Rescue workers at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Habbouch, in southern Lebanon, on May 7, 2026 (AFP / Abbas FAKIH)
Here are the latest developments related to the war in the Middle East on Friday:
– Arrival in South Korea of a first oil tanker passing through Hormuz
An oil tanker having crossed the Strait of Hormuz arrived in South Korea on Friday, becoming the first boat of its type to reach this Asian peninsula by this strategic route since it was blocked in the context of the war in the Middle East.
This ship, the Odessa, crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, an anonymous source told AFP, during a brief lull in the blockade.
The arrival of the boat flying the Maltese flag and carrying a million barrels of crude oil, or almost half of this country’s daily consumption according to industry sources at AFP, should help to ease Seoul’s concerns.
– The United Arab Emirates says it intercepts missiles and drones coming from Iran
The air defense of the United Arab Emirates was in action Friday morning against drones and missiles fired from Iran, its Defense Ministry announced, while a truce has officially been in force since April 8 between the United States and Iran.
“The air defenses of the United Arab Emirates are engaged in combat against missile and drone attacks coming from Iran,” wrote the Emirati ministry in a press release on X. Tehran did not immediately comment on this episode.
– Oil starts to rise again on Friday
After briefly falling by more than 5% on Thursday, oil prices largely moderated their losses and started to rise again in the Asian session.
Around 04:30 GMT, a barrel of Brent for delivery in July rose 1.65% to $101.71 and its American equivalent, a barrel of WTI, rose 1.54% to $96.27.
– Trump says ceasefire still in effect
In reaction to the attack on American ships, Donald Trump threatened Iran on his Truth Social network with “violent” retaliation if it did not sign an agreement “quickly”.
The American president, however, assured journalists on Thursday evening that this “trifle” did not call into question the ceasefire, in force since April 8.
“They played with us today. We swept them aside. (…) I call it a trifle,” he declared.
– US military says it hit Iran after attack on three of its ships
The US military has “targeted Iranian military installations” after three of its ships were attacked while crossing the Strait of Hormuz towards the Gulf of Oman.
“US forces intercepted unprovoked Iranian attacks and responded with defensive strikes as US Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman,” US Middle East Command wrote on X.
The US military “neutralized threats and targeted Iranian military installations responsible for attacks against US forces, including missile and drone launch sites”, he continued.
– Iran accuses the United States of violating the ceasefire
The Iranian military command accused the US military of violating the ceasefire by attacking ships near the Strait of Hormuz.
The American army “targeted an Iranian oil tanker (…) as well as another boat”, affirmed the command of the armed forces Khatam Al-Anbiya, also accusing the United States of having carried out strikes on the south of Iran “in cooperation with other countries in the region”.
Iranian forces “immediately responded by attacking American military ships, (…) inflicting significant damage on them,” he added.
– Lebanon: Israeli strikes kill at least 12 people
Israeli strikes left at least 12 dead in southern Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Health Ministry, with Israel continuing its attacks against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement despite the ceasefire.
These strikes come as a US State Department official announced the holding of “discussions between Lebanon and Israel” on May 14 and 15 in Washington.
– Hormuz: United States and Gulf countries pressure the UN to condemn Iran
The United States and Gulf countries called on the UN Security Council on Thursday to demand that Iran stop “preventing” navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while a draft resolution to this effect is threatened with veto by Russia.
“We believe in fundamental principles, such as freedom of navigation for all countries in the world. That’s what is at stake here,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told reporters, surrounded by his counterparts from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait.
