US military shoots down Iranian drones heading for Strait of Hormuz

World iranIsraelTop NewsUnited Stateswar US military shoots down Iranian drones heading for Strait of Hormuz Drones Iran Relevant News US military shoots down Iranian drones heading for Strait of Hormuz 13 June 2026 Cyprus police overnight operation yields nine arrests after stopping hundreds of citizens 13 June 2026 Second suspect arrested over Paphos office bombing 13 June 2026 newsroom 13 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The United States military has shot down Iranian drones heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, according to a well-informed source cited by Reuters. The incident occurs amidst ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war. An official speaking to Reuters on Friday on condition of anonymity said the Iranian drones posed a threat to commercial shipping in the area. According to a briefing from US Central Command (CENTCOM), Iran launched kamikaze drone attacks “in an effort to strike commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” at a moment when Washington and Tehran report progress in negotiations to end the war. “US forces shot them all down in recent hours” and the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz “continues unhindered,” CENTCOM stated in a post on social media platform X. Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded. The international trade corridor remains open for…— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 13, 2026 US President Donald Trump warned Iran on Friday to halt drone attacks against commercial ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, underlining that the Iranians “better shape up, and fast!”. The incident took place as Tehran, mediating Pakistan, and Washington expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the war in the Middle East following weeks of painstaking negotiations and dashed hopes. However, the versions of a potential compromise presented by the Iranian media and Washington show significant differences. “Once the final stages of our negotiations are completed, this agreement will be signed and announced,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television. “This could happen within the coming days. I am optimistic,” he added. Araghchi stated that the draft agreement provides for the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports and a new form of management for the Strait of Hormuz. But he accused Israel of looking for “pretexts” to “derail” a potential agreement with Washington. Similar optimism was expressed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the main mediator in the conflict. “Peace has never been as close as it is today,” Shehbaz Sharif said. In Washington, a senior official estimated the probability of a framework agreement opening a 60-day period of technical discussions at “80 to 85%”, but “not 100%”. “(The two sides) have not crossed the finish line yet,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus police overnight operation yields nine arrests after stopping hundreds of citizens Second suspect arrested over Paphos office bombing Young man injured after falling into three-metre deep uncovered basement in Chloraka Worker critically injured in Strovolos occupational accident after air conditioning compressor explodes Scattered storms and hail forecast for inland areas and mountains Greece to make fighter jet presence in Cyprus permanent with possible switch to F-4 Phantoms Hamas network planned Cyprus attack for seven months with mastermind directing other countries from Malaysia Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.