The U.S. and Iranian militaries exchanged a new wave of airstrikes over the Gulf this weekend, shattering the fragile April 8 ceasefire that temporarily paused the broader 2026 Iran War.
The U.S. Central Command confirmed that American fighter aircraft executed “measured and deliberate” self-defense strikes against Iranian radar and drone command-and-control facilities located in Goruk and on Qeshm Island. Military officials stated the operation neutralized air defense systems, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed a “clear threat” to maritime traffic. No American service members were harmed in the operation.
Washington launched the weekend operation after Iranian forces shot down an American MQ-1 drone operating over international waters, according to military statements detailing the strikes in Goruk and Qeshm Island. Retaliating against the American response, Iranian forces claimed to have hit military targets near the highly contested Strait of Hormuz. The renewed hostilities compound the region’s existing instability, which recently included the diplomatic fallout of thousands of foreign workers facing deportation.
This weekend’s confrontation marks the first major military escalation since Pakistan mediated a conditional pause to the fighting. The conflict initially began on February 28 when joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, targeted Iranian nuclear infrastructure and resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. That initial wave triggered widespread horizontal retaliation from Tehran across the Middle East before the spring ceasefire briefly halted the direct exchanges.