Us Strikes Iran Hit Bandar Abbas Missile Sites, Boats
us strikes iran hit southern Iran near Bandar Abbas, with the US military saying it targeted Iranian missile sites and boats attempting to place mines. US Central Command said the strikes were taken in "self-defense" and were meant "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."
Bandar Abbas and the Strait of Hormuz
The latest strikes landed near Bandar Abbas, a southern port city and home of an Iranian naval base on the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media had earlier reported that local officials in Bandar Abbas were investigating after explosions were heard.
Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson, said the US military "continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire." The location gives the strikes added weight because the Strait of Hormuz is a route the US, Iran and other governments watch closely whenever military pressure rises around southern Iran.
Talks in India and Qatar
The strikes came as Marco Rubio said a deal was still possible after the attacks. Rubio said talks on Tuesday involved Iran's top negotiator and foreign minister and Qatar's prime minister, and he told reporters during an official visit to India, "We'll see if we can make progress. I think it's a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it'll take a few days," and "He's either going to make a good deal or no deal,".
Esmail Baqai said some progress had been made in talks with the US, but that a deal to end the conflict "is not imminent." Baqai also said, "It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion... But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent - no-one can make such a claim."
Ceasefire extension under discussion
The memorandum of understanding being discussed reportedly involves a 60-day ceasefire extension, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a plan for further negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme. US media said the discussions will not immediately lead to a final settlement, while Donald Trump had suggested at the weekend that the sides were close to a deal and later said he had instructed negotiators not to rush into one.
At the start of the war, Iran is thought to have had about 440kg of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, a figure that sits alongside the 90% threshold often associated with weapons-grade material. Iran had not responded to the latest US strikes as of the article, leaving the ceasefire and the talks in the same narrow track: military pressure on one side, unfinished diplomacy on the other.
