US forces carried out a series of self-defense strikes in southern Iran on Monday. Two fast boats belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which were attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, were sunk, and a surface-to-air missile site near the port city of Bandar Abbas was destroyed.
Providing unprecedented airpower from the sea.#ABECSG #flynavy pic.twitter.com/G5Ap5fvQ7x
— USS Abraham Lincoln (@CVN_72) May 25, 2026
“US forces today struck targets in southern Iran in self-defense in order to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told Fox News. He emphasized that the military “continues to defend our forces while exercising restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
According to The Wall Street Journal, Iran had previously responded to the sinking of the mine-laying boats by firing surface-to-air missiles at American aircraft — after which the United States struck the missile positions near Bandar Abbas. Two well-informed sources cited by Fox News stressed that the strikes do not mean the temporary ceasefire with Tehran has been broken.
“The Strait of Hormuz will be opened — one way or another”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the status of negotiations on Tuesday while traveling for a state visit to India. An agreement could still take “a few more days,” he said, but Washington wanted to give diplomacy every chance. “The strait must be open, it will be open — one way or another,” Rubio said. “What is happening there is unlawful, illegal, and intolerable for the world.”
Talks between Iranian representatives and Qatari mediators were underway on Tuesday. Rubio described intensive back-and-forth over the precise wording of a framework document.
Enriched uranium must be handed over
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his core demand on Truth Social: Iran must immediately hand over its enriched uranium to the United States or have it destroyed under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The possible outlines of a deal reportedly provide for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, receive sanctions relief, and, in return, freeze its nuclear program.
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… pic.twitter.com/ZfQzlw3jqr
— Commentary Donald J Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) May 25, 2026
Iran’s military responded with threats: a spokesman for the armed forces declared that the Islamic Republic was “ready for war” and had already identified its targets in the event of a new attack by the United States or Israel.
The ceasefire between Washington and Tehran entered into force on April 8, 2026 — negotiated with Pakistani mediation and extended indefinitely by Trump on April 21. Since then, there have already been several armed incidents. The latest strikes show how fragile the situation remains, even as diplomats continue working on an agreement.
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