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Tuesday May 5 recap included the new rules for the Strait of Hormuz including how the tolls would work, President Trump pausing Operation Freedom, multiple senior US officials holding press conferences, activity halted in the Strait, a French ship hit with a missile near Abu Dhabi, and much more.
New rules for the Strait of Hormuz published:
Iran officially published their new mechanism for managing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, requiring vessels to obtain prior authorisation before transit.
Under the new framework, approved ships will receive an official email from info@PGSA.ir outlining the rules and conditions of passage, with shipping operators required to adjust their operations accordingly and source a transit permit in advance.
According to Press TV, the initiative is described as a ‘sovereign regulatory system’ now in effect in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of oil trade passes.
Iranian armed forces have tightened control over the strait following the war that started on February 28, with restrictions on vessels associated with the US and Israel.
At the legislative level, a draft bill under consideration in Parliament would formalise a permanent ban on US and Israeli-linked shipping while introducing a structured toll system for other commercial vessels transiting the Strait.
Iranian officials had earlier signalled conditional openness to reopening the route following a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire, but later reinstated stricter controls after the violations by Israel that were authorised by the USA in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Headquarters confirmed that Iran hadn’t carried out any missile or drone operations against the UAE in recent days, denying any reports of attacks against their country, claiming that if any action had have taken place, it would have been announced decisively and clearly.
“UAE should not become a nest for Americans and Zionists and their military equipment – regrettably, the UAE has become one of the main bases. We warn the UAE if any action is taken against Iran’s soil, we will give a crushing and regretful response,” he said, adding that Iran had shown restraint so far only for the sake of the security of Muslim brothers and sisters in the UAE.
Iran’s IRGC Navy has issued a sharp warning to vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, urging all ships to strictly adhere to a designated maritime route previously announced by it, reported Al Mayadeen, adding that the statement said any deviation from this route is considered ‘unsafe and would be met with a decisive response’ from the Navy.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held a scheduled press conference, claiming that Iran were embarrassed because they said they controlled the Strait, but they don’t: “As a direct gift to the world, we have established a powerful red, white and blue dome over the Strait,” he said.
Despite the positive rhetoric from the United States over the 48-hours since Project Freedom had started, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that Pakistan and other countries had said that due to the tremendous military success and the fact that progress had been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran, there is an agreement that the blockade will still remain in force, but Project Freedom would be paused to see whether an agreement could be finalised or signed.
Other news from the Strait of Hormuz:
Maritime navigation data showed that only one cargo ship was trackable in the Strait of Hormuz, and it was Iranian, which came hours after Hegseth claimed that Iran had no control over the Strait, reported Fars, while Bloomberg reported around 400 commercial ships were gathered near Dubai in the new area announced by Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz was almost empty.
However, there appeared to have been GPS spoofing taking place on Tuesday morning, with multiple vessels suddenly appearing and disappearing.
UKTMO reported in the evening that a French-owned cargo vessel had been struck by an unknown projectile (possibly a cruise missile) in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a verified source, adding that no details on the crew or any environmental impact were immediately available.
CBS News reported that the vessel that was struck is the CGM San Antonio, which was hit by a suspected land-attack cruise missile launched from the Bandar Abbas area and captured by locals on camera, while two US officials told CBS that the ship was owned by a French company and confirmed it was hit late Tuesday near Dubai, though its current position remained unclear.
The South Korean ship, the HMM Namu, is expected to arrive in Dubai on Thursday night or Friday morning Seoul time, where it will be inspected to determine the cause of the fire, Reuters reported.
UAE and Israel are wanting the war to resume:
Israel said they were communicating with the US as rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz potentially threatened the ceasefire on Monday, an Israeli source told CNN, claiming the coordination included preparing for a possible new round of strikes on Iran.
CNN said the strikes would focus on energy infrastructure and targeted killings of senior officials, and added that the goal would be a short campaign to pressure Iran into negotiations, though any decision to resume fighting rested with President Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with President Mohammed Bin Zayed of the UAE and other Gulf leaders against the backdrop of rising tensions in Iran, reported Israel Hayom.
Kan reported that Israel and the US were coordinating steps in anticipation of renewed fighting with Iran, confirming that US officials said publicly that the attacks by Iran didn’t constitute a pretext to strike Iran, but alertness remained high, adding that US Ambassador Mike Huckabee met Netanyahu on Sunday in a rare meeting.
An Israeli military correspondent for Israeli Channel 13 stated that they had anticipated a call from Washington last night regarding the renewal of hostilities against Iran, but it did not come, adding that since the ceasefire, no American pilots had departed from Israel.
During the evening, the Israelis sent a message to President Trump saying that negotiations were a waste of time and the current escalation must be exploited to return to fighting: “The army informed the political leadership that without the extraction of the enriched uranium, the outcome of the campaign would be a failure,” it added.
The UAE published a message that condemned the attack on the ADNOC vessel by Iran, claiming they have the right to retaliate, and had told Israel in Monday’s recap that the United Arab Emirates would attack Iran in response to the attacks on the vessel and the ports, despite Iran denying the attacks.
