Iranian Official Threatens US Forces in Strait of Hormuz Amid Regional Conflicts

Iranian official Mohsen Rezaee stated that US forces blockading the Strait of Hormuz resemble pirates and threatened to turn the waterway into a graveyard for US aircraft carriers and troops. Rezaee, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and secretary of Tehran's Expediency Council, made the remarks in a post on X.

He referenced the downing of a US F-15E plane in Isfahan last month.

Military analyst Alexandru Hudisteanu told Al Jazeera that diplomacy between the US and Iran persists despite threats, describing negotiations as hard and incisive with occasional setbacks. Hudisteanu noted that both sides are positioning militarily to demonstrate alternatives if talks fail.

Separately, professor Mostafa Koshcheshm from the University of Applied Sciences in Tehran said Iran rearranged its list of demands in a recent proposal to show flexibility. Koshcheshm explained that the latest proposal prioritizes ending hostilities in Iran, Lebanon, and elsewhere, followed by reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran's enrichment program now third on the list.

An Israeli air raid in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon killed at least one person and injured three others, including a child, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. In a separate incident in the Tyre district, an Israeli attack wounded five people, including four paramedics, near a medical center.

The ministry condemned the attacks and referenced protections under the Geneva Convention. Israeli media reported accusations of soldiers looting in southern Lebanon, with Yedioth Ahronoth quoting an unnamed reservist who witnessed troops taking items such as weapons, souvenirs, and jewelry.

Haaretz also reported looting of homes and shops. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir issued a warning about looting to senior officers a week ago.

Israeli forces conducted incursions into towns and villages north of Tulkarem, including Saida, Attil, Ellar, and Deir al-Ghusun, according to Wafa news agency. Settlers began paving a road in Beit Awwa, west of Hebron. A 13-year-old Palestinian was injured after an assault by Israeli troops in al-Ram, north of Jerusalem.

Israeli soldiers detained two Palestinians, including a woman, from the Bethlehem governorate.

An Israeli court extended the detention of two activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla by two days, according to Miriam Azem of the rights group Adalah. The activists, Saif Abu Keshek from Spain and Thiago Avila from Brazil, were arrested on May 2, 2026, off the Greek island of Crete.

The flotilla aimed to deliver supplies to Gaza and break the Israeli blockade. Israeli forces intercepted the vessels in international waters, capturing 175 activists. Officials from various countries condemned the interception as a violation of international law.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed an increase in US military aircraft, including transport and refueling planes, traveling from Europe to the Middle East on Saturday.