The US military said late Saturday that it shot down two Iranian attack drones threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest escalation in ongoing Middle East hostilities.

“Earlier today, US forces in the Middle East shot down two Iranian one-way attack drones that threatened international maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on its X account.

CENTCOM added that American forces “remain postured and ready to continue defending against Iranian aggression.”

The announcement follows a series of earlier strikes on Friday, when US forces downed four Iranian drones launched toward the Strait and targeted Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in response.

The tit-for-tat attacks, including a salvo of Iranian missiles fired at US allies Bahrain and Kuwait on Saturday, come as Washington and Tehran continue weeks of indirect negotiations aimed at ending the war.

Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon killed three soldiers, the Lebanese military reported on Saturday

A ceasefire originally slated to take effect in April was never implemented, and a new conditional truce announced after Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington this week was swiftly rejected by Hezbollah.

The latest clashes underscore the fragility of the region’s security situation as multiple conflicts intersect and diplomatic efforts struggle to gain traction.