U.S., Iran in fresh clashes amid peace talks
· Axios
Iran's military fired four one-way drones at a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a senior U.S. official said.
- The U.S. military shot down the drones and attacked another Iranian drone-launching unit on the ground before, the official added.
Why it matters: This is the second such skirmish in 48 hours.
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- It happened as the U.S. and Iran are negotiating a deal to end the war.
Driving the news: U.S. Central Command said in a statement that its forces "shot down four Iranian one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz."
- The statement added: "U.S. forces also struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone. These actions were measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire."
What they're saying: Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported a military source saying that an American tanker tried to pass through the Strait of Hormuz by turning off its radar system.
- However, it said the tanker was forced to stop and return after Iran's Navy fired at it.
- Tasnim reported the U.S. army fired at a site around Bandar Abbas, but this firing did not cause any casualties or property damage.
Of note: The exchange came hours after President Trump said at a Cabinet meeting that he's in no rush for a deal and suggested that Tehran thought it could "outwait" him because of the upcoming midterm elections.
- "I don't care about the midterms. Look what happened last night, that was a prelude to the midterms. People understand it," Trump said, in reference to candidates he endorsed winning their primaries, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who beat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a GOP Senate primary runoff.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with more details on the clahes and corrected to reflect that a senior U.S. official said Iran's military fired drones at a commercial ship (not at a U.S. Navy ship).