Fresh claims of a mystery UFO over the Strait of Hormuz are spreading after the US Department of War declassified new files, with the leak landing amid soaring tensions and reported exchanges of fire
Reports of a mystery UFO over the Strait of Hormuz have resurfaced after the US Department of War released a fresh batch of declassified UFO files on Friday (May 8). The documents, described as historic by supporters, landed amid heightened tension in the region, with US and Iranian forces reportedly exchanging fire.
Among the newly released material is an account from September 2020 in which a military operator reported an Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP) hovering at around 1,800 feet over the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is one of the world’s most sensitive shipping choke points.
More recently, viral clips circulating earlier this year have been claimed to show a “strange glowing object” moving silently and changing direction over Iranian cities including Tehran and Rasht.
Another report from March 2026 described a glowing ball shifting from blue to orange over Karaj, minutes before airstrikes. The timing has consequently sparked political rows in Washington, USA.
Amongst the criticism, former GOP congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, accused the administration of spreading “propaganda”, the Independent reported.
She wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “I really don’t care about the UFO files. I just don’t.
“I’m so sick of the ‘look at the shiny object’ propaganda while they wage foreign wars, let rapist and pedophiles run free, and ruin the value of our dollar.” When asked about her comments, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Independent: “Marjorie ‘Quitter’ Greene has never met a conspiracy theory she didn’t embrace.”
Ingle continued: “The former Congresswoman disgracefully quit on her constituents during the middle of her term. Now, she should also quit spreading Fake News.”
US President Donald Trump has reportedly said the release was ordered to promote “transparency”, while critics have claimed it risks becoming a distraction from the escalating stand-off with Iran. The alleged sightings are also being discussed in the context of military operations in the strait.
Reports claim US forces have disabled multiple Iranian tankers while attempting to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports. Moreover, analysts have also pointed to the possibility of electronic warfare or advanced surveillance tech.
There have previously been claims of Iranian pilots encountering “luminous objects” capable of interfering with radar and navigation. This has prompted speculation the “UFOs” could be drones or experimental systems rather than anything extraterrestrial.
Alongside the aerial reports, there have been claims of so-called “ghost boats” or “zombie ships”, old tankers allegedly revived with false identities, attempting to slip through the strait to bypass restrictions. The Pentagon has acknowledged the reports exist within its archives, but has said there is no definitive conclusion that any of the objects were alien or extraterrestrial in origin.
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