US reports have revealed new details surrounding a night of military escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise amid growing instability across the region.

According to Axios, citing a senior US official, Iran launched four drones toward a US Navy vessel and a commercial ship operating in the strategic waterway. US forces reportedly intercepted and shot down the drones before they reached their targets.

The official added that the US military later carried out retaliatory strikes against an Iranian drone-launch unit near Bandar Abbas, claiming the site was preparing additional attacks that threatened American forces and international maritime navigation.

Reuters also cited a US official confirming that Washington launched new airstrikes on what it described as an Iranian military position posing a “direct threat” to shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

The escalation coincided with reports from Iranian media stating that three explosions were heard east of Bandar Abbas during the early hours of Thursday morning. Iranian air defense systems were reportedly activated for several minutes, while authorities announced an investigation into the source of the blasts.

The latest confrontation raises fears of a wider regional escalation, particularly as global shipping routes and energy markets remain highly sensitive to instability in the Gulf.