A fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran came under renewed strain this weekend after American forces launched strikes against Iranian military targets, accusing Tehran of shooting down a US drone and threatening ships traveling through regional waters.
Self-Defense Strikes
US Central Command announced that American fighter aircraft carried out what it described as 'self-defense strikes' against Iranian radar and drone command facilities in southern Iran after a series of what it called aggressive actions by the regime.
The strikes targeted radar and command-and-control sites for drones in Goruk and on Qeshm Island, according to CENTCOM.
Trigger for Operation
The military said the operation was triggered by the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was flying over international waters.
'The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,' CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran (file photo from March 2026).
