WASHINGTON, May 26 — US Central Command said US forces struck missile sites in southern Iran and vessels attempting to lay mines on Monday, as senior Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for talks aimed at ending the conflict.
WASHINGTON, May 26 — US Central Command said US forces struck missile sites in southern Iran and vessels attempting to lay mines on Monday, as senior Iranian negotiators arrived in Doha for talks aimed at ending the conflict.
US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins said in a statement that the operations were “self-defence strikes” carried out in southern Iran to protect US troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.
He gave no further details, saying only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to deploy mines.
The strikes raised tensions around an already fragile ceasefire that began on April 8, as Washington and Tehran continue efforts to reach a deal to end a war that has disrupted global energy supplies and shaken the world economy.
Hopes for progress were further strained after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to “crush” Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Iran insisted any agreement must also address the conflict there.
US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that Iran’s enriched uranium should either be handed over to the United States for destruction or destroyed in Iran under international supervision, with inspectors present.
It was unclear whether the proposal formed part of an emerging agreement, while the Atomic Energy Commission he referenced was dissolved in 1974 and replaced by successor agencies.
Earlier, Trump said several countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain and Jordan should join the Abraham Accords as part of a broader peace framework with Iran, adding that he had spoken to their leaders over the weekend.
While some Gulf states have already signed the accords, others have said normalisation with Israel would depend on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Analysts warned that rising expectations risk destabilising the region further, while oil prices fell briefly on speculation of a possible breakthrough before Iran signalled that a final agreement was not yet close.
Tehran officials said most issues had been discussed but stressed that signing a deal was not imminent.
On another front, Netanyahu said Israel was intensifying operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah, accusing the group of drone attacks on Israeli forces, as fighting continued across multiple theatres of the conflict.
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