The United States and Iran exchanged attacks near the Strait of Hormuz early on Thursday, despite a ceasefire and ongoing negotiations to end the war.
The U.S. military struck an Iranian position used to control drones, a U.S. official said. U.S. forces also shot down four drones that posed a threat to American assets. The targeted site in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas had been preparing to launch a fifth drone.
“These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official said.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a military source, reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on a U.S. oil tanker attempting to pass through the strait with its radar switched off, forcing it to turn back.
The information from both sides could not be independently verified immediately.
Iranian media had earlier reported explosions near Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan Province and one of Iran’s key military hubs in the Gulf region.
A ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but several exchanges of attacks have occurred around the Strait of Hormuz since then.
The IRGC claimed it attacked a U.S. air base from which the strikes near Bandar Abbas airport were launched.
Kuwait also reported coming under missile and drone fire. The Kuwaiti military said any explosions heard were from its air defence systems intercepting hostile targets.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
