WASHINGTON/TEHRAN: The United States has carried out additional military strikes targeting Iranian drone operations, according to a U.S. official, amid rising tensions over security and navigation in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
A senior U.S. official told Reuters that American forces intercepted and shot down four Iranian attack drones and struck a ground control facility in Bandar Abbas that was allegedly preparing to launch another drone.
The action came shortly after US President Donald Trump dismissed reports of a proposed agreement involving the reopening of commercial shipping routes through the vital waterway.
The official described the strikes as “measured, defensive actions” aimed at maintaining a fragile ceasefire and protecting both U.S. forces and commercial shipping in the region.
The developments follow renewed instability in the Gulf, where Iranian and U.S. forces have repeatedly accused each other of provocations. Iranian media, however, reported that its naval forces fired warning shots at vessels attempting to transit the strait, forcing at least one ship to turn back.
Oil markets reacted sharply to the latest escalation, with crude prices rising nearly 2% after initial reports of renewed military activity.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump rejected claims of any finalized deal regarding the Strait of Hormuz, stating that “no single country will control” the strategic maritime route. His remarks came alongside U.S. Treasury sanctions targeting an Iranian body allegedly responsible for managing strait traffic.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of global oil supplies previously passed daily, remains a key flashpoint in the ongoing conflict, which has disrupted regional stability and energy markets.
Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions continue, but both Washington and Tehran remain divided over sanctions relief, nuclear policy, and maritime control, with no breakthrough in negotiations yet in sight.–Reuters
