This live blog follows updates for Day 70 of the US-Israel war on Iran. For a recap of Day 69, go here.

• Iran says redirects US-sanctioned oil tanker to its shores
• Trump warns Iran against drone attacks on US warships in Truth Social meme
• EU agency opens door to using US jet fuel as shortages loom
• German industry hit amid Mideast war: Data
• British Airways parent says Mideast war to hit annual profits

Trump says expecting Iran response to latest proposal 'tonight'

Published: May 8, 2026 | 23:33 GMT | By AFP

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he was expecting Iran's response to Washington's latest proposal on a deal to ending the Middle East war by "tonight."

"I'm getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we'll see how that goes," Trump told reporters outside the White House.

Oil slick off Iran's Kharg Island: report

Published: May 8, 2026 | 21:53 GMT | By AFP

An oil slick is spreading off the coast of Iran's Kharg Island, a key oil export terminal for the Islamic republic, The New York Times reported Friday, citing satellite images.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the apparent spill, which was located off the island's west coast.

It appeared to cover more than 20 square miles (52 square kilometers) as of Thursday, according to an estimate by Orbital EOS, which monitors oil spills.

The slick appeared to be spreading southward toward Saudi waters.

Kharg Island is at the heart of Iran's oil export industry, a lynchpin of the country's battered economy, and lies in the Gulf, north of the narrow, strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Qatar PM urges Iran talks, discusses Pakistan mediation with JD Vance

Published: May 8, 2026 | 21:10 GMT | By Web Desk

Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional developments, and Pakistani mediation efforts aimed at reducing tensions and promoting lasting regional peace.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the need for all parties to engage with the ongoing mediation efforts, to pave the way for addressing the root causes of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, leading to a comprehensive agreement that achieves lasting peace in the region,” the Qatari foreign ministry said on X.

The discussion focused on the close strategic cooperation between Doha and Washington, and ways to support and strengthen it in various fields.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a central mediator in the ongoing diplomatic process, facilitating initial contacts between Washington and Tehran while urging all sides to uphold the ceasefire.

Lebanon raises toll from Israeli strikes to 10

Published: May 8, 2026 | 20:51 GMT | AFP

Israeli strikes on Friday killed 10 people in four locations in southern Lebanon, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll.

The dead include two children and three women, it said. Despite a truce in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, fighting has not stopped in south Lebanon, where an Israeli strike also killed a civil defense rescuer earlier in the day.

Hezbollah claims new attack targeting military base in Israel

Published: May 8, 2026 | 19:43 GMT | AFP

Hezbollah said it launched a swarm of drones at an airbase in northern Israel on Friday, after having claimed another attack targeting an Israeli base earlier in the day.

The launches were in response to an Israeli attack on Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, as well as ongoing strikes in Lebanon's south.

Iran vows to continue 'struggle against oppression'

Published: May 8, 2026 | 17:28 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that the struggle "against oppression" was deeply rooted in the history of Tehran while referring to the recent attacks on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Just as tolerance is deeply rooted in the culture of our people, the struggle against oppression shines in the history of this land. This identity will continue for the exaltation of Iran's name," he said on a post on his X account.

He said Iran was willing to expand friendly relations with countries based on "mutual respect and shared interests," further adding that "colonialism and exploitation will have no place in the future world."

Iran calls US narcissistic after attacks in Hormuz
Published: May 8, 2026 | 16:05 GMT | by Web Desk

Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has warned against “adventurism and roguish behaviour” following US military attacks on Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. 

"Scheming and naive euphemisms such as ‘a light slap’ would not erase the profound disgrace born of narcissism, greed, reckless miscalculation, and lawless irresponsibility," he said on a post on his X account.

Baqaei, while criticizing the US leadership, said, “the deeper they sink into folly, the more inventive they become in justifying it.”

Hezbollah says launched missiles at military base in north Israel
Published: May 8, 2026 | 14:35 GMT | by AFP

Hezbollah on Friday said it launched missiles at a military base in northern Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs despite a truce.

In a statement, the group said it targeted a base south of the Israeli city of Nahariya. The Israeli military had said earlier that sirens sounded in several northern cities.

