Get you up to speed: US launches new strikes on Iran targeting boats and missile launch sites | News World
The US military conducted airstrikes on Iranian missile launch sites and boats in Bandar Abbas at the Strait of Hormuz. Four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were reported killed, marking an escalation amid a fragile ceasefire.
US Central Command conducted strikes on Iranian missile launch sites and naval assets in Bandar Abbas as tensions escalate in the region. Although US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a formal agreement remains elusive despite progress on several issues.
US Central Command reiterated that the recent airstrikes were conducted in self-defence, with spokesman Timothy Hawkins stating, “U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.” Iran’s state-linked media has suggested that the strikes violate the ceasefire, with Iranian negotiation spokesperson Esmail Baghaei indicating that while discussions are ongoing, “the signing of an agreement was not imminent.”
What remains unclear — It is uncertain how Iran will officially respond to the recent airstrikes and their implications for the ongoing ceasefire.
US conducts airstrikes on Iranian missile sites and boats in Strait of Hormuz
The US military has unleashed fresh strikes against Iranian missile launch sites and boats at the Strait of Hormuz.
Military officials insisted that the airstrikes were carried out in ‘self-defence’ and to ‘protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.’
The latest strikes on Monday have cast a shadow over the already fragile ceasefire and raised doubts about a deal being reached.
US Central Command’s spokesman Timothy Hawkins said: ‘Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.’
The Strait of Hormuz has become a sticking point in the Iran war, which was started by the US and Iran on February 28 (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)
Iran has not yet responded to the latest attacks, but state-linked media has hinted that they breach the current ceasefire deal.
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Four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in the airstrikes in Bandar Abbas, according to Iran’s state media.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, signalled that the talks between Washington and Tehran were continuing despite the military action.
When asked about the airstrikes, he said: ‘The straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open.’
Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s negotiation team, said that while the parties have made headway on a large part of the issues, the signing of an agreement was not imminent.
Monday’s strikes targeted the port city of Bandar Abbas, where an Iranian naval base is located, the New York Times reports.
Both the US and Iran have previously exchanged fire during the pause in fighting.
In early May, explosions rocked cities around the Strait of Hormuz, including in the ports of Qeshm Island and Bandar Abbas.
The US CENTCOM said at the time the strikes were in self-defence and targeted Iranian military facilities, while officials insisted that it didn’t mean that fighting had resumed.
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