US Carries Out Strikes In Southern Iran In 'Self Defense,' Missile Launch Sites And Boats Targeted

The United States Central Command announced on Monday that American forces carried out self-defense strikes in southern Iran to protect US troops from perceived threats during the ongoing ceasefire. The strikes targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz, which officials claimed were attempting to place mines in the region. Captain Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, stated that the military was acting in restraint while defending its forces. Fox News reported, citing a senior US official, that two Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats were destroyed after being caught laying mines in the strategic waterway. The same report confirmed that a surface-to-air missile site in Bandar Abbas was also struck, allegedly due to its targeting of US warplanes. Two sources told Fox News that the operation was classified as defensive and did not signal a collapse of the ceasefire. Explosions were reported in Bandar Abbas and nearby coastal areas, including Sirik and Jask, according to Iranian media outlets Mehr, Tasnim, and Fars. Iranian officials stated the situation was under control, though no official explanation for the blasts was provided. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile would either be handed over to the United States for destruction or destroyed in coordination with Iran and an international oversight body. Trump’s remarks followed a senior US official’s statement that Iran had, in principle, agreed to give up its stockpiles of enriched uranium as part of ongoing negotiations. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global energy shipping route, with tensions in the region drawing continued international attention amid ceasefire discussions and broader US-Iran diplomatic efforts.