Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including Iran saying that a US strike in the Strait of Hormuz killed five civilians, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announcing a ceasefire with Russia, UAE air defenses intercepting missiles and drones from Iran, and a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla saying Israeli forces attempted to intercept humanitarian aid vessels off the coast of Greece.
Iranian media reported that five civilians were killed when US forces targeted small cargo boats in the Strait of Hormuz, disputing Washington’s account of the incident.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a military source, said an investigation found that American forces had attacked two small boats carrying people’s cargo from Khasab on the coast of Oman toward Iran.
“Following the false claim by the US military that it had targeted 6 Iranian speedboats, since none of the IRGC combat vessels had been hit, an investigation was conducted into the nature of the claim from local sources,” the source was quoted as saying, referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Five civilian passengers were killed in the attack, the military source said, describing it as a “hasty” move driven by US “fear” of IRGC fast-boat operations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a ceasefire with Russia "starting at 00:00 on the night of May 5-6," saying that "human life is far more valuable than any anniversary celebration.”
Zelenskyy said no official request was made to Ukraine regarding the "cessation of hostilities" announced by Moscow during Victory Day celebrations in Russia.
“In the time left until that moment, it is realistic to ensure that silence takes effect,” he said on the US social media company X’s platform.
The post made no explicit mention of the number of days of the ceasefire. However, the state-run news agency Ukrinform reported the ceasefire will start on May 6.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would respond reciprocally once the truce takes effect.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defense systems engaged 15 missiles and four drones from Iran, the first such attacks since a ceasefire took effect between Tehran and Washington on April 8.
In a statement, the Defense Ministry said the interceptions included 12 ballistic missiles and three cruise missiles along with four unmanned aerial vehicles. The attack resulted in three people sustaining moderate injuries.
The ministry added that since the start of the Iranian attacks on Feb. 28, the country’s air defenses have intercepted a total of 578 missiles and 2,260 drones.
According to the ministry, the attacks have resulted in 13 deaths and 227 injuries.
Early Monday, a major fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, a key energy hub on the UAE’s eastern coast, after it was targeted by a drone launched from Iran.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces were attempting to intercept Gaza-bound humanitarian aid vessels off the coast of Greece, citing escalating surveillance and intimidation at sea.
In a statement, the group said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition fleet—currently sailing off Greece to join the Global Sumud mission toward the Gaza Strip—is under “active military surveillance and intimidation.”
The flotilla outlined a timeline of a “tactical escalation.”
At 19:27 Palestine time, four vessels reported a military helicopter circling their position, the statement said. At 21:53, participants reported three drones overhead and an unidentified ship in the distance that had deliberately turned off its navigation lights.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Egypt has lost about $10 billion in Suez Canal revenues due to attacks on shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait as a result of the Gaza war, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said.
Speaking during a meeting in Cairo with Mathias Cormann, the secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Sisi said continued attacks on ships in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, had sharply reduced traffic heading to the Suez Canal, the presidency said in a statement.
Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s most strategic shipping routes for energy and food supplies alongside the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz.
The European Commission warned that airlines and member states should prepare for all scenarios as uncertainty persists over how long the jet fuel crisis will last.
Speaking at the commission’s daily press briefing in Brussels, spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the EU executive is coordinating closely with member states and industry stakeholders amid concerns over jet fuel supplies.
“I don't think anyone knows how long this situation will last, so the best we can do and the most effective thing that we can do and that we are doing is to prepare for all eventualities,” Itkonen said.
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