The US military carried out strikes in southern Iran, targeting boats it said were attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
The strikes, which were described as defensive actions, come amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing enforcement of a maritime blockade on Iranian ports.
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In a statement issued after the strikes, US Central Command said the operation was intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”
Centcom spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said: “US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
Fox News, citing a senior US official, reported that two Iranian boats had been observed laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the same official, US forces responded after an Iranian missile site targeted American warplanes operating in the region.
Meanwhile, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) had shot down a US MQ-9 drone and forced an additional drone and an F-35 fighter jet to retreat, following what Iranian authorities described as violations of Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf.
In its statement, cited by IRNA, the IRGC said the “terrorist US army,” had entered Iran’s airspace, prompting the IRGC air defence units to respond after what it said was “precise intelligence monitoring.”
The IRGC claimed its air defence teams “identified and destroyed an MQ-9 drone,” and fired upon an RQ-4 drone and an F-35 fighter jet, which it said were then forced to leave Iranian territorial airspace.
The IRGC also warned against what it called any violation of the ceasefire by US forces, stating that it considers its right to retaliate “legitimate and definite.”
Last week, Centcom reported achieving the milestone of redirecting 100 commercial vessels as part of a maritime blockade that began on 13 April.
The US has stated that this blockade, implemented under a presidential proclamation, is aimed at commercial ships entering and leaving Iranian ports.
Over the past six weeks, more than 15,000 US Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen have been involved in enforcing the blockade.
During this period, they have redirected 100 ships, disabled four vessels, and allowed 26 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to proceed to their destinations.
