U.S. Central Command said American forces shot down four Iranian attack drones and ballistic missiles launched toward the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf neighbors, calling them an “immediate threat” to regional maritime traffic. CENTCOM said six of the seven missiles were intercepted, while the seventh failed to reach its intended target.
"Officials in Kuwait are describing those recent overnight strikes here in the Gulf as a serious escalation,” Fox News Correspondent Jeff Paul said.
President Trump said he would be willing to meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei if negotiations between Washington and Tehran would yield a deal.
Former CIA and Fox contributor Dan Hoffman said Iran appears to be trying to “drive up the costs of the war” for the United States by disrupting trade through the Strait of Hormuz, escalating Hezbollah strikes against Israel and targeting Gulf allies.
“Iran feels like that gives them added leverage,” Hoffman said, referring to domestic political pressure facing the Trump administration ahead of the midterms.
President Trump said Iran has about 22% of its missile arsenal compared to what it had before U.S. strikes in February.
Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon that killed 9 people- including members of the Lebanese army.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued an advisory warning U.S. citizens in the region to exercise “increased caution”, particularly in Israel, The West Bank, and Gaza.