US launches strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats
Iran had not publicly responded to the attack by late Tuesday. But earlier, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said there had been some movement in efforts to end the war, while stressing that a deal "is not...
Toby MannTuesday May 26, 2026
A US-AF F-35 Lightning II fighter jet pictured in April 2026
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The United States said it carried out fresh strikes in southern Iran, hitting missile positions and boats it said were trying to lay mines, in the latest sign that tensions remain high despite talk of a ceasefire.
US Central Command said the operation was conducted in “self-defense” and aimed “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”.
Capt Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson, said the military “continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire” between the two countries.
Iran had not publicly responded to the attack by late Tuesday. But earlier, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said there had been some movement in efforts to end the war, while stressing that a deal “is not imminent”.
The latest strikes have left questions over how they might affect the fragile diplomatic track now under way.
After the attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a settlement was still within reach and pointed to Tuesday talks involving Iran’s top negotiator and foreign minister as well as Qatar’s prime minister.
“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 added 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.
Pressed later on Monday’s strikes, Rubio said: “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, it’s unacceptable.”
Capt Hawkins said the US strike hit an area near Bandar Abbas, a southern port city that is home to an Iranian naval base on the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New York Times.
Earlier, Iranian state media said local officials in Bandar Abbas were investigating after reports of explosions.
Over the weekend, Trump had suggested the two sides were nearing an agreement, but later said he had told negotiators “not to rush into” one. Rubio, meanwhile, had said a deal might be reached on Monday.
Baqai pushed back on that assessment, saying: “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 further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, has reported that US intelligence believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei – who was injured in an Israeli strike on the first day of the war which killed his father and predecessor – is holed up in an undisclosed location, making communication with his envoys difficult and therefore delaying pace of talks with the US.
According to US media, the talks are not expected to produce a final settlement right away. More divisive issues are likely to be left for later rounds, including the scope of sanctions relief for Iran, the release of frozen Iranian funds and US demands that Tehran curb its nuclear programme.
At the outset of the war, Iran is believed to have held roughly 440kg (970 lbs) of uranium enriched to 60% purity – a level that would take only a short additional step to reach weapons-grade 90%, which could theoretically be used to build a nuclear bomb.
On Monday night, Trump said the enriched uranium would either be “immediately” handed over to the United States or, “preferably, in conjunction and co-ordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place”.
US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since 8 April. Iran has kept controls on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the US Navy has sought to blockade Iran’s ports.
The US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, setting off a conflict across the Middle East. Iran retaliated by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The shutdown sent oil prices surging worldwide.
