Shots fired, war end nowhere in sight, China real target; Insider trader identified; Why Israeli tourists are assholes - IRAN WAR NEWS - 8-May-2026 (updated)

SPECIAL REPORT from Brian Berletic: Why the US is at War with Iran and Why the War Might Pause but Won't End - YouTube

The prospect of US war against Iran and around the globe continuously escalating in the near to intermediate future is inevitable because the wars taking place now are being fought specifically to prepare for a future confrontation with China itself. For this reason, the prospects of the US arriving at any sort of "peace" deal with Russia or Iran is near zero.

UPDATE 1

U.S. Strikes Hit Two Iranian Tankers In New Escalation (Video)

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on May 8 that its forces disabled the tankers Sea Star III and Sevda, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.

In a statement, the command said that it "enforced blockade measures" against the two tankers, which were unladen with oil.

Iran bypasses Trump's 'wall of steel' - media - RT World News

Three Iranian oil tankers have bypassed what US President Donald Trump has called a naval "wall of steel" in the Strait of Hormuz and reached Iranian ports through Pakistani waters over the past two days, Tehran's IRNA state news agency reported on Friday, citing maritime tracking data.

Five killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, including child | Middle East Eye

At least five people have been killed in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, according to the National News Agency.

The agency reported that four people, including a child, were killed in an earlier strike on the town of Ad-Doueir.

In a separate incident, another Israeli attack targeted a motorcycle in the town of Jebchit, killing one person.

The latest strikes come as Israel continues its bombardment across parts of southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire.

Britain quietly approves $11.85m arms licence to Israel despite Gaza ban - Middle East Monitor

The UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has granted two new licences for the export of military equipment to Israel, including an £8.7 ($11.85) million licence covering "components and technology for targeting equipment", the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has revealed.

The licences were issued despite the British government's September 2024 suspension of such exports over fears they would be used in Israel's genocide in Gaza. CAAT's analysis of UK export licensing statistics for the fourth quarter of 2025, published on 30 April, found that the UK issued export licences worth £20.5 ($27.9) million in total for transfers to Israel during the quarter.

Israeli fundraising platform 'rebranding as American' to dodge boycotts over genocide - Middle East Monitor

Israeli companies are pretending to be American to escape the shame of the Israel brand, Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine, has uncovered. GivingTech - a "global" philanthropy fintech marketed in the US and Europe is in fact the Tel Aviv-based IsraelGives, Biggar reported. The organisation is reported to have channelled donations to Israeli military units and illegal West Bank settlements.

Biggar, the Irish founder of the developer-tools firm CircleCI, laid out his findings in a thread posted on X on 7 May. The two organisations, he wrote, were tied together by a shared chief executive, an identical logo, near-identical websites and a string of technical fingerprints, including the same Google Analytics codes and an identically-hashed stylesheet that he said could not have come about by coincidence.

Hezbollah claims drone attack on Israeli airbase in north | Middle East Eye

Hezbollah says it has launched a drone attack on an airbase in northern Israel, describing the strike as a response to recent Israeli operations.

In a statement, the group said it targeted the base near Nahariya, adding that it had previously carried out an earlier attack on the same site.

Lebanese Resistance targets Israeli force, 2 vehicles in southern Lebanon - Yemen Press Agency

BEIRUT, May 08 (YPA) - The Lebanese Resistance announced on Friday that it targeted an Israeli occupation army vehicle in the Khallat al-Raj area of Deir Siryan using a dive drone, confirming a direct hit.

In another statement, the Resistance explained that its fighters targeted an Israeli occupation army force on a newly constructed road between the towns of Adshit al-Qusayr and Deir Siryan with a dive drone, resulting in confirmed casualties among the targeted force.

UAE Reports Casualties After Fresh Iranian Strikes (Videos)

Three people were injured following a fresh wave of Iranian strikes on the United Arab Emirates, the Emirate ministry of Defense announced on May 8.

[...]

Videos that emerged later online showed heavy smoke rising from the vicinity of Dubai International Airport. The videos are yet to be verified, however.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Rubio has approved the allocation of over $25 billion to Middle Eastern countries for weapons development

According to Bloomberg, on 1 May this year, the provision of weapons to Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE was approved. However, the US State Department did not specify how soon the countries would receive the funds.

