Exclusive: U.S. Strikes Iran Military Site, Downs Drones Near Strait of Hormuz

By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) — The U.S. military launched fresh strikes in Iran overnight, hitting a military site and shooting down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the target was an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone. The strikes came as negotiations aimed at ending a three-month-old conflict — one that has killed thousands and driven global energy prices sharply higher — remain deadlocked.

The conflict, which began on February 28 following a series of U.S. and Israeli attacks, has roiled energy markets and raised fears of a broader regional war. The latest U.S. military action, not previously reported, adds a new layer of tension at a time when both sides are locked in delicate ceasefire discussions.

“These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official said.

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed a report by Iranian state media claiming that Iran and Oman would jointly manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a peace deal. Trump said the waterway would remain open, underscoring the high stakes over the critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.

The U.S. had previously conducted what it described as defensive strikes against Iran on Monday, which Tehran condemned as a violation of the fragile truce. Those strikes targeted boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites that the U.S. military’s Central Command said posed a threat to American forces.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Lincoln Feast)