Overview
- US forces shot down four Iranian attack drones and struck a ground control site near Bandar Abbas in the night operation that Washington described as defensive, actions reported on Thursday by multiple outlets.
- Iran’s foreign ministry accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it struck a US base in retaliation, while state media reported warning shots fired at four ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
- US and Iranian negotiators have outlined a draft framework to extend the ceasefire by 60 days, but sources say the deal has not yet been validated by President Trump and remains fragile.
- The clashes have coincided with intensified fighting in south Lebanon, reports of missile and drone attacks affecting Kuwait, and volatility in oil markets because the Strait of Hormuz is a key energy transit route.
- The dispute centers on control of Hormuz, Tehran’s demand for the release of roughly $24 billion in frozen assets, and US insistence on limits to Iran’s enriched uranium, all of which shape whether the truce holds or wider fighting resumes.