U.S. Forces Intercept Iranian Missiles and Drones Near Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces intercepted six of seven Iranian ballistic missiles and four drones launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and neighboring countries on Friday. The military said the drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic. No U.S. personnel were harmed.

Missile and Drone Exchange U.S.

Central Command said Iran fired the ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain after the U.S. had already downed the drones. A seventh missile failed to reach its target. The military responded by striking Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites, including one on an island in the strait.

Kuwaiti forces reported intercepting missiles and drones aimed at their territory. Bahrain activated air raid sirens and directed residents to safe locations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.

The strikes occurred during a shaky ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative 60-day extension agreement last week. The airfield was briefly closed. Israeli forces struck multiple sites in southern Lebanon on Friday, killing nine people and wounding two soldiers in separate clashes with militants.

The U.S. military also boarded a sanctioned Iranian-linked oil tanker in the Indian Ocean and imposed new sanctions on Iranian energy entities.