U.S. Strikes Iranian Drone Launcher After Attack on Merchant Shipping

A six-pack Shahed-136 drone launcher (IRGC)

Published May 27, 2026 9:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

On Wednesday, U.S. forces conducted a limited strike on Iranian territory in response to Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz, the second such strike since the beginning of the week. The incident illustrates the continued high risk to shipping in the waterway, even as negotiations move forwards. 

Iranian forces launched four one-way attack drones at merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy fighter jets responded and shot down all four before they could reach their targets. Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighters proceeded to destroy the Iranian ground control unit for the drone launches - located near Bandar Abbas - before it could threaten shipping any further, the officials said. 

Officials emphasized that the drones were a threat to commercial traffic, and that the actions were "measured, purely defensive, and intended to maintain the ceasefire."

Talks mediated by Qatar and Oman continue to progress towards a longer ceasefire agreement, and are said to be nearing completion. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump ruled out one rumored component - a proposal to moderate Iran's current dominance of the Strait of Hormuz by transitioning to a joint Iranian-Omani control scheme. The strait's TSS passes wholly through Omani waters, and Oman has historically administered the traffic scheme (at no charge) on a day-to-day basis. 

Asked about this arrangement at an open cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump threatened to attack Oman, a peaceful state which has helped mediate between Iranian, GCC and Western interests for decades. "Oman will behave like everybody else or we’ll have to blow them up. They understand that," Trump said. 

Separately, the U.S. Treasury announced Wednesday that it would formally sanction the new Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the Iranian administrative body set up to handle transit arrangements and fee payments for the "Tehran Tollbooth" route through the Strait of Hormuz. The route is administered by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, itself blacklisted as a foreign terrorist organization.