Two Iranian drones shot down by US near Hormuz: Why the back-and-forth attacks have continued? | World

Two Iranian drones have been shot down by the American military, as they “threatened” maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz that has become one of the center points of the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.

“Earlier today, U.S. forces in the Middle East shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. American forces remain postured and ready to continue defending against Iranian aggression,” the CENTCOM posted on X (previously Twitter).

This is the second straight day when the US military has shot down Iranian drones in and around Hormuz, which remains a critical global maritime route. In response to the Iranian drone threats, the US also targeted its military infrastructure in the Goruk and on Qeshm Island on Saturday.

Goruk is a coastal town in Iran’s Hormozgan province, while Qeshm is its largest island in the Persian Gulf.

Saturday’s strikes were critical, as Iran has developed a lot of its infrastructure on these two places, particularly the Qeshm Island, to keep an eye on the traffic passing through Hormuz. Reports suggest Iran has installed its military radars, anti-ship missile systems and drone bases here.

In response to US strikes, Iran fired around seven ballistic missile on Bahrain and Kuwait. Of them, six were intercepted by the CENTCOM while the seventh failed to reach its target. The missile strikes didn’t lead to injuries and the CENTCOM denied Iranian claims of damage to the fifth fleet headquarters in Bahrain.

“CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and postured to continue responding to unwarranted Iranian aggression in self-defense,” the US military said on X, while sharing a video of its strikes on Iranian radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island.

The back-and-forth attacks haven’t helped in finding a peace proposal. Talks are underway, though, and the two sides have continued the mediation. However, they haven’t been to find a midway, with the US stressing that Iran must end its nuclear programme, while the Islamic Republic has refused to do so.

Hormuz also remains a contentious point, with Iran aiming to keep its control on the waterway, while the US maintains that the route should remain open for the world.

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