Breaking: U.S. Strikes Iran
CENTCOM said American forces acted in self-defense after Iranian boats allegedly tried to plant naval mines, while Washington and Tehran continue negotiations over uranium, sanctions, and the future of the war.
The U.S. military struck several targets in southern Iran overnight, including boats that were allegedly attempting to lay naval mines and missile launch sites, U.S. Central Command said.
CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said the strikes were carried out in “self-defense” and were intended “to protect our forces from threats by Iranian forces,” while the U.S. continues to observe restraint during the ceasefire period.
The announcement came shortly after Iranian media reported explosions near the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Iran’s Mehr news agency said the cause of the explosions was unknown and claimed the situation in Bandar Abbas was under control. Tasnim reported that three explosions were heard in the port city.
According to a senior U.S. military official cited by The New York Times, surface-to-air missiles had threatened roughly 20 American warships, including two aircraft carriers and accompanying vessels, operating in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. The report said U.S. forces struck near Bandar Abbas, including a major port and an Iranian naval base.
The strikes came as President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing negotiations with Iran, writing on Truth Social that enriched uranium would be transferred immediately to the United States for destruction, or preferably destroyed in Iran or another agreed location with international witnesses present.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from New Delhi, said talks with Iran had taken place in Qatar and that the wording of an initial agreement could take several days. Rubio also stressed that the Strait of Hormuz “must be open” and “will be opened one way or another.”
Iranian officials, however, pushed back on reports that Tehran had agreed to remove enriched uranium from the country. Tasnim called the reports part of “American psychological warfare,” while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said progress had been made but that an agreement was “not close.”
U.S. officials have reportedly begun using the phrase “no uranium, no dollars,” meaning sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets would not move forward unless Iran gives up its enriched uranium stockpile. (ynet)