News from the USA:
President Trump spoke with Salem News in the early hours of Tuesday morning, admitting that the US armed Iranian protestors during the January riots: “Guns were sent and other people took those guns,” he said, adding that if they had the guns, Trump was convinced they would have fought back.
Trump added: “You can’t have an unarmed population against people with AK-47s and stand there even if you have 250,000 people – they lost 42,000 people in the first two weeks, I don’t really want to see that – they have to have guns, I think they’re getting some guns, [and] as soon as they have guns, they’ll fight as good as anybody is there.”
Secretary of War was asked by reporters during the press briefing whether Iran had broken the ceasefire when they fired on the US Navy ships, to which Hegseth replied: “No, the ceasefire is not over, this is a separate project – right now, the ceasefire certainly holds, but we’re going to be watching it very closely.”
Hegseth’s comments echoed President Trump’s remarks late on Monday night where the President also confirmed that Iran hadn’t violated the ceasefire, the missiles and drones were ‘dealt with easily,’ and that it wasn’t an escalation in any way.
The Secretary of War added that the US hoped South Korea, Japan and Australia would step up, just like they hoped Europe would step up, but they weren’t waiting for the countries to do so: “We’re looking to set the conditions to hand to them, but the President was clear, his Truth message that, hey, this is your ship, you should take part in helping to defend it.”
President Trump spoke with reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon, claiming that Iran had no chance and never did, while also alleging that Iran expressed it to Trump when he talked to them, and added that Iran should do the ‘smart thing,’ because ‘we don’t want to go in and kill people – I don’t want to – it’s too tough.’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made several claims while standing in for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, as Rubio commented about the situation in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
“Almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries are trapped inside the Gulf and left for dead in the Persian Gulf by this Iranian regime,” Rubio claimed, adding: “For more than two months now, these innocent sailors and commercial crew members have been stranded out at sea because Iran is conducting something that’s not just criminal, it’s piracy.”
Rubio claimed: “Many nations privately and some publicly have asked the US to help free their ships and to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” stating that President Trump stepped up and answered the calls for their help: “Trump has directed the US military to guide these stranded ships to safety, to provide a protective bubble under which they can operate and move product and get themselves out of there,” he said, adding that this is the first step towards reopening the strait and bringing the regime’s last-ditch act of economic arson to a close.
“The primary responsibility for ‘Project Freedom’ is on the United States, because we’re the only country that can project power in that part of the world the way we’re doing now,” he continued, saying: “This is a favour to the world because its their ships that are stranded, it’s their fuel supplies, humanitarian aid, and fertilisers that are stranded – the world is a victim of Iran, but the people of Iran are daily victims of the regime…”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves clashed over the Iran war during a recent meeting, reported the Financial Times, claiming they had a ‘fierce’ row during meetings in Washington when Reeves questioned whether the conflict had made the world safer.
Axios reported that the Trump administration informed Iran on Sunday in advance of Operation Project Freedom, warning Tehran not to interfere, adding that some US and Israeli officials believed Trump could give an order to resume the war later this week if the diplomatic stalemate continued.
US Central Command announced that USS George H W Bush was now in the Arabian Sea and officially in operational reach for any new military in Iran while US forces continued the Naval blockade against Iran from the Gulf of Oman and support Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine released an image that showed the timeline of Operation Epic Fury from the start of the ceasefire until Tuesday, including the locations of vessel strikes, along with clusters of cargo and tanker ships, and also confirmed that Iran attacked the US war ships yesterday as they sailed to the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
A reward of up to $10 million for information on Akram Abbas al-Kabi, the founder and leader of the Iranian-aligned Harakat al-Nujaba, by the US State Department.
Two USAF refueler aircraft squawked 7700 emergencies over the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, with one appearing to head towards Bahrain area before being lost on transponder, while the other, a KC-46A, also turned off transponder soon after the Squawk.
NBC News reported that the two US commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday had US military security teams on board as Iran launched attacks against them using missiles, drones, and armed boats, but the US forces intercepted the threats and destroyed the boats, with officials describing the presence of security teams as a ‘prudent security measure.’
News from Iran:
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X that if politics is reduced to power, the result is today’s world; chaos, oppression, injustice, and piracy, adding that “in Iran’s national ethics and religious worldview, power without ethics is hollow, so Today, Iran represented ethical, responsible power; its enemies embody reckless & unchecked force.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi confirmed in a call with Iranian President Pezeshkian that Iraq was capable of playing a mediating role between Tehran and Washington, noting that Iran’s strength today isn’t exclusive but is a support for all Muslims and Shiites, adding that the strength was what helped Iraq deal with Daesh, while Pezeshkian said that Iraq should use their contacts with American officials to advise them to remove the military threat from the region, because followers of the Shia sect cannot be forced to surrender through the language of force.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei wasn’t happy with the censorship of the west against Iranian officials on social media, taking to X to comment that the blue check had been removed from Iran’s MFA Spokesperson’s account, which followed the stripping of the Ministry and Minister’s verified badges, despite full Premium+ payments and accounts, claiming it was a pattern of selective censorship and American digital piracy.
