American forces carried out strikes against Iranian military targets on Monday after officials said Iranian boats were caught placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions even as negotiations over a possible cease-fire continued.
According to the New York Post, the U.S. Central Command said the military launched what it described as “self-defense strikes” targeting vessels operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats involved in laying mines in the strategic waterway were “eliminated” by U.S. forces.
American troops also targeted a surface-to-air missile site in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main naval hub, after officials said the system had threatened U.S. aircraft operating in the region.
“The self-defense strikes” were conducted “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Hawkins said in a statement obtained by Fox News.
“U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he added.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, carrying a major portion of global oil traffic through the narrow passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.
The latest confrontation came as the United States and Iran were reportedly moving closer toward a temporary agreement aimed at cooling the conflict.
A proposed framework deal reportedly brokered by Pakistan would reopen the strait without tolls, pause hostilities for 60 days, and create a short-term negotiation window surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.
Still, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that no final agreement had been completed.
Administration officials reportedly warned Iran that the United States could resume broader military action if Tehran failed to agree to stricter nuclear terms.
Despite the latest military exchange, sources told Fox News the American strikes were limited and not viewed as the collapse of the fragile cease-fire discussions.
Additional explosions were also reportedly heard Monday near the Iranian coastal cities of Sirik and Jask, areas positioned along the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
The military confrontation adds new uncertainty to already tense negotiations as both countries continue maneuvering diplomatically and militarily in one of the world’s most strategically important regions.
