The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran came under fresh pressure after US forces carried out what Washington described as “self-defence” strikes targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines near the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes took place even as indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran continued over a possible agreement to end the three-month-long conflict. The latest military action has raised fears that the truce could collapse despite ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Qatar and other regional players.
Hours before the strikes, US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, insisting it must either be surrendered to Washington or destroyed under international supervision as part of any future agreement.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: "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. Thank you for your attention to this matter"
Follow US-Iran war live updates
1. US says Iranian boats were attempting to lay mines
The US Central Command said the strikes targeted missile launch sites and Iranian vessels allegedly attempting to place mines in strategic waters near the Strait of Hormuz.
“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces. Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines. US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt Tim Hawkins told Fox News.
2. Strikes amid ongoing peace negotiations
The military action took place while senior Iranian officials were in Doha holding talks with Qatar over a possible deal with the US to end the war.
According to reports, discussions focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing sanctions and resolving disputes over Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.
3. Rubio says diplomacy still has a chance
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was still prioritising diplomacy despite the strikes.
“There was a "pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait (of Hormuz), get the strait open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off," Rubio said in New Delhi.
He also warned that the US could deal with Iran in “another way” if negotiations failed.
4. Explosions reported near Bandar Abbas
Residents in Iran’s southern port city of Bandar Abbas reported hearing several explosions, with similar blast-like sounds heard near Sirik and Jask along the southern coast.
Iran-linked Fars News said the exact source of the explosions remained unclear, though the incidents came shortly after the reported US strikes.
5. Fatalities reported on Larak Island
Iran International reported several deaths following what Iranian outlet SNN described as a US-Israeli strike on Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
Local reports identified three victims as Abbas Eslami, Ghodrat Zarangari and Abdolreza Golzari. Some unconfirmed reports suggested the victims may have been linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
6. Iran accuses US of ‘war crime’
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused the US of deliberately targeting civilians during earlier strikes at the start of the war.
"On the afternoon of Saturday, 9 Esfand 1404—the very same day that the pupils of ‘Shajareh Tayebeh’ School in #Minab were reduced to dust and blood by three Tomahawk missiles—a residential area in the city of Lamerd, including a sports hall, was also targeted by four missiles known as PrMS. In the wake of the explosion of these missiles, 24 people, including a two-year-old girl, several teenage volleyball players, and numerous innocent women and men, were martyred. Over 130 others were injured, a significant number of whom have been left with permanent disabilities. These missiles detonated in mid-air before striking their target, transforming into more than 180,000 fragments composed of tungsten pellets; fragments that scattered in all directions at extremely high speed and force," he said.
"This attack was not the result of a mistake; there can now be no doubt that the United States Army fired this type of missile for the first time towards a residential area and sports hall in the city of Lamerd with the deliberate intent of testing its destructive power. This action constitutes a war crime—vile and unforgivable—and those who ordered and carried it out must be prosecuted in any competent court. The people of Iran will forever remember the memory and names of their martyred compatriots from Lamerd; and they will neither forget nor forgive this heinous crime," he added.
7. Iran says it downed a stealth drone
Iranian media outlets claimed the country had intercepted and destroyed a “hostile” stealth drone using a newly deployed air defence system.
“This is a sign from us that no more stealth drones can penetrate the skies of the Persian Gulf,” Fars News quoted unnamed officials as saying.
Iran did not specify where the drone came from.
8. Hormuz reopening plan under discussion
According to a Nikkei report citing a Middle East diplomatic source, the US and Iran are discussing a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz around 30 days after reaching a peace agreement.
Under the reported plan, Iran would remove mines from the waterway during the 30-day period, after which ships from all countries would be allowed to pass freely and safely. Iran would also halt transit charges.
9. Analysts say strikes may be linked to intelligence gathering
Adam Clements, a former US diplomat and Pentagon official, told Al Jazeera that the strikes may not derail the peace process and could instead be linked to intelligence collection around Iranian maritime capabilities.
“It seems to be that’s what the US acted on,” he said, referring to reports that US forces targeted missile launch sites and Iranian vessels “attempting to emplace” sea mines.
Addressing CENTCOM’s allegation that Iran was laying mines in the waterway, Clements said such a move by Iranian forces would “solicit a lethal response”.
“It should not come as a surprise to the Iranians that the US would act this way,” he added.
