The US military said it shot down four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday and later struck several Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in response. The developments have raised fresh concerns about the stability of the already fragile ceasefire between the two countries as the Trump administration increases pressure on Tehran.
"The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic," US Central Command said in a statement on social media.
According to the US military, the radar sites targeted included facilities located on an island in the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command said the strikes were carried out "to defend against further attacks."
The latest escalation comes as the United States continues enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Tehran's actions in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and natural gas shipments. The disruption has contributed to rising energy prices and created political challenges for US President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
The exchange marks another chapter in the ongoing cycle of attacks that has strained efforts to maintain a ceasefire and negotiate a longer-term agreement. Earlier this week, Iranian drones reportedly struck Kuwait's main airport, heavily damaging a passenger terminal, killing one person, injuring dozens and temporarily shutting down operations.
Trump Says Situation 'Going Quite Well'
Despite the latest hostilities, President Trump struck an optimistic tone when speaking to reporters on Friday.
"The situation with Iran seems to be going quite well," Trump said during an event with farmers in Wisconsin.
"We're going to come out of Iran very quickly, and it's going to be very strong one way or the other, whether it's a piece of paper or the very tough way," he said. "The very tough way is maybe the easier way, but we're going to come out, and your fertiliser prices are going to go way down, just like they were four months ago."
The conflict has increasingly entered a holding pattern. Last week, US and Iranian negotiators reportedly reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and begin a new round of discussions over Iran's nuclear programme. However, Trump has since called for unspecified changes to the proposed arrangement, while Iranian officials have yet to publicly endorse the deal.
Asked during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press why progress had been slow, Trump replied that it was because "it's a very hard thing for them," citing Iran's "great independence" and describing the country as "strong" and "proud."
: Amid Iranian strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain, US President Donald Trump said Tehran has "some missiles" and "some drones" left.
"They still have capacity...I would say, percentage wise, maybe 21, 22 percent of their missiles," Trump told NBC News in an interview.
Kuwait's army on Saturday said it had engaged seven Iranian missiles, Reuters news agency reported. The army further said that Iranian attacks had caused material damage but no injuries.
The United States, one of three host countries of the World Cup 2026, has denied visas to 15 members of Iran's delegation, the state television reported on Saturday, according to AFP.
"Visas have been issued for the national team and the technical staff, and there are 15 members of the administration and management whose visas are problematic and have not been issued by the US," Iran's state TV reporter said from the Turkish city of Antalya.