Israel struck Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday, killing a Hezbollah commander in the first attack on the area in a month.

US says opened fire to disable two Iran-flagged ships violating port blockade
Published: May 8, 2026 | 14:28 GMT | by AFP

US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tanker that attempted to violate the American blockade of Iran's ports, the US military said on Friday.

A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet "disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran," US Central Command said in a post on X that included footage of the strikes on the two vessels.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported fresh "sporadic clashes" with US naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, following a flare-up the night before.

"For the last hour, sporadic clashes have taken place between the Iranian armed forces and American vessels in the Strait of Hormuz," the Fars news agency said.

Iran attack on UAE leaves three injured: ministry
Published: May 8, 2026 | 13:49 GMT | by AFP

The United Arab Emirates on Friday said an Iranian missile and drone attack on the country resulted in three moderate injuries.

"The UAE air defense systems engaged 2 ballistic missiles and 3 UAVs launched from Iran, resulting in 3 moderate injuries," the defense ministry said on X.

The UAE has reported multiple missile and drone attacks from Iran this week, the first since a ceasefire came into effect last month.

Iran had previously denied launching recent attacks on the UAE.

Iran says US committed a 'blatant violation' of truce after overnight clash
Published: May 8, 2026 | 13:45 GMT | by AFP

Iran said the United States on Friday breached their truce, as both sides blamed the other for triggering an overnight clash in the Strait of Hormuz.

"The action carried out last night was both a blatant violation of international law and a breach of the ceasefire," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to the ISNA news agency.

"At the same time, the country's defenders delivered a 'major slap' to the enemy and repelled the enemies' aggression with full force," he continued.

US stocks rise after solid April jobs data
Published: May 8, 2026 | 13:56 GMT | by AFP

Wall Street stocks bounced early Friday following better-than- expected US jobs data as markets awaited further signs on the prospects of peace talks between Washington and Tehran.

US job growth came in at 115,000 in April, more than double the level projected by analysts. Analysts welcomed the figures, but warned of rising pressures on consumers due to inflation from spiking oil prices.

About 15 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1% to 49,664.74.

The broad-based S&P 500 gained 0.6% to 7,380.25, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index rose 1.1% to 26,088.71.

Iran official says 10 sailors wounded, five missing after overnight clash with US
Published: May 8, 2026 | 13:10 GMT | by AFP

An Iranian official said on Friday that US attacks overnight in and near the Strait of Hormuz struck an Iranian cargo vessel, wounding 10 sailors and leaving five others missing.
"During the Americans' aggressive actions last night in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz and the Makran Sea (Gulf of Oman), a cargo vessel near the waters of Minab was struck and caught fire," said Mohammad Radmehr an official in the southern Hormozgan province, according to Mehr news agency.
"Ten injured sailors have been transferred to hospital, and local groups and search teams are trying to learn the fate of the other (five) sailors," he added.
It was not immediately clear whether the cargo vessel was directly targeted.
US Central Command said Iranian forces had launched missiles, drones and small boats at three US warships overnight but that none were hit, while American forces destroyed the incoming threat and retaliated against land bases in Iran.
Iran's military targeted the US ships after they targeted "an Iranian oil tanker" moving from Iran's coastal waters as well as another ship entering the Strait of Hormuz opposite the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.

Rubio says expecting Iran response to US proposal on Friday

Published: May 8, 2026 | 12:18 GMT | by AFP

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was expecting a response from Iran on Friday to US proposals for a deal to end the conflict.

"We're expecting a response from them today at some point... I hope it's a serious offer, I really do," Rubio told reporters during a visit to Rome.

He also stated it’s “unacceptable” for Iran to control strait of Hormuz, following a report that Tehran has created an authority to approve transit through the vital waterway.

"Iran now claims that they own, that they have a right to control, an international waterway... That's an unacceptable thing that they're trying to normalize," Rubio said.

