US-Iran negotiations take a sudden turn! Just now, Trump issued a threat!

Strait of Hormuz Becomes a Focus of the US-Iran Talks!

According to the latest reports, on the 8th local time, U.S. President Trump said that if the situation does not make progress, the U.S. may restart its “Freedom Plan.”

On the 8th, Iran’s armed forces had “sporadic clashes” with U.S. warships in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. At present, the clashes have stopped, and the situation has returned to calm.

According to ship tracking data, as of the morning of the 8th local time, no large vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.

International oil prices rose slightly on the 8th. By the close of trading that day, light sweet crude oil futures for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed at $95.42 per barrel, up 0.64%; London Brent crude oil futures for July delivery closed at $101.29 per barrel, up 1.23%.

Trump Says He May Resume “Freedom Plan” Operations

According to Xinhua News Agency, on the 8th local time, U.S. President Trump told the media at the White House that the U.S. may resume “Freedom Plan” operations aimed at diverting vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, and he expects to receive Iran’s response that evening to the US-Iran agreement proposal raised by the U.S.

Trump said he believes “Freedom Plan” is a good idea, but “there are other ways to resolve the issue as well.” If the situation does not make progress, the U.S. may restart “Freedom Plan.” However, “that would be an ‘upgraded version of the Freedom Plan’; that is to say, based on the original plan, other measures would also be added.”

The U.S. military launched “Freedom Plan” in the Middle East on the morning of the 4th local time. However, on the evening of the 5th, Trump announced that the action would be temporarily paused in the short term, citing reasons including monitoring “whether the US-Iran agreement can ultimately be finalized and signed.” However, analysts generally believe the move was halted because the operation ran into obstacles.

When asked on the 8th whether he had received Iran’s response regarding the agreement proposal put forward by the U.S., Trump said, “As a matter of fact, we will receive their message tonight.”

Asked again whether he thinks Iran is deliberately dragging out the negotiation process, Trump said he was not aware, adding that “we’ll know soon.”

Earlier that day, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said during a visit to Italy that the U.S. expects to receive a response from Iran on the 8th and hopes to receive a “serious proposal.”

On the 8th local time, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that on that day Iran’s armed forces had “sporadic clashes” with U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz, but it did not disclose the specific locations where the clashes occurred. Later that evening, an Iranian military source said the clashes have stopped and the situation has returned to calm.

According to CCTV News citing information from Iran released on the 8th, gunfire was reported repeatedly within two hours in areas near the Strait of Hormuz on that day. In addition, explosions occurred again in the Iranian Sirik region near the Strait of Hormuz that day, but the cause remained unclear. Sirik is a port city in Iran’s Hormozgan Province in southern Iran, near the provincial capital Bandar Abbas. Earlier in the early hours of the 8th, explosions were also reported in Sirik, Bandar Abbas, and another city in Hormozgan Province, Minab.

Later on the evening of the 8th, an Iranian military source said the current situation has returned to calm. The source also warned, however, that if the U.S. again attempts to enter the Persian Gulf or harass Iranian ships, it will again face a firm and resolute response, and the possibility of similar clashes breaking out again in the region still remains.

On the 8th local time, an official in Iran’s Hormozgan Province announced that on the evening of the 7th, U.S. forces attacked a civilian vessel in the city of Minab in that province, causing the vessel to catch fire. The incident has caused 1 death, 10 injuries, and 4 people missing.

Is There a Large-Scale Crude Oil Leak Near Kharg Island? Iran Responds

In early-morning information from Iran on the 9th, Jafar Purkabani, a lawmaker representing Bushehr Province in the Iranian Islamic Parliament, said that media reports claiming “Iran is discharging oil into the sea because its oil storage tanks are full” are untrue and are part of an enemy psychological warfare operation.

Purkabani said satellite images show oil pollution around Kharg Island; in fact, it was caused by an oil residue and discarded ballast-water waste released by a European oil tanker, and this act has damaged the environment.

On the 8th, a UK maritime analysis company, Windward, said on social media that the “leak” of oil pollution near Kharg Island is continuing to spread, with the earliest detection on May 5. Images captured by the European Copernicus “Sentinel” satellite series between May 6 and May 8 show a grayish-white oil film appearing in waters west of Kharg Island. Analysts said the oil film “visually appears consistent with crude oil,” estimating the affected area to be about 45 square kilometers.

U.S. and Israeli sources said that, due to the U.S.’s continued maritime blockade, Iranian oil tankers cannot depart from port, and Iran’s crude oil storage space is nearing saturation. As a result, some speculate that the crude oil discovered on the sea surface near Kharg Island may be Iranian crude oil intentionally discharged into the sea due to a lack of storage space, but there is no evidence to support this view.

According to a report by CCTV News, ship tracking data shows that as of the morning of the 8th local time, no large vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. It is understood that this is the second consecutive day since the 7th with no large merchant ships passing through the strait.

Iraj Masjedi, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said in a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council that the U.S. military actions taken near Jask Port and the Strait of Hormuz against two Iranian oil tankers, as well as the attacks launched on multiple locations along Iran’s coastal areas in the Strait of Hormuz area, violate the ceasefire agreement of April 8, 2026, and also seriously violate relevant provisions of the UN Charter.

On May 8, shipping sources said that the Iranian cargo ship “TUSKA” has arrived at Karachi Port in Pakistan, and it will then be inspected and sent to a shipyard in Karachi for repairs. After the repairs are completed, it will be handed back to Iran. The U.S. transferred the ship’s crew to Pakistan, and the crew has returned to Iran.

On April 19, Trump posted on social media saying that on that day a cargo ship flying the Iranian flag, named “TUSKA,” attempted to break through the U.S. maritime blockade, and U.S. forces carried out an interception of the vessel. Because the crew refused to comply with the U.S. warning to stop, U.S. warships punctured the vessel’s engine compartment, forcing it to stop. The U.S. has taken control of the ship.

(Source: Securities Times)