Tasnim News quoted a military source who said that 5 Iranian civilians were killed in a US attack on two cargo boats in the Gulf, which were carrying civilians travelling from Khasab on the Omani coast towards the Iranian coasts, which is far different from the ‘6 IRGC fast boats’ that were allegedly attacked and sunk by the US Navy.
Iran’s Oil Minister said the reconstruction of the damaged oil industry facilities would be carried out as quickly as possible, and it was currently proceeding at an appropriate pace.
The two stolen Iranian-affiliated tankers seized by the USA in April have been transferred to the Diego Garcia base, reported Fars News, stating the transfer of these ships towards a remote military island in the Indian Ocean indicated that Oman, the UAE and Pakistan hadn’t allowed the US to dock these tankers at their ports.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry put out a statement on Tuesday night rejecting Abu Dhabi’s allegations about targeting it, claiming the actions of Iran’s armed forces are solely aimed at repelling American aggression, while condemning the destructive actions of the rulers of Abu Dhabi, their collusion with hostile parties, and their continued hosting of US military bases.
Provincial authorities in Iran’s Hormozgan Province said air defences engaged micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) and reconnaissance drones over Qeshm Island, with no damage or explosions reported.
Senior Iranian official Mohsen Rezaee said on X that the President of the United States, the Secretary of War and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shared one trait – they sold their delusions as achievements, warning that Iran’s armed forces were ready, and not to indulge in illusions.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Beijing on Tuesday night to discuss and exchange views with his Chinese counterpart on bilateral relations, as well as regional and international developments during this scheduled trip, meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi ahead of the meeting with other officials.
Chinese FM Yi said in the meeting that the war against Iran was illegitimate and illegal, assuring that China were ready to continue efforts to reduce tensions as the region passed through a decisive turning point, and direct meetings between the two sides were essential, while establishing a complete ceasefire is necessary and unavoidable.
FM Araghchi said the war started against Iran is a clear act of aggression and a blatant violation of international laws, stating that Iran will only accept a fair and comprehensive agreement.
Eight people died and 41 were injured at the Arghavan commercial passage in Andisheh Shahriar, according to the spokesperson for the Tehran Province Emergency Centre Shervin Tabrizi, who reported the death of 8 people, and said the number of injured was 41, most of whom had minor wounds treated at the site, while one person was transferred for treatment at hospital, as investigations are continuing into various aspects of the incident and the public and revolutionary prosecutor ordered the arrest of the property builder and continues to investigate other suspects.
Other News:
China’s small businesses are openly exporting dual-use drone components – including engines, batteries, fibre-optic cables and chips – to Iran and Russia, often in defiance of USA sanctions, the WSJ reported, stating that US officials said stopping the trade is difficult because drones rely on common commercial parts that are easy to move through global supply chains, while many Chinese suppliers are small firms with little exposure to US sanctions and increasingly operate openly.
Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with Algeria to purchase crude oil, announced the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum in a statement that Karim Badawi, Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum, and Mohamed Arkab, Algeria’s Minister of Energy, were present in Algeria for the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and the Algerian state company Sonatrach.
German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephul said Germany were ready to take responsibility for protecting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after the end of the war: “A German reconnaissance ship is on its way to the Mediterranean Sea,” he confirmed.
Israel have found a surplus of jet fuel and is set to supply Germany following a request form the German energy authorities in a move coordinated by Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, with the Israeli approval coming after Cohen instructed officials to examine the possibility of responding positively, and an internal review found surplus production available for export, but the final export options will depend on how the current security situation develops, Israeli Channel 12 reported.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they see a stalemate in the negotiation process to resolve the situation in the Gulf region and call in all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
Dubai’s tourism industry has been shocked by the flight of foreigners since the outbreak of the war, which has also had a devastating impact on tourism while hotels and businesses had been damaged, reported the Middle East Eye, claiming reports indicated that thousands had cancelled their trips or left Dubai, while reduced flights, insecurity and security concerns had caused hotels to remain empty and local businesses facing a sharp decline in revenue.
Monday’s drone attack on the UAE was a small test for a potential full-scale war in the future, reported FortrosResistance, claiming that if the situation escalates into a full-scale infrastructure war, the pipeline which is the UAE’s last hope for bypassing the Strait to export oil and petroleum products, along with Saudi Arabia’s Jubail-Yanbu pipeline, would likely be among Iran’s first heavy strikes, in an attempt to put them out of operation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a drone cooperation deal to Bahrain during a visit on Tuesday, where the President said he discussed Iran’s strikes on Bahrain and the Strait of Hormuz with King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa: “Our country is facing similar terrorist strikes almost every day, and our people have relevant experience in full-scale defence,” Zelensky said on X: “Ukraine is ready to share this security expertise in Bahrain and help strengthen the protection of life.”
