Iran war: Ceasefire tested by ship fire, drone attack
What you need to know
- Drone hit cargo vessel in Qatari waters
- The UAE and Kuwait say they came under drone attack
- Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah exchange strikes despite their ceasefire
Welcome to DW's coverage of the Iran war and its impact on the wider Middle East and around the world on the weekend of, May 9 - 10, 2026.
Skip next section Use of Hormuz Strait as 'pressure tool' deepens crisis, Qatari PM says05/10/2026May 10, 2026Use of Hormuz Strait as 'pressure tool' deepens crisis, Qatari PM says
Saim Dušan Inayatullah EditorQatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi during ahpone call that the use of the Strait of Hormuz as a "pressure tool" would only deepen the crisis in the Gulf, the foreign ministry in Doha said.
While the ministry did not mention when the phone call took place, it said al-Thani — who also serves as Qatar's foreign minister — told Araqchi that mediation effortsto end the war should be responded to by all parties.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DXzoSkip next section Overnight drone attack on Kuwait, country says05/10/2026May 10, 2026Overnight drone attack on Kuwait, country says
An attack including a number of drones in Kuwait's direction was detected overnight, the country's military said.
"At dawn today, the armed forces detected a number of hostile drones in Kuwaiti airspace, which were dealt with in accordance with established procedures," the general staff of the army said on X.
While Kuwait did not specify the drones' origins, the country was often targeted by Iran as part of Tehran's war with the US and Israel.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DXsxSkip next section UAE reports Iranian drone attackPublished 05/10/2026Published May 10, 2026last updated 05/10/2026last updated May 10, 2026UAE reports Iranian drone attack
The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted two Iranian drones launched toward the country.
The incident comes as the ceasefire between Iran and the US and its allies remains shaky and is tested daily, including by overnight drone launches toward Kuwait.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DXxGSkip next section Countries sanctioning Iran to face 'difficulties' going through Hormuz Strait, Iran says05/10/2026May 10, 2026Countries sanctioning Iran to face 'difficulties' going through Hormuz Strait, Iran says
Ships from countries siding with the US in imposing sanctions on Iran would face difficulties crossing the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's army said.
Iran army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia told the official IRNA news agency that the Islamic Republic had established a "new legal and security system" in the strait, meaning any vessel crossing it must coordinate its passage with Iran.
Akraminia said the system was "now in force," adding that it would bring "economic, security and political gains" for the Islamic Republic.
A UN resolution drafted by the US and Bahrain has called on Iran to stop all restrictions on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
US-Iran war: What options are left for Trump on Iran?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5DXs5Skip next section Saudi oil company Aramco reports surge in profits05/10/2026May 10, 2026Saudi oil company Aramco reports surge in profits
Saudi oil company Aramco reported a 25.5% increase in first-quarter 2026 profit compared with the same period a year earlier.
The gains followed a spike in oil and gas prices amid the war between the US, Israel and Iran.
In a statement to the Saudi stock exchange, Aramco said quarterly net income rose to 120.13 billion Saudi riyals ($32.04 billion), up from 95.68 billion riyals ($25.51 billion) in the first quarter of 2025.
With a fragile ceasefire still in force and Iran restricting the passage of hydrocarbons through the Strait of Hormuz, the company said its "increase in revenue was mainly due to higher prices and volumes sold" of refined and chemical products, as well as higher crude oil volumes and prices.
Aramco, which is majority-owned by the Saudi state, is the world's biggest oil exporter.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DXgkSkip next section Vessel hit by projectile off the coast of Qatar.05/10/2026May 10, 2026Vessel hit by projectile off the coast of Qatar.
The British military said a bulk carrier ship was hit by an unknown projectile and caught fire off the coast of Qatar.
The military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said small fire caused by the hit was extinguished, and no casualties were reported.
Ships sailing through the Persian Gulf have repeatedly been targeted over the past week despite the ceasefire between the US and Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DXRHSkip next section What to know if you're joining us on Sunday05/10/2026May 10, 2026What to know if you're joining us on Sunday
Iran and the US are yet to reach a breakthrough in negotiations to end the war that began in late February.
President Donald Trump said the US was waiting on Iran's response to its latest proposal to end the war.
Iran has given no indication whether it will accept Trump's plan, which proposes that Tehran ease its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and the US end a blockade on Iranian ports during diplomatic discussions to end the war.
Iran also continued with its criticism over the US blockade on its ports on Saturday.
Situation remains tense
Both US and Iran have said that their fragile ceasefire remains in place despite clashes in and around the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.
Israel carried out deadly airstrikes in Lebanon on Saturday despite a US-brokered ceasefire reached last month.
Three Israeli drone strikes on vehicles just south of Beirut killed four people, while a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 13, state media and the Health Ministry said.
Hezbollah launched drones and rockets at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, injuring three soldiers, the Israeli military said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DX7cSkip next section Lebanon: 7 dead, several injured in fresh Israeli strikes05/09/2026May 9, 2026Lebanon: 7 dead, several injured in fresh Israeli strikes
Lebanon reported three Israelistrikes south of Beirut and in the south of the country, which the health ministry said killed seven people, including a child.
"The Israeli enemy launched two strikes on the Saadiyat highway," according to the state-run National News Agency, referring to a location around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of the Lebanese capital. The NNA later reported a third strike nearby.
The news agency also reported several casualties after a series of Israeli strikes across the south of the country, including one on the southern town of Saksakiyeh.
The Lebanese health ministry said seven people were killed in Saksakiyeh, including a girl, while 15 others were wounded.
