Overview
- U.S. Central Command said American forces shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that underlines renewed aerial escalation.
- The drone interceptions followed U.S. strikes on Iranian coastal radar sites and an Iranian salvo of missiles and drones toward Kuwait and Bahrain that U.S. forces said included seven ballistic launches with six intercepted.
- Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi flew to Tehran to deliver messages from Pakistani leaders as indirect negotiations continue but remain deadlocked because Iran insists on unfettered access to roughly $24 billion in frozen assets.
- Washington has approved a $1.98 billion counter‑drone arms sale to Kuwait and is reportedly considering using seized Iranian assets to fund Gulf rebuilding and repairs, steps that change incentives for Gulf states and Tehran.
- The fragile ceasefire is under strain, shipping through the Hormuz chokepoint and global energy markets remain at risk, and the wider multi‑front conflict that includes fighting in Lebanon raises the prospect of broader regional spillovers.