US forces attacked Iran’s coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said, in the latest escalation to complicate efforts to end the war between the two countries.
The US Army believed four Iranian drones were targeting maritime traffic in the area, an official said.
The US Central Command said on social media that the US then attacked Iran’s observation sites at Goruk and Qeshm Island, both of which are in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Attack drones pose an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” it said. It hit radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to protect against further attacks”.
The United States and Iran have been holding indirect talks to find a temporary agreement to end the conflict three months war that will leave issues including Iran’s nuclear program up for further negotiation.
As part of any agreement, Tehran wants access to billions of dollars in oil revenues, the removal of restrictions on exports, the removal of US restrictions on its ports and an increase in the strait. Iran has blocked the sea channel, through which almost a third of the world’s oil crossed before the war.
