Iran Says US Hormuz Strike Killed 5 Civilians; Senate GOP Weighs War Vote

The day in Washington was framed by an incident at sea and an institutional ruling at home, both of them tests of how far the Iran war can be carried by executive authority.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a military source, said five civilians were killed when American forces hit two small cargo boats sailing 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, calling the strike a "hasty" move driven by US "fear" of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast-boat operations. The commander of US Central Command said the United States had eliminated six Iranian small boats that tried to interfere with commercial shipping; two US Navy destroyers transited the Strait and entered the Persian Gulf after fending off an Iranian barrage of missiles, drones and small boats.

The UAE Defense Ministry said its air defences engaged 15 missiles -- 12 ballistic and three cruise -- and four drones from Iran, the first such attacks since an April 8 Tehran-Washington ceasefire, with three people moderately injured. The ministry added that since Iranian attacks began on Feb. 28, UAE air defences have intercepted 578 missiles and 2,260 drones in total, with 13 deaths and 227 injuries recorded. A drone launched from Iran had ignited a major fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone the previous day. President Donald Trump told Fox News that Iran would be "blown off the face of the Earth" if it attacks US vessels operating under "Project Freedom." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there is "no military solution to a political crisis," while defence council member Ali Akbar Ahmadian declared Iran's security non-negotiable and warned of an "unbearable cost" if the US continues. The Israeli army said it was on high alert for a possible resumption of war with Iran, citing the rising escalation, and Israeli officials said additional US aircraft including refuelling planes had arrived.

The institutional response moved at the same time. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) pressed Senate Republican leader John Thune (S.D.) for a floor vote on a resolution authorising the use of military force against Iran beyond the 60-day War Powers Act window, which expired on May 1. Thune has not committed to a vote, and a senior GOP aide acknowledged the conference is divided on whether to formalise the war that has now run two months without congressional authorisation.

The Supreme Court added the day's other major institutional check: it struck down President Trump's sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs, which had been imposed under a broad interpretation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The ruling was hailed by commentators as a major check on executive power, although Trump has already moved to use other authorities to keep parts of the tariff regime in place.

On the nuclear track, US intelligence said Iran's estimated timeline to build a nuclear weapon remains unchanged at nine months to a year, even after two months of war that the administration said was launched partly to prevent Tehran from building a bomb. CNN-reviewed satellite imagery indicated the Saghand Uranium Mine and possibly underground facilities near Isfahan survived the Feb. 28 US-Israeli strikes; while the production process was substantially damaged, key stockpiles and infrastructure appear intact.

The oil arithmetic spelt out the cost. Goldman Sachs estimated global oil stocks at 101 days of demand, near an eight-year low, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz constraining supply; Brent crude futures fell 1.3 percent to $112.93 a barrel. The same numbers feed back into airline economics from Paris to Dubai and into the political case Murkowski and her allies are making for a vote.

Outside the Iran file, Trump described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a "tricky guy" but said he liked him and wanted a negotiated settlement, citing heavy losses on both sides and Ukraine's fighting ability. Trump is also expected in Beijing on May 14-15 for talks with President Xi Jinping, a meeting trailed in Washington as a potential reset point on trade, technology and supply chains.