“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island this weekend,” CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM said the strikes took place on Saturday and Sunday. It described the action as measured and deliberate.
“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” CENTCOM said.
According to CENTCOM, U.S. fighter aircraft responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station and two one-way attack drones. The command said those drones posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.
CENTCOM said no American service members were harmed. It said U.S. forces would continue to protect American assets and interests in response to what it called unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire.
The strikes came as U.S. and Iranian officials were still negotiating the exact terms of a tentative agreement reached last week. The reported agreement would extend a temporary ceasefire by 60 days, open the Strait of Hormuz and begin further talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
The conflict in Iran has continued for just over three months. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry, has contributed to sharply higher oil and gas prices.
According to AAA figures cited in the report, the average price for a regular gallon of gasoline in the United States was about $4.32 on Monday morning. That was up from about $3.14 a year earlier.
CENTCOM also said it had stopped another vessel from docking at an Iranian port during the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The command said U.S. forces on Friday “disabled” a Gambian-flagged ship after it failed to respond to repeated warnings.
“CENTCOM forces observed M/V Lian Star transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman and issued more than 20 warnings while informing the vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade,” CENTCOM said.
