Photo: Alamy
U.S. forces carried out strikes Monday against missile sites in southern Iran and targeted boats allegedly attempting to deploy naval mines, according to the United States Central Command, as Iranian negotiators arrived in Qatar for talks aimed at ending the war.
“U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins said in a statement.
The military did not provide details about the operation beyond saying the targets included missile launch sites and vessels attempting to “emplace mines.”
The strikes added new uncertainty to a ceasefire that has been in place since April 8, while the United States and Iran attempt to negotiate a broader settlement to a conflict that has disrupted global energy markets and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Efforts toward a settlement were further complicated after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush” the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian officials have insisted that any final agreement must also address fighting involving Hezbollah.
President Donald Trump also said Monday that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile must either be transferred to the United States for destruction or destroyed under international supervision inside Iran or another agreed location.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” he wrote on Truth Social.
It remained unclear whether the demand forms part of the emerging framework currently under negotiation. President Trump also renewed calls for additional Middle Eastern nations to join the Abraham Accords as part of any regional peace arrangement involving Iran.
He said leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain and Jordan discussed the issue during a Saturday conference call. Bahrain and the UAE already participate in the accords alongside Morocco and Sudan.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Iran has maintained restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. Navy has continued efforts to restrict Iranian port activity.
