Five Civilians Killed in US Attacks on Cargo Boats, Iranian Media Reports

May 5, 2026

Tehran: Five civilians were killed in US attacks on cargo boats, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

Following the claim by the US military that it had targeted six Iranian speedboats, and given that none of Iran’s combat vessels was hit, local sources were consulted to verify the nature of the incident, according to Xinhua, which quoted the report.

Two Civilian Cargo Boats Allegedly Hit

It was determined that US forces had attacked two small civilian cargo boats, which were travelling from Khasab along the Omani coast toward Iran, killing five civilian passengers onboard, it said.

US Military Says Six Iranian Boats Sunk

Brad Cooper, chief of US Central Command, said on Monday that the US military had sunk six Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian boats were struck by US Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, Cooper told a news conference.

US Destroyers Pass Through Strait of Hormuz

Meanwhile, two US Navy destroyers have passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf after navigating an Iranian barrage, US media outlet CBS News reported.

Pentagon Says US Ships Faced Coordinated Threats

The USS Truxtun and USS Mason, supported by Apache helicopters and other aircraft, faced a series of coordinated threats during the passage, said the report, citing Pentagon officials.

Trump Issues Warning to Iran

US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Monday that the Iranians are “more malleable” than they were before. He warned that if Iran targets US ships in the Strait of Hormuz, they would be “blown off the face of the Earth.”

Iran Rejects US Version of Events

Iran later rejected the US claims, saying that “no commercial vessels or oil tankers” have transited the Strait of Hormuz, according to Tasnim News Agency.

Background of Ongoing Conflict

The latest escalation follows months of hostilities after US-Israel joint strikes on Tehran in February and subsequent Iranian retaliation. A ceasefire took effect on April 8, but talks between Iranian and US delegations later ended without an agreement.