The ministry said a motorbike carrying two Syrian nationals was hit by an Israeli strike in the city of Nabatieh, which killed the father and left his 12-year-old daughter in a critical condition in hospital.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said a drone had struck "a gathering of Israeli enemy army soldiers near Misgav Am" in northern Israel.
The attacks come despite a ceasefire arranged in mid-April.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DWk0Skip next section UK sends warship to Middle East for possible Hormuz mission05/09/2026May 9, 2026UK sends warship to Middle East for possible Hormuz mission
The United Kingdom said it was sending the warship HMS Dragon to the Middle East as part of a multinational effort preparing to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The UK's move follows France's deployment of its carrier strike group to the southern Red Sea.
HMS Dragon, an air defence destroyer, was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean in March, shortly after the Iran war began, to help defend Cyprus.
"The pre-positioning of HMS Dragon is part of prudent planning that will ensure that the UK is ready, as part of a multinational coalition jointly led by the UK and France, to secure the Strait, when conditions allow," a spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defense said.
The two countries have been planning measures to ensure the safe transit of shipping through the Strait once Iran and the US reach a long-term peace deal.
A fragile ceasefire remains in place, although attacks on Friday saw US forces hit two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach the US blockade of Hormuz.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DWm1Skip next section Bahrain arrests 41 over alleged Revolutionary Guard ties05/09/2026May 9, 2026Bahrain arrests 41 over alleged Revolutionary Guard ties
Bahraini authorities have arrested 41 people suspected of links to Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), Reuters reported, citing Bahrain's Interior Ministry.
The ministry said investigations by the public prosecutor involved a group linked to the IRGC and cases related to expressions of sympathy with Iranian attacks on Gulf states.
Bahrain and other Gulf Arab countries have been hit by Iranian strikes, with Tehran saying it was acting in retaliation for the United States and Israel's war against Iran, launched on February 28.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DWGZSkip next section Israeli military tells residents to leave south Lebanon villages05/09/2026May 9, 2026Israeli military tells residents to leave south Lebanon villages
Israel's military told residents of nine villages in southern Lebanon to leave the area on Saturday.
In the statement, the Israeli military accused the Hezbollah militant group of breaching a ceasefire agreement and said that it was "compelled to act against it with force."
"You must evacuate your homes immediately and move away from the villages and towns by a distance of at least 1000 metres to open areas," the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on the platform X.
Eight of the villages in question lie in inland areas of the southwestern Tyre district and one village is in the far south of neighboring Sidon district.
Israel reached a ceasefire with Lebanon on April 16.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DVoYSkip next section US announces sanctions on 10 entities over 'enabling' Iranian military industry05/09/2026May 9, 2026US announces sanctions on 10 entities over 'enabling' Iranian military industry
The United States Treasury has announced sanctions on 10 entities it accuses of supporting Iran's arms procurement and drone and missile production.
According to a Treasury statement, the targeted entities "are enabling efforts by Iran's military to secure weapons, as well as raw materials with applications in Iran's Shahed‑series unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missile program."
A number of Chinese firms were targeted in the measure, as were entities based in Belarus and the United Arab Emirates.
China is a major trade partner of Iran and is the largest buyer of Iranian oil.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DVnnSkip next section Qatar calls on US, Iran to pursue diplomacy05/09/2026May 9, 2026Qatar calls on US, Iran to pursue diplomacy
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday urged both the US and Iran to engage in mediation efforts during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Washington.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X that the prime minister "stressed the need for all parties to engage with the ongoing mediation efforts, to pave the way for addressing the root causes of the crisis through peaceful means and dialogue, leading to a comprehensive agreement that achieves lasting peace in the region."
"We reaffirm our support for diplomacy advancing security, stability, and lasting regional and global peace," Al Thani later wrote on X.
Qatar is among the Gulf countries drawn into the conflict as Iran targeted US military facilities there in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Iran launches retaliatory strikes across Gulf region
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https://p.dw.com/p/5DVmOSkip next section Iranian response to US truce proposal expected 'tonight,' Trump says05/09/2026May 9, 2026Iranian response to US truce proposal expected 'tonight,' Trump says
Washington was expecting Tehran's response to its latest proposal on a deal to set up the parameters for talks to end the war by Friday night, US President Donald Trumpsaid.
"I'm getting a letter supposedly tonight, so we'll see how that goes," Trump told reporters outside the White House.
Iran has been studying the latest proposal for days, saying it remains undecided.
On Thursday, the US said it attacked Iranian military facilities in what it described as a response to Iranian attacks on three US Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz that were intercepted.
Iran has largely blocked traffic through the strategic waterway since US-Israeli attacks launched the war on February 28, and has occasionally attacked vessels attempting to transit the strait.
Tehran described the US strikes as a violation of the ceasefire.
But Trump said that the month-long ceasefire with Iran remains "in effect." He suggested that talks with Iran were still on track despite the renewed hostilities, telling reporters, "We're negotiating with the Iranians."
Trump confident war against Iran will end 'quickly'
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https://p.dw.com/p/5DVmMSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/09/2026May 9, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Roshni Majumdar EditorThank you for joining our blog about the Iran war and its impact on the global economy.
Here's a recap of the most important headlines from Friday:
US forces fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, reported another Iranian missile and drone attack.
The attacks cast more doubt on a tenuous month-old ceasefire that the US has insisted is still in effect.
World food prices climbed in April to their highest in more than three years due to the Iran war and the effective closure of Hormuz, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said.
If you missed it, you can read more in our Friday roundup of the biggest headlines on the war.
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