US shoots down Iranian drones near Strait of Hormuz, says Army

CENTCOM (US Central Command) announced on Friday night (12) that American armed forces shot down several Iranian one-way attack drones near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran launched several attack drones that sought to disrupt commercial maritime traffic near the strait, CENTCOM said in a Facebook post.

The American military said its forces "shot them all down in the last few hours, while the flow of traffic through the strait continues unimpeded."

"The international trade corridor remains open for transit," CENTCOM said.

Possible agreement
The move comes amid speculation of a possible memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier on Friday that the agreement could be signed remotely by both parties in the coming days.

The document will be signed and announced after the final stages of negotiations, said Araghchi.

The Iranian foreign minister also said the document should address several issues, including the regime's nuclear program, sanctions relief and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The agreement, which has not yet been signed, includes a resolution to the conflict in Lebanon "and on all other fronts," Araghchi said.

Earlier, the Iranian foreign minister said the signing of the document "has never been so close."

Understand the points of the agreement
A United States government official detailed several points of the agreement being negotiated with Iran, presenting the document as capable of meeting President Donald Trump's objectives in the negotiations.

Among the points of the draft agreement are:

- The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of the US blockade of Iranian ports.
- The dismantling of Iran's nuclear program, including the transfer to the United States of Iran's enriched material, which, according to the official, would be destroyed on site and then removed from the country.
- Iran would be "relieved of much of the economic pressures to which it has been subjected for many, many years" if it complies with the provisions of the agreement. "These benefits will only be granted if they actually fulfill what was agreed," said the official.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important to the world economy?

Source: CNN