US Destroys Iran Drones Targeting Hormuz Shipping

Washington: The US military said late Saturday it shot down two Iranian attack drones threatening Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic, the latest clash between the warring forces as tensions escalate anew in the Middle East. “Earlier today, US forces in the Middle East shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command said on its X account.

“American forces remain postured and ready to continue defending against Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM said late Friday, its forces shot down four Iranian attack drones launched toward the strait, then struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites. The tit-for-tat strikes, including a salvo of Iranian missiles fired Saturday at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait, come despite Washington and Tehran being engaged in weeks of indirect talks on how to end the war.

Meanwhile, an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed three soldiers, Beirut’s military said Saturday, as its chief travelled to Pakistan to meet with a key mediator in efforts to end the West Asia war. A ceasefire meant to have gone into force in April was never observed, and a new conditional truce announced after Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington this week was flatly rejected by Hezbollah hours later.