2][6][4]. CENTCOM denied that any US aircraft had been shot down [28]. Bloomberg reported that an Iranian Fateh-110 missile targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, injuring approximately five US servicemen and contractors and destroying at least one MQ-9 Reaper drone [14][12]. The three incidents occurred within roughly 48 hours, days after negotiators had reportedly agreed on a ceasefire extension that was pending President Donald Trump's approval.
The US government framed its naval operations as lawful enforcement of a blockade imposed in April. CENTCOM said it had now disabled five commercial vessels and redirected 116 others since the blockade began [8][9]. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth stated that Washington was "more than capable" of restarting the war if a satisfactory deal was not reached [1]. Trump told Fox News that the Strait of Hormuz "must be opened immediately and without any transit fees" and that Tehran "must be permanently prevented from acquiring any nuclear weapon," adding that US forces would withdraw once both conditions were met [13]. A White House official told AFP that "President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines" [1].
Iran's armed forces headquarters, the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, issued a statement asserting that "the management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran" and warning that all vessels must obtain IRGC Navy permission or face targeting [1]. Deputy Commander of the Iranian Army for Coordination Habibollah Sayyari stated that "the Army of the Islamic Republic stands firmly and resolutely against any hostile move by the enemy" [8]. Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mohsen Rezaei accused Trump of "betraying diplomacy for the third time" by continuing the blockade while negotiations were under way [1]. Iranian legislator Alireza Salimi said a plan "to implement Iran's management and sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz will soon be approved by parliament" [1]. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that "no final agreement has been reached" despite continuing exchanges of messages [1].
The drone shootdown produced a direct factual dispute. The IRGC stated the MQ-1 was "detected immediately" and struck by what Infobae translated as "los modernos misiles de defensa antiaérea de la Guardia Revolucionaria" (the Revolutionary Guard's modern anti-aircraft defense missiles) [4]. CENTCOM denied any aircraft loss [28]. Japanese coverage highlighted this contradiction as a central unresolved uncertainty [28].
The missile strike on Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait carried a separate set of competing accounts. A US official told ABC News that injuries were minor and caused by falling debris from an intercepted missile [11]. Iranian state broadcaster PressTV relayed Bloomberg's casualty figures but added IRGC statements that the base was deliberately targeted in retaliation for a prior US strike near a site close to the port city of Bandar Abbas [15]. RT reported that the US military had earlier "destroyed five Iranian kamikaze drones 'that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz' and struck a military site near the port city of Bandar Abbas," framing the Kuwait strike as part of a limited exchange [12]. CNN Arabic debunked a viral video falsely claiming to show the moment of the Kuwait strike, identifying it as footage from a 2024 attack in Israel, while confirming the actual missile launch and interception [16].
Le Monde, in an analysis published earlier in May, described the situation at the Strait as a "double blocage" (double blockade) produced jointly by US naval operations and Iranian counter-measures, arguing that both sides contribute to the closure rather than one party acting alone [17]. That framing contrasts with CENTCOM's characterization of a unilateral US enforcement operation [8] and Iran's assertion of sovereign management [1].
The economic consequences of the dual closure registered across multiple continents. Euronews Persian reported in April that Iran was losing an estimated $435 million per day, with 90 percent of its non-oil trade disrupted [21]. BBC Persian noted that even food and medicine exempted from the blockade would face higher costs [22]. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that the Strait closure created a financial gap between Gulf neighbors: Saudi revenues rose 10 percent while UAE revenues fell 25 percent [24]. Lianhe Zaobao reported in April that China, which purchased over 80 percent of Iran's oil exports in 2025, faced what the outlet described as a "fatal blow" to its private refineries [25]. BBC Chinese provided a multi-country assessment noting Japan and South Korea facing supply crises, China drawing on stockpiles, and Russia benefiting from redirected demand [26]. Aaj Tak reported in March that India, which imports roughly 50 percent of its crude via the Strait, had only 10 to 15 days of refinery stock remaining at that time [27]. Insurance broker Marsh expected war-risk rates for tankers transiting the Strait to settle at at least double pre-crisis levels [20].
Qatar's deputy prime minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, opposed permanent transit fees but suggested that temporary, purpose-limited fees — "for mine clearing or some usage of the fees for a temporary time" — could be negotiable and "help the transit of the Strait of Hormuz to be back to normal stage" [5].
On the broader regional front, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of a "scorched-earth policy" as Israeli forces expanded their ground invasion toward Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah reported continued attacks on northern Israel [10].
Trump stated the US was close to a "very good deal" with Iran [13]. Iran's foreign ministry said no final agreement had been reached [1]. The M/V Lian Star remained adrift in the Gulf of Oman; US forces had not boarded it [5].