Israeli strike kills 4 in south Lebanon: health ministry

Published: May 8, 2026 | 11:53 GMT | by AFP

An Israeli strike on Friday killed four people including two women in the southern Lebanon town of Toura, the health ministry said, as state media and AFP correspondents reported Israel was conducting widespread strikes.

Despite a truce in the war, fighting has not stopped in south Lebanon, where an Israeli strike killed a civil defense rescuer earlier in the day.

Iran says redirects US-sanctioned oil tanker to its shores

Published: May 8, 2026 | 10:34 GMT | by AFP

Iran said on Friday it redirected a US-sanctioned oil tanker carrying Iranian oil back to its shores, though it was unclear from its statement why it would have returned it.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran's navy, through a specially planned operation in the Sea of Oman, seized the offending tanker Ocean Koi," the army said in a statement carried by state television, adding that the oil belonged to the "Islamic republic".

It said the ship was redirected to Iran's southern shores after it sought "to damage and disrupt Iran's oil exports," without elaborating.

Trump warns Iran against drone attacks on US warships in Truth Social meme

Published: May 8, 2026 | 10:14 GMT | by Web Desk

In what appears to be a meme posted on the US president’s Truth Social account on Friday, Trump apparently issued a warning to the Iranian military against using drones to target US warships in the region.

The image highlights the prowess of the US Navy, which is known for equipping its warships with laser weapons to counter Iranian drones and small boats.

Earlier, on Thursday, President Trump said US forces had inflicted “great damage” on Iranian targets after three American naval destroyers came under fire, but added that he was still open to a deal with Tehran.

EU agency opens door to using US jet fuel as shortages loom

Published: May 8, 2026 | 09:51 GMT | by AFP

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency cleared the way Friday for the possible use of US jet fuel in the bloc, which is seeking ways to confront the threat of shortages due to the Middle East war.

In new recommendations on Jet A, a US-produced fuel not currently used in Europe for technical reasons, EASA said: "A potential introduction of Jet A in Europe or in other parts of the world would not generate safety concerns provided that its introduction is properly managed."

German industry hit amid Mideast war: Data

Published: May 8, 2026 | 09:31 GMT | by AFP

German industry is struggling to recover as the Middle East war heightens uncertainty and raises costs, data suggested Friday, hitting Europe's top economy amid a prolonged slump.

Industrial production fell 0.7% in March versus February, federal statistics office Destatis said, while Germany's monthly trade surplus of 14.3 billion euros ($16.8 billion) was its lowest since May 2023, with imports rising much faster than exports.

Taken together the data suggested that Germany's economy was growing more slowly than the previously reported rate of 0.3% in the first quarter, ING bank analyst Carsten Brzeski said.

"Downward revision of first quarter growth has become more likely," he said, adding the data suggested that Germany's economy had "worsened with the start of the war in the Middle East".

British Airways parent says Mideast war to hit annual profits

Published: May 8, 2026 | 09:05 GMT | by AFP

IAG, parent group of British Airways and Spanish carrier Iberia, said Friday that the Middle East war will lower its annual profits despite a strong start to 2026.

"Whilst the first quarter was relatively unaffected by the Middle East conflict we expect it to have a more substantial impact throughout the rest of the year as the increase in the fuel cost starts to manifest itself," IAG said in an earnings statement.

"As a result we expect our profit to be lower than originally anticipated at the beginning of the year."

IRGC Navy strikes US military vessels in counterattack: Iranian media

Published: May 8, 2026 | 08:58 GMT | by Web Desk

The  Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Command, in a statement released in the wee hours of May 8, said, “Following the violation of the ceasefire and the aggression of the terrorist US military against an Iranian oil tanker near the port of Jask, and as destroyers of the terrorist US military approached the Strait of Hormuz, a very large-scale and precise combined operation was carried out.”

The statement, published by Iranian Tasnim News Agency added that IRGC naval forces “opened fire on the enemy destroyers using various types of anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles as well as destructive drones equipped with high-explosive warheads.”

“Intelligence monitoring indicates considerable damage to the American enemy, and three invading enemy warships quickly fled the Strait of Hormuz area,” the statement added.

