US, Iran exchange strikes amid ongoing peace efforts

TEHRAN - US Central Command said on Sunday that the US military conducted "self-defense strikes" on Iranian radar and command as well as control sites for drones in parts of Iran over the weekend.

The strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to "aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters," the command said on X.

"US fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters," it added.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said Monday that it struck the air base from which US forces launched an attack on a telecommunications tower on Sirik Island, with all predetermined targets destroyed, Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.

If the aggression is repeated, the response will be completely different in scale and nature, and full responsibility for any such escalation will rest with the United States, the IRGC warned.

Iran and the United States are reportedly working to finalize an MoU on ending the war that started on Feb 28 with joint attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran.

The two sides reached a temporary ceasefire on April 8. In recent weeks, they have exchanged several proposals outlining conditions for ending the conflict through Pakistani mediation.