U.S. forces on Monday carried out strikes in southern Iran towards targets together with boats making an attempt to lay mines and missile launch websites, in what it described as defensive actions.
The strikes got here as Iran’s high negotiator and its overseas minister had been in Doha for talks with Qatar’s prime minister on a possible cope with the U.S. to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the go to mentioned on Monday, after Washington and Tehran performed down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed reporters in New Delhi earlier that the U.S. would give diplomacy each likelihood to succeed earlier than contemplating whether or not to cope with Iran in “one other approach”.
There was a “fairly strong factor on the desk by way of their capability to open up the strait (of Hormuz), get the strait open, enter into a really actual, vital, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we will pull it off,” Rubio mentioned.
In a prolonged publish on Fact Social on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned talks with Iran had been going “properly”, however warned of fresh assaults in the event that they failed. It “will solely be a Nice Deal for all, or no Deal in any respect,” he wrote.
Hours later, U.S. Central Command mentioned in an announcement it had carried out fresh strikes designed “to shield our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”
“U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces whereas utilizing restraint in the course of the ongoing ceasefire,” mentioned Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson.
Additionally Monday, Iran mentioned it had downed a “hostile” stealth drone utilizing a brand new air defence system, Iranian information companies reported, with out saying the place it had come from.
“It is a signal from us that no extra stealth drones can penetrate the skies of the Persian Gulf,” Fars quoted unnamed officers as saying.
In one other indication of the area’s tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned on Monday Israel would intensify strikes towards the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. Israel’s navy quickly thereafter mentioned it was attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s japanese Bekaa Valley and different areas.
Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in mid-April, however Israel has continued airstrikes it says are acts of self-defence towards Hezbollah, which was not social gathering to the truce.
The official briefed on the Iranians’ Doha go to informed Reuters the discussions centered on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of extremely enriched uranium, whereas Iran’s central financial institution governor attended to talk about the potential launch of frozen Iranian funds as a part of a remaining deal.
Iranian overseas ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei mentioned earlier that nuclear points would solely be negotiated after the framework accord was agreed.
Trump has mentioned his key goal within the war is to forestall Iran from creating a nuclear weapon with its extremely enriched uranium. Tehran has constantly denied it has plans to try this.
TRUMP PUSHES ABRAHAM ACCORDS
In his Fact Social publish, Trump additionally referred to as on extra Arab and Muslim states to enroll to the Abraham Accords, brokered throughout his first time period in workplace and aimed toward normalising ties between these states and Israel. He mentioned Saudi Arabia and Qatar ought to instantly signal and Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey ought to comply with go well with, calling his request necessary.
Netanyahu’s workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark.
A Pakistani supply acquainted with the matter mentioned that the assertion mirrored an try to use the Iran diplomacy for a wider push across the accords – however that the 2 points had been “not interlinked and can’t be made so.”
Others noticed the suggestion as aimed toward making an Iran deal extra palatable to sceptics.
“Trump is making an attempt to promote an Iran deal as an Abraham Accords sequel: good for Israel, good for the area, robust sufficient for Washington,” mentioned Ali Vaez, Iran mission director on the Worldwide Disaster Group.
“However he’s buying and selling one fantasy for an additional — from forcing Iran to give up to pretending a fragile deal can anchor a brand new Center East order.”
IRAN DEAL STICKING POINTS
Baghaei mentioned the potential Iran deal contained no particular particulars on administration of the Strait of Hormuz, by means of which a few fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied pure gasoline often flows.
Iran won’t cost tolls for ships to cross by means of however there shall be a value for companies supplied such as navigation and steps to shield the surroundings, he mentioned, beneath a protocol to be agreed with Oman, which lies on the alternative shore of the waterway.
Citing a Center East diplomatic supply, Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported the U.S. and Iran had been discussing a plan to open the strait about 30 days after reaching a deal to end hostilities.
Iran would then clear mines from the strait throughout a 30-day window, after which ships from all international locations may navigate freely and safely, Nikkei reported. For the reason that U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, just a few dozen vessels have been passing by means of the Strait of Hormuz in contrast with 125 to 140 every day beforehand.
Iran’s state TV mentioned on Monday that 32 vessels and 5 oil tankers handed by means of the strait up to now 24 hours with the authorisation of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards naval forces. The standoff has triggered a spike in oil costs and pushed up the prices of gasoline, fertiliser and meals. On Monday, oil costs fell greater than 4% to two-week lows amid optimism {that a} deal may come quickly.
Revealed on Might 26, 2026
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