US forces struck missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines in southern Iran on Monday, even as Iranian negotiators were meeting Qatar’s prime minister in Doha to discuss the terms of a potential deal to end the conflict.
US Central Command said the strikes were conducted in self-defence. “US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” a Centcom spokesperson said, without elaborating on the scale or outcome of the attacks.
The action put pressure on a ceasefire that has held since 8 April, and came at a particularly delicate moment: Iran’s foreign minister and its lead negotiator were both in Doha when the strikes occurred, Reuters reported, citing an official.
President Donald Trump struck a cautious but pointed tone, saying negotiations were going “nicely” while warning that failure was not without consequences. “It will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all,” he wrote on social media.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters while in India, sharpened the administration’s position on the Strait of Hormuz. “What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, it’s unacceptable,” he said. Rubio added that finalising the deal’s language could “take a few days.”
