Naval Blockade

The US launched a fifth day of strikes on Iranian military targets and reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while the IRGC seized at least two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and threatened regional oil routes. Iran reported seven soldiers killed in a US missile strike on an army base in Bampur. US, Israeli, and Lebanese officials agreed to move to expanded technical talks on a Lebanon framework, as Israeli artillery and airstrikes continued in southern Lebanon. In Gaza, the IDF eliminated a Hamas terrorist involved in the October 7 abduction of three soldiers and killed two Nukhba commanders in the north.

The US launched a fourth consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets and reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran retaliated with ballistic missile attacks on Jordan and strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. President Trump reversed his plan for a 20% Hormuz toll, replacing it with Gulf investment deals, and threatened to bomb Iranian bridges and power plants unless talks resume. US-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon continued in Rome, with Israel signaling readiness to withdraw from two pilot zones in south Lebanon.

The US launched a third consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, as the IRGC claimed a ballistic missile attack on a US air base in Jordan. Houthi rebels struck Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport in retaliation for a strike on Sanaa airport, and oil prices hit a one-month high amid escalating Hormuz tensions.

Iran submitted a new 14-point proposal via Pakistan, which a senior US official dismissed as containing only 'cosmetic improvements.' The IDF killed a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander in Baalbek, Lebanon, and intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla off Cyprus. Hezbollah launched rockets and drones at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, triggering sirens in northern Israel.

Hezbollah launched multiple rocket and drone attacks on Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on May 2, with no IDF injuries reported. The IDF struck over 50 Hezbollah targets since Friday, killing at least 13 in southern Lebanon. The US announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany amid a diplomatic spat over the Iran war, while China urged the UN to reverse the termination of UNIFIL's mandate in Lebanon.

President Trump told Iran to 'just give up' and vowed to maintain the naval blockade until a nuclear deal is reached, as Brent crude surged past $117 per barrel and the UAE confirmed its exit from OPEC effective May 1. The IDF intercepted a Gaza-bound flotilla in international waters near Crete, while Hezbollah continued loitering-glider attacks on Israeli armor in southern Lebanon and the IDF struck over 30 Hezbollah sites. In London, police declared the stabbing of two Jewish men a terrorist incident, with an Iran-linked group claiming responsibility.