A screenshot taken on May 10, 2026 from a video released by the US Central Command on its X account on May 8, 2026, appears to show an attack on the Iranian-flagged tanker M/T Sevda. US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian-flagged tankers on May 8, 2026, after the ships allegedly tried to violate the US blockade of Iranian ports, the US military said. (Video: Centcom / X)
Drones were fired at several targets in the Gulf on Sunday, with one hitting a cargo ship bound for Qatar.
The United Arab Emirates accused Iran of being responsible for an attack on its territory. If confirmed, it would be only the second alleged attack on Gulf countries since the start of a month-old ceasefire.
Ali Abdollahi, Iran’s military chief, met with the country’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and received “new instructions and guidance for continuing operations to confront the enemy,” according to Iranian state television.
This follows after South Korea reported that unknown aircraft hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz last week. Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said a cargo ship arriving in the country’s waters from Abu Dhabi was hit by a drone on Sunday northeast of the port of Mesaieed.
The United Kingdom’s Maritime Trade Operations Center said the cargo ship reported being hit by an unknown projectile.
“There was a small fire that was extinguished. There were no casualties. There was also no environmental impact reported,” the center said.
‘We will not hold back any longer’
No party has so far claimed responsibility, but Iran’s Fars news agency reported that “the cargo ship that was hit near the coast of Qatar sailed under an American flag and belonged to the US”.
In a post on social media, the spokesman for Iran’s parliament’s national security commission warned the US: “From today we will not hold back any longer. Any attack on our vessels will provoke a strong and decisive Iranian response against US ships and bases,” said Ebrahim Rezaei.
This follows after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened to target US interests in the Middle East if its tankers came under fire – as was the case on Friday when a US fighter jet fired at two Iranian-flagged vessels in the Gulf of Oman and put them out of action.
“Any attack on Iranian tankers and merchant vessels will lead to a heavy attack on one of the US centers in the region and on enemy ships,” the IRGC said.
Bumblebee attack
The United Arab Emirates said its territory had also been attacked, naming Iran by name.
“The UAE’s air defense systems have successfully intercepted two drones launched from Iran,” the Ministry of Defense said in a post on social media.
Iran’s neighbor Kuwait also reported an attempted attack.
“At dawn today, the military detected a number of hostile drones in Kuwaiti airspace, which were dealt with according to established procedures,” the military wrote.
In Seoul, Defense Ministry spokesman Park Il told reporters that a cargo ship was hit and damaged by fire on Monday before it sailed to a port in Dubai.
“On May 4, two unknown aircraft struck the outer plate of the port ballast tank at the rear of the HMM Namu at approximately one-minute intervals, causing flames and smoke,” he said.
Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route from the Gulf for oil and gas, in an attempt to exert economic pressure on the US and its allies.
The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, blocks ships sailing to and from Iran’s ports, sometimes disabling or diverting them.
‘Increase in tension’
Tensions are rising as Washington waits for Tehran to respond to its latest offer to extend a ceasefire so the foes can begin peace talks.
US President Donald Trump said he expected Pakistani mediators to receive Iran’s response on Friday, but no response has yet been made public.
“The recent escalation of tensions by US forces in the Persian Gulf and their repeated violations of the ceasefire have added to suspicions about the motivation and seriousness of the US side on the path of diplomacy,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, according to Iran’s Isna news agency.
Iran has introduced a payment mechanism to levy tolls on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but US officials have stressed it would be “unacceptable” for Tehran to exercise control over what has until now been an international waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil exports are transported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the leader of Qatar, a key mediator, on Saturday. Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with JD Vance, the US vice president, the day before to discuss efforts to broker a permanent peace.
Iran attacked sites in Qatar during the war, pointing to the fact that the wealthy emirate hosts a large US air force base.
