Defensive U.S. strikes target Iranian drone threats as ceasefire holds

The U.S. says it carried out defensive strikes on Iran, shooting down four drones and hitting a Bandar Abbas ground-control station to prevent a fifth near the Strait of Hormuz, in a move framed as protecting the ceasefire. Iran retaliated with fire at an American base and launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait (shot down by Kuwaiti forces) with no reported hits on U.S. facilities. The clashes occur as discussions for a broader U.S.–Iran deal continue, involving steps like reopening Hormuz and curbing Iran’s nuclear program, though details remain unsettled and uncertain.