U.S. shoots down Iranian drones over Strait of Hormuz as Trump disowns leaked peace draft

Drone confrontation in the Strait

The U.S. military said it shot down multiple Iranian drones that were aiming at commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during the night of Friday to Saturday. The incident comes despite optimism voiced earlier on Friday by both sides that a deal to end the conflict, which began on 28 February, was close. A senior American official had stated that a text satisfactory to both parties had been drafted.

Leaked draft provokes Trump’s wrath

On Friday, the official Iranian news agency IRNA published the outlines of what it presented as a compromise under discussion, while the semi-official Mehr agency released a 14-point text. The document reportedly includes a permanent immediate cessation of hostilities, including in Lebanon, 60 days of negotiations on nuclear issues and a full lifting of U.S. sanctions, as well as the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds during the final negotiation period.

“The terms that Iran leaked to the fake news media have NOTHING to do with the terms we agreed upon in writing. What they said, including their weak and pathetic statement about the deal, is unrelated to reality.”

Iran’s position on the Strait and enrichment

According to IRNA, the draft text does not commit Iran to cede management of the strategic Strait of Hormuz or to restore conditions that existed before the war. Tehran would also maintain its right to nuclear enrichment. The leak angered Trump, who posted on Truth Social that Iran must "pull itself together, and FAST".

A deal in limbo

On Thursday, Trump said a deal could be signed as early as the weekend. Iranian diplomacy, however, denied having reached a definitive conclusion. The gap between the leaked Iranian draft and the American position left the negotiations in deep uncertainty, even as military incidents continued to escalate on the waterway that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil.