Live Updates: Trump says ceasefire still in effect as Iran calls Strait of Hormuz attacks 'point of no return'

The crisis around the Strait of Hormuz deepened on May 8 as U.S. forces struck two Iranian-flagged tankers and new backchannel diplomacy involving Qatar and Vice President Vance continued, according to live reporting.

CBS News said the latest updates showed the confrontation widening even as Trump kept saying the ceasefire remained in effect. The Washington Post, citing AP reporting, said U.S. forces struck two Iranian-flagged vessels accused of trying to breach a naval blockade near the Gulf of Oman.

Reuters reported separately that U.S. forces destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted missiles and drones as they tried to keep shipping moving through the strait. Reuters also said the ceasefire remained fragile as both sides traded new attacks over control of the waterway.

The earlier trigger for the current round of tensions was a series of exchanges in and around the Strait of Hormuz that led the U.S. to begin Project Freedom, a shipping escort effort. Iran has warned that attacks on shipping amount to a point of no return, while U.S. officials have kept emphasizing de-escalation through the ceasefire.

The latest reports do not show a clear break in the ceasefire, but they do show a sharper military and diplomatic escalation. What happens next likely depends on whether the Qatar-mediated talks can slow the naval confrontation before another incident forces a new response.