US and Israeli jets struck Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and other targets, hours after President Donald Trump had suggested negotiations with Tehran over an interim deal were progressing.
The attack took place south of Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, with several Iranian personnel killed, Iran’s state-run Nour News reported, without providing further details. Trump earlier said negotiations between the US and Iran over an agreement to extend their ceasefire and reopen the strait were “proceeding nicely.”
American forces hit missile launch sites in Iran and boats trying to place mines, US Central Command said in a statement. The strikes were defensive and intended “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” said spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a trip to India that talks with Iran could take several days, adding that Trump would either agree to a good deal or make no deal at all.
The renewed fighting underscores the fragility of the ceasefire between the US and Iran, just as expectations were rising for a longer truce and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The critical waterway has been all but closed since the US and Israel attacked the Islamic Republic in late February, triggering an energy shock and a wave of global inflation.
Stocks trimmed gains and crude oil climbed after the US strikes dampened optimism about a deal with Tehran. Brent rose about 2% near $98 a barrel after slumping more than 7% Monday.
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Trump, in a Truth Social post Monday, urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries to join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel. In a later statement, the president said Iran’s enriched uranium would either be handed over to the US or, preferably, destroyed in Iran.
Trump is under pressure from Iran hawks including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who argue the emerging accord concedes too much to Tehran. The president’s call for more countries to join the Abraham Accords — under which the United Arab Emirates and other Arab states recognized Israel in 2020 — could help ease those concerns, though Saudi Arabia and Qatar have said they will not normalize ties with Israel without progress toward Palestinian statehood.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would intensify attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah after striking sites in southern Lebanon. The escalation followed Hezbollah drone attacks that landed in Israeli territory and a rocket intercepted by the Israeli air force.
Iran has demanded an end to hostilities against Hezbollah in Lebanon as part of any peace agreement with the US. Axios reported that a draft of a potential deal between the US and Iran includes language ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel and Hezbollah have continued exchanging lower-level fire since an April truce.
An Iranian delegation headed by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf traveled to Doha for consultations with senior Qatari officials. The Iranian central bank governor, Abdolnaser Hemmati, was part of the group and was set to discuss the release of frozen Iranian funds, the Fars news agency reported.
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Al Arabiya also reported that Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir is headed to Doha. Pakistan has acted as an intermediary in talks between the US and Iran.
An interim pact would help end a war that has killed thousands across the Middle East, mainly in Iran and Lebanon. The conflict has also increased pressure on Trump domestically ahead of Congressional elections in November, with many Americans opposing the war partly because of soaring fuel prices.
A major sticking point in the talks remains the US demand that Iran end enrichment and surrender highly enriched uranium near weapons-grade levels. Al Arabiya reported that Tehran is seeking guarantees from China before proceeding with a deal and wants the uranium transferred there.
The US and Israel also still need to finalise key details of an extended ceasefire, including whether ships transiting the Hormuz Strait will be allowed free passage and how quickly billions of dollars of Iranian funds will be unfrozen.
Iran had maintained that it must be able to manage maritime traffic through the chokepoint, something the US, Arab states and Europe say can’t be allowed. Iran has recently softened its position on charging transit tolls, saying vessels would instead pay for “navigation services.”
Here’s more on the Iran war:
- Iran’s government could soon roll back some restrictions on a months-long digital blackout that has cut off millions of its citizens from the internet, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.
- Abu Dhabi National Oil Co has been quietly ferrying oil and gas shipments out of the Persian Gulf using its own fleet, apparently clearing both the Iranian navy and US warships to reach energy-starved customers.
- A little-known Swiss trading company played a key role in the transit through the Strait of Hormuz of an oil supertanker whose stop-start journey captivated the oil market earlier this month, according to people familiar with the matter.
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