Iran on Tuesday accused the United States of violating a fragile ceasefire during the past 48 hours in the southern coastal province of Hormozgan, without specifying the incident.
The accusation comes after US Central Command stated that its forces had on Monday attacked missile sites and boats in southern Iran that were trying to lay mines in the Gulf, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it fired at US aircraft trying to enter its airspace.
“The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire… has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
It added that Tehran “will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation,” without elaborating.
Tuesday’s declaration came while a key Iranian delegation was in Qatar for negotiations as part of a “diplomatic process” to terminate the war with the US, which began on February 28.
The US announced it conducted fresh attacks in southern Iran, focusing on Iranian missile facilities and vessels trying to lay mines.
US Central Command stated that the strikes were carried out in “self-defense” and aimed “to safeguard our troops from threats from Iranian forces.”
Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins stated that the US military “remains committed to protecting our forces while exercising restraint amid the current ceasefire” between the two nations.
Iran has not yet reacted to the US assault. Nevertheless, Esmail Baqai, spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry, stated earlier that although there has been some advancement in discussions to conclude the war, an agreement “is not forthcoming.”
The effect of the strikes on a potential peace deal between the US and Iran remains uncertain.
After the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned that a deal remained feasible and highlighted the discussions on Tuesday between Iran’s chief negotiator and foreign minister and the prime minister of Qatar.
“We’ll see if we can make progress. I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it’ll take a few days,” Rubio told reporters during an official visit to India.
He stated that President Donald Trump had “expressed his desire to make it.”
“He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” Rubio said.
Asked again later about Monday’s strikes, Rubio stated, “The straits have to be open. They’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open. What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, and it’s unacceptable.”
According to the New York Times, Capt. Hawkins stated that the US attacks aimed at a location close to Bandar Abbas, a port city in the south and the site of an Iranian naval base located on the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state media previously stated that local authorities in Bandar Abbas were looking into the reports of explosions that were heard.
In early May, a confrontation occurred between Iranian and US naval destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides assigning blame to one another, prompting Trump to assert that a ceasefire remained effective.
During the weekend, Trump indicated that the parties were nearing a deal but subsequently mentioned he had told negotiators “not to hurry into” an agreement, whereas Rubio stated that a resolution might potentially be achieved on Monday.
But Baqai responded, “It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion… But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent—no one can make such a claim.”
The memorandum of understanding under discussion reportedly includes a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and a strategy for additional talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the US, has stated that US intelligence thinks Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei—who sustained injuries from an Israeli attack on the war’s first day that resulted in the death of his father and predecessor—is hiding in an unknown location, complicating communication with his representatives and consequently slowing down negotiations with the US.
US media reports that the talks will not quickly result in a definitive agreement. Disputed matters will probably be discussed later, such as specifics regarding Iranian sanctions relief, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and US expectations for Iran to limit its nuclear aspirations.
At the onset of the conflict, it is believed that Iran possessed approximately 440kg (970 lbs) of uranium enriched to 60% purity—a slight step from being further enriched to the weapons-grade level of 90%, which could theoretically enable it to develop a nuclear bomb.
On Monday evening, Trump stated that the enriched uranium would be either “promptly” handed over to the US or, “ideally, in cooperation and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, eliminated on-site.”
US and Iranian troops have maintained a ceasefire since 8 April. Iran has upheld restrictions on Gulf shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, while the US Navy has attempted to block Iran’s ports.
On 28 February, the US and Israel initiated extensive attacks on Iran, igniting unrest throughout the Middle East.
Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US-aligned nations in the Gulf and essentially shut down the Strait of Hormuz. The action caused oil prices to surge worldwide.
