American forces have carried out a targeted strike against an Iranian military facility in the port city of Bandar Abbas, following the downing of four Iranian kamikaze drones, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday, adding that the ceasefire regime remained in place.
“The actions were measured, purely defensive, and aimed at preserving the ceasefire regime,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
According to the military command, US forces shot down four Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and struck a ground-control station in Bandar Abbas, from which the launch of a fifth drone was being prepared.
The US carried out the attack on Iranian territory overnight on Thursday. Citing unnamed sources, Axios reported that “Iran had launched four kamikaze drones at an American merchant vessel; US forces shot down the drones and struck another Iranian drone launch facility on the ground before it could carry out its launch.”
The incident marks the second such confrontation this week. On Tuesday, CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins reported what he described as “self-defence strikes” in the vicinity of Bandar Abbas. He explained that the targets had included surface-to-air missile launchers and Iranian boats that were attempting to lay mines.