Trump Gives Green Light for New Arms Deliveries to Ukraine - Global Research

Recently, the Trump administration gave the green light to the sale of precision-guided bomb kits to Ukraine. The package is estimated to be worth over 373 million dollars. The approval is a direct consequence of strong congressional pressure on the administration. Although the White House had been trying to freeze discussions on the subject, lawmakers - many of whom directly represent the interests of the military-industrial complex - had long been pushing for the measure's approval.

1500 New Data Centers Planned. A Military Project by the White House - Global Research

The Utah Data Center is a 62-square mile monstrosity. The Data Center has come under intensive backlash given the amount of water such a facility would engorge.

While the facility is not the largest in the world, it is a close 5th and will take 6+ years to build. If in fact it is a data center. Given the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) is partial owner, speculation is high that it is a weapons facility, or another Area 52. While its website claims they are absolutely 100% transparent with the community and public, it would appear that is a 'non-truth.'

END UPDATES

Iran war day 70: US, Iran trade fire in Hormuz amid ceasefire tensions | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera

Iran has accused the United States of violating their ceasefire by targeting two ships near the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian areas along the country's southern coast, as tensions continue to escalate around the strategic waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces intercepted "unprovoked Iranian attacks" and responded with "self-defence strikes", while Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and said air defence systems had intercepted several drones over the area.

Qeshm is strategically located at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and is seen as the primary platform for Iran's "asymmetric" naval power, analysts say.

The latest exchange came just a day after US President Donald Trump said a deal with Tehran could be within reach, following what he described as "very good talks", while also warning that the US could resume bombing if Iran refused to agree to a deal.

Here is what we know about what's been happening the past 24 hours:

In Iran

• Pezeshkian reveals rare meeting with Khamenei: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he recently met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, and described the encounter as candid and conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust, in one of the first publicly acknowledged interactions involving Iran's recently appointed top leader since the war with the US and Israel began.
• Tehran rejects vessel attack claims: Iran denied that it was behind an explosion that damaged a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week. Tehran's embassy in Seoul said on Thursday that it "firmly rejects and categorically denies any allegations regarding the involvement of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the incident involving damage to a Korean vessel in the Strait of Hormuz".
• Iran accuses US of ceasefire breaches: Iran accused the US of violating the ceasefire by attacking two vessels near the Strait of Hormuz and carrying out strikes on civilian areas along Iran's southern coast. Iranian state media said Tehran's forces retaliated by attacking US military vessels near the strait and warned of a "crushing response" to any further aggression.
• Iran may soften nuclear stance after war: Analyst Negar Mortazavi said Tehran could show greater flexibility on its nuclear programme once the conflict ends, though she added that Iran is unlikely to hand over its enriched uranium directly to the US. Mortazavi told Al Jazeera that Iran believes negotiations with the Trump administration require "time and patience", noting Tehran had previously entered talks with Washington only to later come under attack.

War diplomacy

• Rubio meets pope amid war tensions: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the war with the pope as they met on Thursday against the backdrop of tensions between the White House and the Vatican, notably over the Iran war.
• France condemns attacks near Hormuz: French President Emmanuel Macron told his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that strikes on Emirati civilian infrastructure and ships near the Strait of Hormuz were "unjustified".
• Lebanon, Israel set for Washington peace talks: Lebanon and Israel are expected to hold a new round of negotiations in Washington on May 14-15 aimed at reaching a peace agreement, a US official said, despite new Israeli strikes.

In the Gulf

• UAE urges residents to shelter amid aerial threat: The UAE's National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority said air defence systems were responding to a missile and drone threat, and urged residents to remain in safe locations and follow official updates.

In the US

• Trump says Iranian boats destroyed in Hormuz clash: The US president said three US Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz "under fire" without sustaining damage, while claiming Iranian attackers and several small boats had been "completely destroyed" during the confrontation.
• Tit-for-tat exchanges continue amid diplomacy push: Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC, said the US and Iran are blaming each other for the latest escalation, describing the situation as a "tit-for-tat" exchange unfolding even as diplomatic efforts continue.
• Trump insists ceasefire remains in place: Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was still holding, despite clashes in the Strait of Hormuz. The US president also warned Tehran of a harsher response if a deal is not reached "fast".

In Lebanon

• Netanyahu pledges continued strikes on Hezbollah: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed responsibility for the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut the previous day, saying "no terrorist is immune" from Israeli attacks.
• Israeli attacks kill 11 in southern Lebanon: Lebanon's National News Agency reported that Israeli air attacks on the towns of Doueir, Harouf and Habboush in the Nabatieh district killed 11 people, including two children, and wounded 36.

