Key takeaways:
- U.S. Central Command said four Iranian one-way attack drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz were shot down because they threatened regional maritime traffic.
- CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island after the drone incident.
- Local officials said one person was killed and more than 60 were injured in drone strikes on Kuwait’s international airport, while Iran’s IRGC denied responsibility.
The U.S. military said it shot down four Iranian “one-way attack drones” launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and then struck Iranian coastal radar sites, the latest exchange in a conflict that has threatened a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
U.S. Central Command said the drones “posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic.” It said U.S. forces “subsequently struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island to defend against further attacks.”
Iran has not publicly commented on the reported drone shootdowns or the U.S. strikes on the radar sites. Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s navy said it fired “warning shots” on Friday at U.S. forces in the Gulf of Oman, accusing U.S. ships of harassing vessels in the area. CENTCOM denied that report.
The incident came several days after the United States and Iran exchanged strikes, deepening an escalation that has strained efforts to maintain a ceasefire. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled, and a deal to end the war has failed to advance.
Tensions rose further after drone strikes hit Kuwait’s international airport on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring more than 60, local officials said. Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps denied responsibility, saying the damage was caused by an error from a U.S. missile interceptor. CENTCOM called that false and said Iran struck the airport in a “deliberate, calculated and unjustified attack.”
The IRGC had earlier said it targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf in retaliation for U.S. strikes on an Iranian oil tanker and Qeshm Island.
The wider conflict began after the United States and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, sparking fighting across the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking Israel and U.S.-allied states in the Gulf and by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas travels. The closure sent oil prices sharply higher around the world.
After a ceasefire was agreed in early April, the United States established a blockade of Iranian ports. President Donald Trump has said the blockade will remain “in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”
The conflict has also spread pressure across the region. The United Nations reported, according to Al Jazeera, that 1.4 million people in Lebanon need aid amid Israel’s attacks on the country.
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