US forces carried out what they described as “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines, according to the US Central Command.
The attacks raised concerns over the future of a fragile ceasefire and cast fresh uncertainty over ongoing efforts to end the broader Middle East conflict.
The strikes took place as senior Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for a new round of talks aimed at ending months of fighting. At the same time, the Israeli military intensified operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, adding to fears of a wider regional escalation.
Global oil markets reacted nervously following the US strikes, with prices fluctuating amid concerns that the attacks could jeopardise plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s blockade of the strategic waterway has severely disrupted global fuel supplies and impacted international energy markets.
“US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” US Central Command spokesperson Tim Hawkins said in a statement. However, the statement did not provide detailed information about the operation beyond saying that missile launch sites and boats attempting to “emplace mines” were targeted.
Iran’s state-run broadcaster IRIB reported that several loud explosions were heard near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas around midnight local time. Despite the blasts, the broadcaster said the situation in the city remained normal and local authorities were investigating the cause of the explosions.
The latest attacks threatened the ceasefire that came into effect on April 8 as Washington and Tehran continue struggling to secure an agreement to end the conflict, which has heavily disrupted global energy flows and unsettled the world economy.
Hopes for a broader peace deal were further weakened after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “crush” Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran has insisted that any future agreement must also address the fighting involving Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he expected Iran to surrender its enriched uranium to the United States for destruction or destroy it inside Iran under international supervision.
“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,” Trump wrote.
It remained unclear whether Trump intended the uranium proposal to become part of a final agreement with Iran. The Atomic Energy Commission referenced in his statement was abolished in 1974.
In another Truth Social post, Trump urged more Arab and Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords, the agreements brokered during his first term aimed at normalising relations with Israel. He specifically called on Saudi Arabia and Qatar to sign immediately, while saying Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey should follow.
The countries named by Trump, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have traditionally supported a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel before considering normalisation with Israel.
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have already signed the Abraham Accords, along with Morocco and Sudan.
Although Pakistani officials have not yet formally responded to Trump’s latest remarks, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi earlier this year reiterated Islamabad’s position regarding the accords. He stated that Pakistan’s benchmark remains the establishment of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital before any consideration of relations with Israel.
Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said the proposed agreement with the United States did not contain detailed provisions regarding management of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes.
Baqaei said Iran would not impose tolls on ships using the waterway but would charge for services such as navigation assistance and environmental protection measures. He added that these arrangements would be established through a protocol agreed with Oman, which lies across the strait.
According to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, citing a Middle Eastern diplomatic source, Washington and Tehran are discussing a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approximately 30 days after reaching a formal agreement to end hostilities.
Under the reported proposal, Iran would clear mines from the strait during a 30-day period, after which vessels from all countries would be able to navigate the route freely and safely.
Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen dramatically, with only a few dozen ships using the route daily compared to the usual 125 to 140 vessels before the conflict escalated.