US hits military sites, radars inside Iranian territory in ‘self-defence’ strikes

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

2 min readNew DelhiJun 1, 2026 12:18 PM IST

The US on Monday said it conducted “self-defence” strikes on radar and command sites in Iran over the weekend in response to “aggressive Iranian actions”. The development comes as negotiations to extend the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran reach their last leg, pending US President Donald Trump’s approval.

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US Central Command (Centcom) said that Iran shot down an MQ-1 drone over international waters, and it retaliated with strikes on Goruk near the Iranian coast and Qeshm Island, territories along the Strait of Hormuz.

“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” Centcom wrote on X.

“No American service members were harmed. CENTCOM will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests in response to unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire,” it added.

US escorting vessels

According to a New York Times report, the US has been quietly escorting commercial vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime route through which a quarter of global energy supplies pass during peacetime.

Quoting an official, the agency reported that in the last three weeks, the US helped around 70 commercial ships pass through safely. The vessels had reportedly turned off their transponders to avoid detection.

In an interview on Fox News, Trump said that both countries were close to a “very good deal”, but did not rule out military action if the negotiations fail. The US President said that Iran had agreed not to build nuclear weapons capability, the key sticking point in the latest rounds of discussions.

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Exchanges have continued in recent days. Earlier in the day, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeted an air base used in what it called a US attack on a telecom tower on Sirik Island, but did not disclose the location of the installation.

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