The U.S. military launched new strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines near the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions between Washington and Tehran threatened to undermine ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
U.S. Central Command described the operation as "self-defense strikes" carried out "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Centcom spokesperson, said the strikes targeted areas near Bandar Abbas, home to a major Iranian naval base overlooking the strategic shipping corridor.
