US, Iran Clash Near Hormuz as Response on Proposed Deal Awaited

By Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Patrick Sykes and Omar Tamo

May 8, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The US and Iran clashed near the Strait of Hormuz, an escalation that threatens to further fracture a fragile ceasefire as the two sides discuss a permanent end to the war. 

US forces targeted missile and drone launch sites and other military assets in Iran that they said were responsible for attacking three US warships transiting the strait. No vessels were hit, US Central Command said. A monthlong ceasefire remains in effect, President Donald Trump said.

The clashes risk undermining talks over a US-proposed deal to end the war that began in February. Iran is expected to send a response via Pakistan, acting as a mediator, in the next two days, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Trump threatened more intense strikes if Iran refuses his terms, raising the risk of a longer war that has already killed thousands and sparked a global energy crisis.

“Just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their Deal signed, FAST,” Trump said in a social media post. “It might not happen, but it could happen any day,” Trump told reporters later, referring to a possible agreement.

Brent crude-oil futures rose 1.3% to $101.38 a barrel. Asian equities fell 1.1%, pulling back from a record close after Wall Street benchmarks also retreated from their peaks. European natural gas also advanced during thin trading in Asia, with front-month futures climbing 3.8%.

The war, which began when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically flows.

Before the clashes near Hormuz were announced, Iran said that the US had targeted two of its oil tankers in the area, according to a Press TV report citing the country’s joint military command. It also accused the US of striking civilian areas along its southern coast and on Qeshm Island “with the cooperation of some regional countries,” the report said.

The United Arab Emirates, which has borne the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory strikes on US allies in the region, said Friday morning that its air defenses were intercepting missiles and drones targeting the country.

The US “does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces,” Centcom said.

The US “eliminated inbound threats and targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking US forces including missile and drone launch sites,” according to the statement. USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason transited Hormuz and reached the Gulf of Oman without any US assets being struck, it said.

Iran’s leaders haven’t indicated whether they will accept the terms of the US offer, though they have shown little sign of yielding on their nuclear program or accepting a moratorium on enriching uranium — both top US demands.

“They trifled with us today. We blew them away,” Trump said in a brief appearance in Washington. “I’ll let you know when there’s no ceasefire,” he added. “You’re not going to have to know, you’ll just have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.”

In a bid to ease the crisis, the US president had announced “Project Freedom,” an initiative to help ships transit the strait, before abruptly suspending it. 

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the US military’s ability to use regional bases, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, a move that could allow the Trump administration to restart the effort to ease traffic through the strait.

A Central Command official referred questions about the reporting on the bases to the Saudi and Kuwaiti governments. Asked whether Project Freedom would be restarted, the official declined to speculate. The Kuwaiti and Saudi embassies did not respond to requests for comment.

Here’s more related to the war:

• Washington relayed a one-page memo to the Islamic Republic that could reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and lift the US blockade, according to the person familiar with the matter. That would set the stage for a month of talks aimed at securing a final agreement to bring the 10-week conflict to a close.
• Gasoline prices breached $4.50 a gallon for the first time since July 2022, according to the American Automobile Association. This adds pressure on Trump, six months from midterm elections in which energy costs will be a central focus.
• Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping May 14-15 in Beijing. The summit already has been rescheduled once because of the war. There is unease among Chinese officials about holding the high-stakes meeting before the war in Iran is resolved, people familiar with the matter said.
• Trump is due to deliver remarks Friday, the White House said, without providing details about the topic.
• Israel said it killed a Hezbollah commander in a southern suburb of Beirut, its first strike on the city since a ceasefire began in Lebanon last month.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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This article contains reporting from Bloomberg, published under license.

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