The United States struck Iranian military sites over the weekend, responding to what it called aggressive Iranian actions including the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone. Central Command described the attacks as self-defense, hitting radar and command-and-control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island.
Those strikes follow a more serious incident last month: the loss of a US F-15E Strike Eagle over southwestern Iran. US officials suspect a Chinese-made shoulder-fired missile was used, according to NBC News. If confirmed, it would mark the first time in decades a US jet was shot down by enemy fire.
The Pentagon launched a two-day rescue operation for the aircraft's two-man crew, though names and photos have not been released. Intelligence sources also suggest Beijing may have provided Tehran with advanced early-warning radar designed to track stealth aircraft.
Kuwait reported missile and drone attacks on the same day the US confirmed its strikes. European leaders condemned an unrelated Israeli incursion into Lebanon. The broader confrontation remains contained but has heightened fears of a wider regional conflict.
The White House has not directly accused China of complicity in the shootdown. Beijing has not commented on the specific radar or missile claims, and the Pentagon has not publicly released forensic evidence linking the F-15E's loss to a Chinese weapon system.