International
oi-Prakash KL
The U.S. military carried out overnight strikes in Iran, targeting a military facility near Bandar Abbas and intercepting four Iranian one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday.
The official said the targeted site was an Iranian ground control station preparing to launch a fifth drone. The strikes were described as “measured” and “purely defensive,” aimed at maintaining the fragile ceasefire amid ongoing negotiations to end the three-month conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
The U.S. military conducted defensive overnight strikes on an Iranian drone control station near Bandar Abbas and intercepted drones near the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing peace negotiations. President Donald Trump stated the strategic waterway will remain open to international traffic, rejecting claims of joint Iran-Oman oversight.
The war, which began on February 28 following U.S. and Israeli attacks, has killed thousands and driven global energy prices sharply higher.
President Donald Trump also rejected Iranian state media claims that Iran and Oman would jointly oversee shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a potential peace agreement. Trump insisted the strategic waterway would remain open to international traffic.
“The strait is going to be open to everybody,” Trump said. “It’s international waters, and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up.”
He added, “They understand that. They’ll be fine.”
Trump did not elaborate on how the U.S. would ensure free passage through the waterway.
The remarks drew attention because Oman is a longstanding U.S. ally and has played a mediating role in Middle East peace efforts. The U.S. State Department later shared both the video clip and transcript of Trump’s comments without issuing any clarification or correction.
Earlier this week, the U.S. conducted what it described as defensive strikes against Iranian targets, including missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines. Iran condemned those actions as violations of the already fragile ceasefire.
