US-Iran war highlights: US struck Qeshm Island radar sites in ‘self-defence’ after Tehran's ‘drone threat’, says CENTCOM

The US has reportedly struck Kharg Island.

US-Iran war news highlights: The US said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk in self-defence after shooting down four Iranian one-way attack drones headed toward the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic. It added that the strikes were carried out to prevent further attacks, describing the incident as a response to what it called “unjustified Iranian aggression,” while stating that US forces remain vigilant and prepared to act in self-defence.

Explosions and active air defence activity has been reported within the last hour on Iran’s Kharg Island in the northern Persian Gulf. The US has reportedly struck the area, Iran's The Hormuz Letter reported.

There has been no official confirmation yet. Kharg Island holds Iran’s oil terminals. Almost 90% of its oil is exported from there.

A seven-month-old Palestinian infant was shot and killed when Israeli forces allegedly opened fire on his family's car in the occupied West Bank. The infant was shot in the jaw, his father was wounded in the hand and his mother was also injured, as per health authorities.

The US Central Command on Friday denied claims by the Iranian navy that it had fired warning shots near two US destroyers in the Gulf of Oman.

Taking to X, the central command said, “Iranian forces did NOT attack or fire at U.S. Navy warships. Doing so would be a gross violation of the ceasefire. U.S. forces continue to operate freely in regional waters while fully enforcing the ongoing blockade against Iran.”

Iran had earlier claimed that it fired warning shots with a Qadir missile and new Shahid Dana'ie attack drones forcing two US destroyers DDG-103 and DDG-87 to leave the Sea of Oman for the Indian Ocean amid US interference in regional shipping lanes, state media reported.

Meanwhile, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun said that Iran is using his war-torn nation as a bargaining chip in its conflict with the United States and Israel. He demanded that Tehran stops interfering in Lebanese affairs, CNN reported.

Addressing Iran, he said, “You are not trying to help us … the people of Lebanon are paying the price … for the sake of your own interest,” adding, “our interests … do not coincide with your interests.”

He also turned his fire on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite military force, saying, “It’s not your country, it’s our country.”

In an exclusive interview with CNN, he criticised Hezbollah and said that its leader Naim Qassem doesn’t represent the Lebanese people. Directly addressing Qassem, he said, “the Lebanese people are not your people.”

‘Killing US troops will be a ’good' reason to start a war

US President Donald Trump has reportedly said that any killing of US troops by Iran would be a "good reason" to restart the war.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, “If they killed US Troops, it would be a good reason to do so...There is no navy, no air force, we have wiped out their leadership. Then you read in the fake news that they are doing really well in the war, this is unbelievable. They have 159 ships and all of them lie at the bottom of the ocean. We have taken pictures of them down there.”

Trump also criticised the House of Representatives over what he called a "meaningless vote" aimed at forcing him to end the Iran war and attacked four Republican lawmakers for backing what he described as an "unpatriotic thing."

Israel-Lebanon war

Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to renew their fragile ceasefire, with the two sides aiming to continue talks later this month toward a comprehensive peace deal.

The US-brokered agreement, announced in a joint statement by the US, Israel and Lebanon on Wednesday, comes after Israeli forces carried out their deepest incursion into Lebanon in more than a quarter century.

However, the deal contains several contentious provisions, including the creation of "pilot" security zones inside Lebanon from which the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group would be barred, as well as a clause calling for the group's eventual disbandment.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that the agreement is the "last chance to enter a final and comprehensive ceasefire." A US-brokered deal reached in November 2024 to end fighting between Hezbollah and Israel, triggered by the war in Gaza, had failed to hold.