US Central Command Downs Iranian Drones Targeting Merchant Ships

US Central Command said it intercepted and destroyed several Iranian loitering munitions launched towards commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement carried by Al Jazeera Mubasher. CENTCOM described the drones as one-way attack munitions directed at merchant shipping in the waterway, and said its forces brought them down before they reached their targets. No casualties or damage to the ships were reported.

The statement did not specify the number of drones, the flagged nationality of the targeted vessels, or the exact time of the engagement. It was not independently confirmed, and Iranian authorities had not commented at the time of reporting.

The Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is the route for roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil and a recurring flashpoint between Iranian forces and US and allied navies. Qatar, which ships the bulk of its liquefied natural gas through the strait, has consistently called for de-escalation and freedom of navigation in Gulf waters.