The United States said on Monday it carried out new strikes on southern Iran, hitting missile sites and boats it said were trying to place mines, as the fragile ceasefire between the two countries continued and talks over a possible deal moved ahead.
US Central Command said the strikes were taken in self-defense and were intended to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces. Capt. Tim Hawkins said the military continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire, and added that the target area was near Bandar Abbas, the southern port city on the Strait of Hormuz that is home to an Iranian naval base.
The strikes landed in the middle of a fast-moving diplomatic push that has not produced a breakthrough. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said some progress had been made in talks to end the war, but warned that a deal is not imminent. Iran had not responded to the US attack at the time of the report.
Bandar Abbas matters because it sits beside one of the world’s most sensitive shipping lanes. Iranian state media said local officials there were investigating after explosions were heard, but gave no immediate details on damage. The US has not said whether the latest operation caused casualties.
Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said a deal was still possible after the strikes. He said talks were held on Tuesday between Iran’s top negotiator and foreign minister and Qatar’s prime minister, and said President Donald Trump had made clear he wanted an agreement. Rubio also said the straits have to stay open, calling the situation unlawful, unsustainable and unacceptable for the world.
The backdrop is a 60-day ceasefire extension that has been discussed alongside the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. US media have reported that the talks would not immediately produce a final settlement, and the most contentious issues still include sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian funds and Washington’s demand that Tehran curb its nuclear ambitions.
That means Monday’s strikes did not end the diplomatic track; they made it more precarious. Trump over the weekend first suggested the sides were close to a deal, then said negotiators should not rush. The latest military action and the latest round of talks now sit side by side, with both sides still testing how far the other will go.
At the start of the war, Iran was thought to have about 440kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a level far above civilian use and short of the 90% weapons-grade threshold. That figure is part of what keeps the negotiations urgent, even as both sides say they still want room to talk.
