Washington, DC – In an urgent and significant statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces successfully intercepted and downed a group of suicide drones launched by Iran in recent hours. This was a direct and alarming attempt to target and strike international commercial vessels transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz. This incident signals a new round of military and security tensions in the region.
CENTCOM statement: Attack thwarted, Strait open to navigation
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in an official statement published Saturday on its X platform that “Iran launched several unidirectional attack (suicide) drones in a deliberate attempt to strike various commercial vessels during their routine transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The CENTCOM statement confirmed that US military forces stationed in the region responded with full vigilance and shot down all of the attack drones within the past few hours. The statement emphasized that maritime traffic through the Strait continues uninterrupted. The international trade route remains fully open to global maritime traffic.
Reuters: A direct threat to international maritime security
In the same context, Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed source confirming that US forces intercepted Iranian suicide drones en route to the Strait of Hormuz. The source indicated that these drones pose a serious and direct threat to the security of commercial shipping and international maritime routes.
To date, neither side has released any further details regarding the exact number of drones shot down, the precise timing of the operation, or the exact geographical location of the interception in territorial or international waters. Nor has there been a comprehensive official response from officials in Washington or Tehran.
Iranian narrative: Warning shots fired against violating vessels
On the other hand, these field developments coincided with indicators of escalation that were observed last night; as the Iranian Fars News Agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, reported on Friday evening, June 12, that what it described as “warning shots were fired at ships violating and breaking” the laws in the Strait of Hormuz.
The state news agency reported that local residents in the Qeshm, Jask, and Sirik districts of Iran’s Hormozgan province, which borders the Strait of Hormuz, reported hearing loud noises resembling explosions. It confirmed that there were no reports of direct attacks on those land locations.
Fars News Agency quoted informed sources as saying that the sounds heard were directly related to warning measures taken against violating vessels in the Strait. This clearly reflects the extent of direct, on-the-ground military confrontation between Iranian forces and the US Navy in one of the world’s most vital waterways for energy supplies and trade.
