The Iran Brief — May 7, 2026

US forces fired on an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel attempted to breach the American blockade of Iranian ports — the most direct use of force in a day that also included a US escort pause in the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian foreign minister in Beijing, and a proposal delivered through Pakistan. These are events that have unfolded over recent days, and today we bring them into focus. Full context, coming up. Read the full written brief and learn about paid multi-country monitoring on Substack: https://threatsandtrends.substack.com/