The United States launched what it described as “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran targeting missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines, as Iranian negotiators arrived in Qatar for talks aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said American forces carried out the strikes to respond to threats against approximately 20 US warships, including two aircraft carriers and accompanying vessels operating in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
“US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing cease-fire,” Hawkins said.
Iranian news agency Mehr earlier reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
The Pentagon said the military action followed what it described as a surface-to-air missile threat directed at US naval forces in the region.
The renewed strikes took place as Iranian negotiators arrived in Qatar for discussions on a proposal that President Trump has said could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The talks focused on an initial document that US and Iranian negotiators were continuing to revise.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that negotiations remained active despite disagreements over the wording of the draft proposal: “Talks were held today in Qatar. I think there is a lot of back-and-forth over specific wording in the initial document. Negotiation on the text may continue for several days.”
Rubio also linked the negotiations to maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz following the latest US military operation in southern Iran: “The Strait of Hormuz must be open. It will be opened one way or another.”
