American military forces destroyed Iranian missiles and unmanned aircraft aimed at Gulf region targets and the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Saturday, while diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran persist despite escalating regional tensions.
CENTCOM reported that Iran launched seven ballistic missiles targeting Kuwait and Bahrain hours after American forces destroyed four Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz.
“Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain hours after US Central Command shot down four Iranian one–way attack drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said Saturday local time in a statement.
Preliminary assessments showed that six of the missiles were intercepted, and the seventh failed to reach its intended target. CENTCOM said no US personnel were injured in the incident.
The command also rejected Iranian claims regarding hitting American military facilities in the Gulf. “Iranian claims of damaging US 5th fleet headquarters in Bahrain are false,” CENTCOM added. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had previously announced that it struck what it described as “enemy bases in the region.”
CENTCOM said the drones intercepted over the Strait of Hormuz represented an immediate danger to maritime activity in the area.
The command further reported that US forces targeted Iranian surveillance radar installations in Goruk and on Qeshm Island. According to CENTCOM, the strikes were carried out “to defend against further maritime attacks.”
Separately, Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency reported Saturday that Iranian forces fired several warning shots near the Strait of Hormuz. The agency said the activity “may have been related” to the repositioning of US naval vessels operating in the region.
The developments came as discussions continued regarding a possible settlement between Washington and Tehran. CNN reported that a senior Iranian official said any prospective agreement would depend on the Trump administration releasing $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets and warned of the possibility of a broader conflict.
President Trump expressed optimism about the diplomatic track on Friday: “The situation with Iran seems to be going quite well,” President Trump told reporters during an event with farmers in Wisconsin.
“We’re going to come out of Iran very quickly, and it’s going to be very strong one way or the other, whether it’s a piece of paper or the very tough way,” he said. “The very tough way is maybe the easier way, but we’re going to come out.”
US and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement one week ago to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and begin a new round of discussions regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
