The United States said it shot down multiple Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, even as Washington and Tehran both signaled that an agreement to end their three-month-old war is closer than at any point in recent months. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that U.S. forces intercepted the drones on Friday because they posed an immediate threat to commercial traffic in the vital waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and gas shipments pass. President Donald Trump had warned Iran earlier that day against firing more drones at ships attempting to transit the strait, saying Tehran “better get their act together, and FAST”.
Despite the latest military flare-up, senior officials on both sides struck an unexpectedly optimistic tone about diplomacy. A U.S. administration official said Washington and Tehran had agreed on the text of an initial memorandum of understanding and expected to sign a deal in the coming days, adding that negotiations were “in a very, very good place” and met Trump’s core objectives. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on social media that “the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer,” referring to Pakistani-mediated talks, and told state television that Iran had emerged stronger from the conflict and is “the winner of the war with the U.S.”.
The tentative proposal reportedly calls for reopening the strait and lifting the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, with negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program to follow. That sequencing has drawn criticism, with Trump dismissing some published accounts of the draft as inaccurate, though he told reporters Friday that “the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well” and that a resolution would come “very quickly” either through “a piece of paper or the very tough way”.
The drone interceptions are part of a broader pattern of tit-for-tat exchanges that have continued despite an April 8 ceasefire. U.S. Central Command said it also struck Iranian coastal radar sites and a ground control station in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island that were about to launch another drone, describing the actions as defensive and intended to protect shipping. Iran, for its part, said explosions heard near Sirik port and Qeshm were warning shots fired by its forces at vessels attempting to cross the strait without Revolutionary Guard permission. Iranian news agencies also reported firing on a tanker that allegedly tried to breach the traffic ban.
Both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations while keeping channels open in Pakistan, where mediators have worked for weeks to bridge gaps on sanctions relief, frozen assets, and Iran’s nuclear enrichment. Tehran demands recognition of its sway over the strait and the release of billions in frozen funds, while Washington insists any deal must prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. With oil prices rebounding after each incident and political pressure mounting ahead of U.S. midterm elections, the conflicting signals of downed drones and diplomatic optimism underscore how fragile the path to a durable agreement remains.
