US Strikes Near Strait of Hormuz as Iran Ceasefire Frays

by | May 28, 2026 | News

flying rocket during daytime

Three months after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, the fragile ceasefire brokered in April is showing serious cracks — with fresh American military action this week threatening to unravel tentative peace negotiations.

The US military launched a series of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz even as an Iranian delegation was traveling to Qatar to hold negotiations aimed at ending the war. US Central Command said it shot down four Iranian drones and struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone, calling the actions “measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire.”

Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, a strategic port city roughly 70 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC claimed it had previously downed an American MQ-9 Reaper drone and fired on both an RQ-4 drone and an F-35 fighter jet, asserting its right to retaliate for what it called ceasefire violations.

The backdrop to these flare-ups is a war that began on February 28, when Israel launched a coordinated preemptive strike on Iran alongside the United States, with President Trump confirming “major combat operations” were underway. A ceasefire has nominally been in place since April 8, but both sides have continued probing each other militarily while diplomats negotiate.

At the center of the dispute is the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has moved to formalize control over the vital waterway, establishing a regulatory body for maritime traffic and laying out new rules for vessels seeking transit — in direct defiance of US warnings. Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports since April 13 and insists the strait must remain open to all.

Iran and the US have signaled they are narrowing the gap toward a longer-lasting settlement, but with each passing day, demands on both sides are hardening and civilian casualties are mounting. If a deal is reached, some $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets could be released, according to Iranian media reports.

For now, the situation remains deeply unstable — diplomatic progress advancing in Doha while missiles and drones fly near the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.

+ posts