U.S. Launches Fresh Strikes on Iranian Military Target Near Strait of Hormuz, Official Confirms
The U.S. military conducted another round of strikes on Iranian military assets Wednesday, a U.S. official told CBS News, adding fresh pressure to a delicate ceasefire that has been holding by a thread.
The official described the operation as defensive in nature, saying U.S. forces shot down four Iranian drones and destroyed a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth. The drones were operating near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that serves as a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments and has remained effectively closed since the onset of hostilities.
Despite the new strikes, the official maintained that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire remains in effect, calling the action “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire.”
Reuters first reported the latest strikes, which came just two days after U.S. Central Command acknowledged a previous round of what it called “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran. Those earlier strikes targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats suspected of attempting to lay naval mines, according to CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins, who said the operations were meant to “protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”
Iran condemned that earlier wave of strikes as a “grave violation of the ceasefire” and warned it would not leave any act of hostility unanswered.
The escalating military actions unfold against a backdrop of tense diplomacy. President Donald Trump has been pressing Iran to agree to a longer-term framework, while also threatening to resume large-scale bombing campaigns if Tehran does not bend to his demands. Over the weekend, Trump sounded an optimistic note, claiming that a peace deal had been “largely negotiated.” But by Wednesday, his tone had shifted. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, he said the U.S. is “not satisfied” and added, “Maybe we have to go back and finish it, maybe we don’t,” though he acknowledged he believes Iran still wants a deal.
A senior Trump administration official revealed Sunday that Iran had agreed in principle to a two-phase deal template. The first phase would involve Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iranian ports. The second phase would entail negotiations over a mechanism for Iran to dismantle parts of its nuclear program. As part of that framework, Iran has agreed in principle to dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium—though how that nearly weapons-grade material would be handled remains unclear. Trump suggested on social media that the uranium could be destroyed either in the U.S. or, as he preferred, inside Iran.
The new strikes, while limited in scope, highlight the fragility of the current ceasefire and the high stakes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes. Analysts say any prolonged disruption could send global energy prices soaring and deepen economic instability. For now, both sides appear to be calibrating their actions—deterrence through limited military force, even as they inch toward a more formal agreement.