US Strikes Iranian Radar After Drone Interception Near Hormuz

WASHINGTON, United States — The United States struck radar installations inside Iran on Friday after shooting down drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command. The exchange marked a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran near the strategic waterway that carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil shipments. Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced they had targeted "enemy bases in the region" with missile strikes in what it described as a response to what it called the US "occupation" of Sirik and Kish islands. US Central Command said Iran fired seven ballistic missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain, with six intercepted and one failing to reach its target. Air attack sirens sounded in both Gulf states, and residents reported hearing explosions. The strikes came despite weeks of negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. US officials confirmed that Tehran had been granted visas for its national football team to travel to the World Cup, a diplomatic gesture that did not prevent the military escalation. No casualties were immediately reported from the strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain.