Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is committed to broadening friendly ties with other countries on the basis of mutual respect and shared interests, while firmly rejecting policies of colonialism and exploitation. In a post on X, he stated that the practice of colonialism will have no place in the future world and stressed that tolerance and resistance to oppression are deep elements of Iran’s historical identity that will endure to uphold the nation’s name.
Separately, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that US naval forces disabled two Iranian-flagged oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman and redirected 57 commercial vessels operating in the area. CENTCOM said a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet flying from USS George HW Bush struck the smokestacks of the unladen tankers M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, preventing them from reaching Iranian ports. CENTCOM also noted that US forces had disabled another Iranian-flagged tanker, M/T Hasna, on May 6 during a similar effort.
US President Donald Trump told reporters he may revive the maritime security initiative known as Project Freedom, or expand it into what he called Project Freedom plus, if a diplomatic deal with Iran is not reached. He said Project Freedom had been temporarily paused while the naval blockade remains in place and that the administration was awaiting Tehran’s response to a US proposal aimed at ending the wider West Asia conflict. Trump added he expected to hear from Iran soon but was unsure whether any delay was intentional.
The accounts above are based on statements from the Iranian presidency, CENTCOM, and White House remarks as reported by news outlets.
