Middle East Crisis Live: US Launches “Self-Defense Strikes” in Southern Iran as Peace Deal Efforts Continue
The United States has carried out new strikes in southern Iran, with Central Command saying the attacks were conducted in “self-defence” and targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats suspected of laying mines. The military said it would defend US forces “while using restraint” during the ongoing ceasefire. Explosions were reported earlier in and around the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz, but Iranian state media later said the situation was “completely under control” and urged residents not to worry.
The strikes come as tensions remain high over the strategic waterway, a vital route for global oil shipments. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz must remain open “one way or the other,” describing attempts to disrupt it as unlawful, unsustainable and unacceptable. He also said negotiating language on a possible deal with Iran could take several days. Reports said the fresh US action followed concerns that Iranian vessels were preparing to mine the strait, and that a surface-to-air missile site near Bandar Abbas was also hit.
The military escalation unfolded alongside renewed diplomacy. Iran’s top negotiator, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, and other senior officials were in Doha for talks with Qatar’s prime minister over a possible framework to end the conflict. The discussions reportedly focused on the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and the possible release of frozen Iranian funds. Iranian officials have said nuclear issues would only be addressed after a broader framework agreement is reached.
Oil markets reacted sharply to the developments. Brent crude rose in early Asian trading, while West Texas Intermediate fell more than 5% on Tuesday, reflecting investor uncertainty over supply risks and expectations that diplomacy could still keep the waterway open. Asian stock markets were mixed.
Separately, Donald Trump said Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile could be destroyed inside the country under international supervision, signaling a possible major concession as negotiations continue. The fate of Iran’s uranium remains one of the central sticking points in talks with Washington.
At the same time, fighting with Israel and Hezbollah intensified further. Israel said it struck more than 70 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon on Monday, including weapons depots and infrastructure, after Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to escalate operations to “crush” the group. Hezbollah said it launched attacks on several Israeli military positions in response to what it called violations of the ceasefire. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported strikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, while residents fled parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The wider conflict also continued in Gaza, where Palestinian medical officials said an Israeli airstrike killed a woman and a girl in southern Gaza. The strike hit a tent sheltering a displaced family in Khan Younis. The Israeli military said it had targeted a militant.