Global economy

• UN warns of mounting disruption in Strait of Hormuz: The head of the UN's International Maritime Organization said about 1,500 ships and their crews remain stranded in the Gulf because of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route disrupted by the regional war.
• Oil prices jump after Hormuz clashes: Oil prices surged after the US and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fears over the fragile ceasefire and the security of global energy supplies. Brent crude rose as much as 7.5 percent during Thursday's trading, before easing to about $101 per barrel early Friday.

Enemy strikes Iran's vital Qeshm Island pier; explosions heard in Bandar Abbas

The Bahman Pier in the Qeshm island of Iran came under attack late on Thursday night during a fierce exchange of fire between Iranian armed forces and enemy units operating near the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.

Iranian forces strike US vessels in swift retaliation for tanker attack: Top military comm

A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said on Thursday that Iranian forces gave an immediate and decisive response to a series of US military aggressions in the strategic waters of the Strait of Hormuz and along the country's southern coastline.

In a statement, Ebrahim Zolfaghari noted that the "aggressive, terrorist, and outlaw" US military, in violation of a ceasefire, targeted an Iranian oil tanker.

The vessel was transiting from Iran's coastal waters in the Jask region, heading towards the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate but simultaneous incident, another Iranian ship came under attack while entering the Strait of Hormuz, directly opposite the UAE's Fujairah port.

Concurrent with these fresh acts of aggression, the spokesperson said that US forces, operating in coordination with certain countries in the region, launched airstrikes against civilian areas in the coastal provinces.

These aerial attacks reportedly targeted locations along the coasts of Bandar Khamir, Sirik, and Qeshm Island.

According to the statement, Iran's response was immediate and decisive.

The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran launched a swift counterattack, engaging US military vessels east of the Strait of Hormuz and south of the port of Bandar Chabahar.

The Iranian operation inflicted "significant damage" on the American warships, he said.

Iranian missiles force US aggressors to flee Strait of Hormuz after tanker attack

"The attacking enemy units in the Strait of Hormuz came under Iranian missile fire and were forced to flee after sustaining damage," the official stated, emphasizing that Iran's armed forces remain fully alert and prepared to decisively neutralize any threat against the Islamic Republic's territorial waters and vital maritime routes.

Meanwhile. Fox News reported that the US military carried out attacks on the ports of Qeshm and Bandar Abbas, but stressed that these attacks do not mean the start of war.

U.S. Hormuz Stunt Fails

An attempt by the United States to open the Strait of Hormuz by force has failed after a fierce response from Iran's side.

The attempt began on May 3, with President Donald Trump announcing that the U.S. will be making an effort to "guide" stranded ships out of the strategic waterway - a choke point for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

In line with Trump's plan, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched "Project Freedom" to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz the very next day.

The Iranian response came within hours. The Islamic Republic fired cruise missiles, rockets and combat drones near American warships crossing the Strait of Hormuz as a warning. CENTCOM denied that any warship was struck.

Iran says oil output uninterrupted as tankers crush US blockade, Tehran eyes new revenue from Hormuz

Iran says its oil production and exports continued without disruption during the 40 days of the US-Israeli aggression, while officials explore new revenue streams tied to tighter control of the Strait of Hormuz.

China reports attack on oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz | Middle East Eye

China's foreign ministry said on Friday that an oil products tanker carrying Chinese crew was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, and expressed deep concern about vessels affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

[...]

A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, China's Caixin reported on Thursday.

12bytes: It isn't mentioned who attacked it. Iran? Israel? US? Seems unlikely it would've been Iran.

Epic Nonsense: Trump Shelves Project Freedom - Middle East Monitor

With lavish immodesty, the Secretary noted that US Central Command (CENTCOM) had, along with partner nations, "been in active communication with hundreds of ships, shipping companies and insurers." The US had provided a "direct gift" to the world in the form of "a powerful red, white and blue dome over the strait."

With the counterfeit, grubby appeal of an advertiser's pitch, Hegseth went on to declare Project Freedom "humanitarian" in nature. "By breaking Iran's illegal stranglehold, we're protecting the lives and livelihoods of sailors from dozens of countries, securing global energy routes and preventing shortages that hit the world's poorest people the hardest."

