The United States military has announced that it shot down four Iranian attack drones headed towards the Strait of Hormuz and later carried out strikes on Iranian coastal radar installations, marking a fresh escalation in tensions in one of the world's most critical maritime corridors.

In a brief statement on Friday (local time), the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces acted after detecting what it described as an immediate threat to shipping in the region. “Moments ago, CENTCOM forces shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said.