U.S. officials confirmed that the U.S. military carried out "defensive" strikes against Iranian targets on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This follows reports from Iranian state media of five explosions on Qeshm Island, and claims by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that it shot down two U.S. drones in the Strait of Hormuz. According to U.S. officials who spoke to The Wall Street Journal, the operation is part of a series of limited, covert strikes the U.S. has conducted against Iranian targets in recent weeks, in response to the IRGC firing on U.S. aircraft.