U.S. and Iran in fresh clashes as peace talks stall

U.S. and https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iranian forces exchanged strikes Tuesday as peace talks remained stalled and tensions escalated across the Middle East.

The big picture: The confrontation widened beyond direct exchanges, with U.S. forces intercepting Iranian missiles and drones and striking targets near the https://www.axios.com/2026/05/07/us-iran-hormuz-strait-fire-exchange" target="_blank">Strait of Hormuz.

Driving the news: The U.S. military shot down "multiple Iranian ballistic missiles and drones" and "conducted self-defense strikes" on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz "in response to attempted attacks by Iran across the Middle East," per a U.S. Central Command https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PUBLIC-RELEASES/Article/4506969/centcom-disables-non-compliant-vessel-in-arabian-gulf/" target="_blank">statement.

• "Two Iranian missiles fired at Kuwait fell short or broke apart en route, and three missiles launched at Bahrain were immediately intercepted by U.S. and Bahrain air defense forces."
• CENTCOM said in an earlier https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PUBLIC-RELEASES/Article/4506969/centcom-disables-non-compliant-vessel-in-arabian-gulf/" target="_blank">statement Tuesday that U.S. forces had "disabled an unladen oil tanker that was attempting to sail toward an Iranian port" in the Persian Gulf.
• The Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie's crew "ignored repeated warnings," so U.S. forces fired a Hellfire missile into the ship's engine room, "preventing the tanker from reaching Iran," CENTCOM said.

What they're saying: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Telegram the strikes were in response to CENTCOM's action on the tanker.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story.

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