The United States military struck coastal surveillance radar sites in southern Iran overnight, after four suicide drones were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that all of the drones were intercepted, while Iran claimed that the launch was “warning fire."
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the fire may have been carried out as part of a renewed preparation of American vessels in the area. According to the report, the target was a passage near Larak Island, off the coast of Bandar Abbas.
At around 4:00 a.m., sirens sounded in Kuwait, and later in Bahrain as well, following ballistic missile fire. The Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for the launches and said they were a response to US strikes in southern Iran.
CENTCOM updated that six of the seven missiles launched were intercepted, while the seventh did not reach its target. It also stated that there were no casualties in the attacks or interceptions in the Gulf.
US President Donald Trump addressed the confrontation with Iran, telling NBC that, “It takes years to do these things." In the interview, he claimed that most of Iran’s drone factories, launch pads, and a large part of its missile manufacturing facilities had been "knocked out" during the fighting.
Trump added that, in his assessment, Iran has "maybe 21%-22% of their missiles" it possessed before the war. At the same time, he said that the possibility of an agreement with Tehran is still on the table, but warned that “the other way is not nice."
Axios reported that Trump asked to make changes to the emerging memorandum of understandings between Washington and Tehran, while Iran is expected to present demands of its own. According to the report, one of the main issues in dispute is the release of frozen Iranian assetsb worth approximately $24 billion.