Iran live updates: US strikes Iranian radar sites after drones fired toward strait, CENTCOM says

The U.S. military recently shot down four Iranian drones that had been launched toward the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said Friday.

"The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic," CENTCOM said.

In response, CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck "Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites" in the city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island "to defend against further attacks."

This is the latest incident during the ceasefire where CENTCOM has said it defended against an Iranian action and then launched strikes at Iranian targets.

The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi indicated that discussions with Iran may be moving toward a preliminary nuclear framework, but outcomes remain uncertain.

The main obstacle to resuming full nuclear verification in Iran is the lack of consistent access for inspectors following recent disruptions, even though Iran remains legally bound to cooperate, Grossi said during a press conference Friday.

On Iran's 60% enriched uranium, Grossi said there are several technically feasible options -- such as exporting it, diluting it, or keeping it under IAEA control -- but these are ultimately political decisions. He stressed that no arrangement can proceed without first re-establishing a verified baseline of material on the ground, and while the current assumption is that the uranium remains in place, the IAEA has not independently confirmed its status after recent attacks.

The U.S. has announced more sanctions targeting Iranian oil smuggling in an effort to undercut Iran's efforts to evade sanctions.

"The United States is targeting a sophisticated network that has smuggled hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to markets in South and East Asia. This network used front companies in the United Arab Emirates and China, along with Iran's shadow fleet of vessels, to disguise Iranian-origin fuel and circumvent U.S. sanctions," the U.S. said in a statement.

"We are also sanctioning an Iranian currency exchange house and its operators who work with other actors to help Iran facilitate billions of dollars in illicit financial transactions. These dealings enable the regime to move funds derived from oil sales while evading the international financial system," the U.S. added.

Speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Thursday, President Donald Trump, for the first time, detailed a risky plan that he opted not to greenlight that would have sent U.S. troops into Iran to collect enriched uranium, or "nuclear dust" as he calls it.

The president said he decided not to go forward with the plan given the dangers.

Trump said the operation would have taken at least two weeks and also talked about the "massive equipment" that would need to be airlifted in.

The president added that the U.S. could still carry out such an operation, but also said that there's "no reason to" because the nuclear material is "entombed."

"We could get it right now," Trump said. "I don't think they could stop us if we wanted, but there's no reason to. It's entombed."