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine was also on hand to explain that CENTCOM had "established an enhanced security area on the southern side of the strait that is now protected by US land, naval and air assets to help defeat further Iranian aggression against commercial shipping." He noted that Iranian fast boats and attack drones had been defeated. And how could they not be, given the presence of "more than 100 fighters, attack aircraft and other manned and unmanned aircraft, synchronized by the 82nd Airborne Division" engaged in the air for 24 hours a day guarding "the enhanced security area and its approaches".

With twenty-four hours, this elaborate, exaggerated, purplish vision of American deliverance from Iranian control to an anxious world had collapsed.

The Gulf Separating the US and Iran is Too Wide to Bridge

There will be no negotiated end to the war with Iran in the next six months because the US narrative and the Iranian narrative cannot be reconciled.

Hezbollah launches 13 strikes on invading Israeli forces in southern Lebanon

According to the statement, the operations included precision strikes on gatherings of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in several key areas along the southern front: al-Taybe, Shama, Biyyada, the Alman-Al-Qusayr triangle, and Khallet al-Raj near Deir Siryan.

Egyptian fighter jets stationed in UAE, WAM reports - Middle East Monitor

The United Arab Emirates announced on Thursday that Egyptian fighter jets are, for the first time, stationed on its territory, during a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Abu Dhabi, the Emirati state news agency WAM reported.

[...]

Sisi also reaffirmed Egypt's support for the UAE's security and stability and its complete condemnation of Iranian attacks on its sovereignty.

Operation Fauxios: Axios, Israeli spy, and $2 billion oil scam to prop up Trump

Barak Ravid, Axios journalist and former Israeli Unit 8200 intelligence officer, has been at the center of market manipulation allegations after his reports on imminent US-Iran deals were repeatedly preceded by massive suspicious oil trades.

Unknown traders placed nearly $920 million in short positions on crude oil on May 6, just minutes before Axios published a report saying Washington and Tehran were nearing a deal to end their two-month war, according to data from Unusual Whales, a trading surveillance platform that monitors unusual market activity.

The Axios report, written by Barak Ravid-a journalist with close ties to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump-said the one-page memorandum would end the war.

Ravid is a former member of Israel's elite Unit 8200 intelligence corps. His reporting consistently relies on "unnamed US officials" and has been described as "basically representing the American voice".

Gaza flotilla activists subjected to sexual, physical abuse in Israeli custody: Report

The Global Sumud Flotilla has confirmed that international activists abducted by Israeli forces during the troops' raid on the Gaza-bound aid ships in international waters have been subjected to sexual violence, physical assaults and degrading treatment while in Israeli custody.

Israelis Ranked World's WORST Tourists in 2026 - YouTube

From the beaches of Thailand to the temples of India, locals across the globe dread the arrival of Israeli tourists - and even the Israeli Foreign Ministry can no longer ignore the problem. This isn't about antisemitism.

This is about TripAdvisor, government warnings, and a recurring pattern of aggression, rudeness, and contempt for local cultures that follows Israeli travelers everywhere they go. But where does this behavior come from? The answer is more disturbing than you think.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why governments across Asia and South America are warning about Israeli tourist behavior
• How Zionist indoctrination - starting in kindergarten - creates a culture of exceptionalism and impunity
• Daniella Weiss's own admission that Zionists must "forever commit to brainwashing" Israeli citizens
• Why settler-colonial psychology translates directly into how Israelis treat locals abroad
• Beitar Jerusalem FC - the world's most racist football club - and what happens when its fans travel
• The Amsterdam city council motion declaring Maccabi Tel Aviv unwelcome for contributing to "occupation or racism"
• Why most Israeli tourists are ex-military in their early 20s, trained in a system of structured dehumanization
• How occupation corrupts the occupier - the tragedy of young Israelis who've lost the capacity for humility
• The moral case for boycotting Israeli tourists - following hotel and restaurant owners in Japan, Thailand, and Spain
• Why ordinary Israelis must pay a price for complicity before the state will ever stop committing war crimes

IN OTHER NEWS...

Britain's population replacement has passed the point of no return - RT World News

What we are seeing is a deliberate dismantling of the nation-state and the British nation through the replacement of the island's population. The House of Windsor is no bulwark of British tradition, but a crowned representative of the globalist oligarchy, systematically and consistently implementing a strategy of transhumanism - the divergence between the capitalist elite and the mass of service populations, mixed together in megacities, stripped of historical memory and religious roots, and having voluntarily renounced the reproduction of a now superfluous humanity through a child-free lifestyle.