Even as diplomatic talks are continuing between the US and Iran, so are US airstrikes, the New York Times reports. Hours after Iranian negotiators landed in Qatar to discuss ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the US hit missile launch sites in southern Iran and boats allegedly laying mines, US Central Command said Monday night, calling the moves defensive and tied to protecting American forces during a fragile ceasefire. Per the Wall Street Journal, the US sank two Islamic Revolutionary Guard ships, Iran then launched missiles at US planes, and the US then struck Iranian missile launchers. The strikes landed as Israel signaled plans to ramp up operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, deepening concerns that intertwined fronts could complicate any peace agreement. Around the same time, President Trump said those negotiations were "proceeding nicely," the AP reports.
Trump has insisted any deal must neutralize Iran's nuclear program, saying Tehran would need to hand over enriched uranium to the US or destroy it under international observation—terms Iran has not publicly accepted. Key questions remain over Iran's missile arsenal and its control of the vital shipping lane, which has been blockaded since late February, straining global energy supplies even as Brent crude slid 6.5% Monday. Oil prices are up about 30% since the war began. Both Washington and Tehran downplayed talk of an imminent breakthrough on a peace deal, while Trump is also pushing for Gulf states to expand normalization with Israel as part of a wider package that could help sell a deal at home.
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