The United States and Iran continued their military escalation for a third consecutive night, with American forces conducting fresh strikes on Iranian targets while Tehran responded with attacks on commercial shipping and a military facility.
US Central Command said it shot down four Iranian attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz and struck a ground control station in Iran's Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone. Officials characterized the actions as "measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire." Approximately two hours later, Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed they had targeted an American military base in Kuwait in retaliation, with Kuwait's military confirming it intercepted hostile missile and drone threats around 6am local time.
The tit-for-tat strikes occurred as Iranian forces also fired at four vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's state broadcaster IRIB, which reported the incident happened around 12:35am local time without providing further details about the ships.
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, with roughly a fifth of the world's petroleum passing through this passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean.
President Trump announced a significant policy shift, declaring that the United States would reinstate a maritime blockade on Iran and impose a 20 percent charge on cargo transiting the strait. This represents a departure from long-standing US policy supporting free navigation through international waterways. The UAE condemned Iran's attack on two national tankers in the southern lane of the strait in Omani territorial waters, which killed one Indian crew member and wounded eight others.
The escalation comes amid stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Trump stated that Iran wants "very much to make a deal" but that the US was "not satisfied" with current proposals. He warned that if negotiations failed, "we'll have to just finish the job," while claiming Iran was "negotiating on fumes."
Trump also appeared to direct an unusual warning at Oman, a US ally, over reports that Iran and Oman might jointly manage the strait. He said the waterway would be "open to everybody" and suggested Oman would need to comply with US requirements or face military action.
A key sticking point in negotiations remains whether any US-Iran ceasefire will cover Israel's military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has insisted that Lebanon must be included in any ceasefire agreement. Israel has intensified its operations in Lebanon, with the military striking 550 targets since the beginning of the week and pushing forces farther north against Hezbollah fighters. More than 1.2 million Lebanese have been displaced since fighting escalated in March.