656 stories · Page 18 of 66
On 5 May 2026 the first convoy of U.S.–escorted ships exited the Strait of Hormuz under “Project Freedom,” during which U.S. helicopters claimed to sink seven Iranian fast boats, while Iran answered with roughly twenty missiles / drones that ignited a fire at the UAE’s Fujairah oil terminal, puncturing the April-8 cease-fire.
On 6 May 2026, less than 36 hours after it began, President Trump ordered a temporary halt to Project Freedom—U.S. efforts to guide stranded merchant ships through the closed Strait of Hormuz—while keeping the naval blockade of Iran intact to allow time for a potential Iran peace deal.
Hours before Kyiv’s self-declared ceasefire (starting 00:00, 6 May) and three days ahead of Moscow’s 8-9 May “Victory Day” truce, Russia unleashed 11 Iskander missiles and 164 drones that killed at least five Ukrainians, while Ukraine fired Flamingo cruise missiles over 1,500 km to hit a weapons plant in Cheboksary.
Between May 1–4 2026, exactly 60 days after ordering joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran, President Trump pledged to keep a naval blockade and threatened renewed attacks even though the war’s cost, political support, and legal footing have all deteriorated.
Within hours of each other, Russia set a May 8-9 pause for its Victory Day parade while Ukraine started its own truce at 00:00 on May 5-6, underscoring their four-year war’s propaganda duel rather than any real de-escalation.
On 4 May 2026, hours after Washington activated “Project Freedom” to reopen the Hormuz chokepoint, Iranian forces fired cruise missiles, drones and small boats at U.S. and Gulf targets, while U.S. helicopters claimed to have sunk six Iranian craft—effectively ending the month-old ceasefire.
Between 30 April and 1 May 2026, Kyiv unleashed its biggest long-range drone wave yet, crippling Russian oil output and prompting Moscow to request a symbolic Victory Day truce.
Tehran transmitted a 14-point proposal via Pakistani mediators that gives Washington one month to lift sanctions, end its naval blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but President Trump publicly signaled likely rejection even as another cargo ship was hit near the strait.
On 4 May 2026 Washington activated “Project Freedom,” deploying a 15,000-strong CENTCOM force to steer neutral vessels out of Iran-controlled Hormuz, while Tehran declared any US presence a breach of the month-old ceasefire.
Tehran’s 14-point plan, handed to Washington through Pakistan on 2 May 2026 and promising to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days if the U.S. ends its blockade and withdraws forces, was publicly dismissed by President Trump, who said he was “not satisfied.”
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