U.S. military forces conducted defensive strikes on Wednesday targeting an Iranian military facility following the interception of multiple Iranian drones, according to officials familiar with the operations. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that U.S. Central Command forces shot down four one-way Iranian attack drones in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, U.S. forces targeted and destroyed an Iranian ground control station near Bandar Abbas that was preparing to launch a fifth drone.

These military actions occurred amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran, with President Donald Trump commenting publicly on the situation during a Cabinet meeting. Trump characterized Iran as “negotiating on fumes” and expressed confidence that a diplomatic resolution was imminent, despite acknowledging that negotiations remain unsettled. Over the weekend, he had suggested that his administration and Iran had “largely negotiated” a settlement, though progress has yet to be finalized.

The president emphasized that upcoming November midterm elections would not influence his approach to the conflict, dismissing suggestions that he might rush a deal for political reasons. “They thought they were gonna outwait me. You know, ‘We’ll outwait him. He’s got the midterms,’” Trump said. “I don’t care about the midterms.” He further stated that while a settlement remains the goal, the U.S. is prepared to “finish the job” if negotiations fail.

At the heart of the dispute is the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime chokepoint, which the United States aims to keep open, along with reducing Iran’s nuclear capabilities sufficiently to claim a political victory. The conflict, which has lasted nearly three months, has generated considerable unease in global economic markets and political circles.

In the meantime, Iranians have begun regaining internet access on Wednesday after nearly a month of shutdown ordered by authorities. The internet blackout had commenced amid nationwide protests in January and was justified by officials as a military necessity following attacks on Iran by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. Although connectivity is returning, users report that internet speed remains slow and inconsistent, with popular applications such as YouTube and Instagram still heavily restricted, similar to conditions prior to the outage.