Russia rejects US-backed anti-Iran resolution at UNSC: Envoy

Published: May 8, 2026 | 08:52 GMT | by Web Desk

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, firmly dismissed a US-backed anti-Iran resolution at the United Nations Security Council, describing it as another provocative effort by Washington to further isolate Iran, according to Iranian Mehr News Agency.

Nebenzya made the statement on Thursday evening during talks on maritime security in the Persian Gulf, where the United States and its allies have been advancing draft measures that opponents argue unfairly single out Iran’s defensive actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli artillery carries out strikes in south Lebanon

Published: May 8, 2026 | 06:31 GMT | by AFP

Israeli artillery is bombarding the outskirts of al-Mansouri and Byout el-Saiyad in southern Lebanon, with strikes also reaching the al-Mansouri-Hamra coastal area, Al Jazeera reported, citing National News Agency.

The shelling is being launched from positions located south of Tyre.

Oil tanker reaches South Korea after passing Hormuz blockade

Published: May 8, 2026 | 04:31 GMT | by AFP

An oil tanker that passed through the Strait of Hormuz arrived in South Korea on Friday, the first such vessel to reach the Asian nation by that route since Iran declared the critical waterway closed.

South Korea relies heavily on Middle Eastern fuel imports, most of which transited through Hormuz until US-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to effectively shut the strait.

The arrival of the Malta-flagged Odessa, carrying one million barrels of crude oil, will likely ease Seoul's concerns over energy security as the war in the Middle East drags on.

The hulking vessel was spotted at around 10:00 am (0100 GMT) near a mooring facility off the coast of Seosan, according to AFP reporters.

 Oil jumps, stocks fall as US-Iran clashes spark peace talks fears

Published: May 8, 2026 | 02:56 GMT | by AFP

Stocks sank and oil prices jumped Friday as US-Iran clashes in the Strait of Hormuz jolted hopes for a deal to end the war and reopen the crucial waterway.

Markets across the world have enjoyed a strong run this week on growing optimism that the 10-week conflict -- which has sent oil prices soaring -- will be concluded soon.

However, the risk-on mood was tempered on Thursday following news that US forces had carried out strikes on Iranian military targets in response to an attack on three American destroyers in the Strait, threatening a month-old ceasefire.

Trump says Iran 'trifled' with US but ceasefire still on

Published: May 8, 2026 | 00:37 GMT | by AFP

US President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's attacks on three American warships Thursday as "a trifle," saying he considered the ceasefire still active.

Asked during a visit to see renovations of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool if the Iran ceasefire was still on despite the attacks, Trump said: "Yeah it is. They trifled with us today. We blew them away. They trifled. I call that a trifle."

Lebanon says at least 12 killed in Israeli attacks

Published: May 8, 2026 | 00:20 GMT | by AFP

Lebanon's health ministry reported at least 12 people killed, including two children and a paramedic, in a series of Israeli airstrikes carried out on Thursday in spite of a ceasefire.

In separate statements, the ministry reported 11 people killed, two of them children, in strikes on three different villages in Nabatieh district. Another strike in Marajayoun district killed one paramedic from a Hezbollah-affilitated rescue service and wounded another, the ministry said.

Iran state TV reports explosions on island in Hormuz strait

Published: May 7, 2026 | 20:20 GMT | by AFP

Iranian state TV reported explosions on an island in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, saying they occurred during an "exchange of fire".

 "The explosions at the Bahman pier on Qeshm Island occurred during an exchange of fire between Iranian armed forces and the enemy," the broadcaster IRIB reported.

 Other Iranian news outlets also reported the blasts, while the Israeli military told AFP it was "not aware of such" a strike.

Trump threatens more Iran strikes if deal not signed 'fast!'

Published: May 7, 2026 | 23:09 GMT | by AFP

President Donald Trump said on Thursday US forces dealt "great damage" to Iranian targets after three American naval destroyers came under fire, but was nonetheless still open to a deal with Tehran.

"There was no damage done to the three Destroyers, but great damage done to the Iranian attackers," he said on his Truth Social platform, colorfully describing drones falling "like a butterfly dropping to its grave!"

"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!" he added.