The United States launched fresh military strikes against targets in southern Iran on Monday, even as high-level diplomatic talks aimed at ending the three-month conflict between Washington and Tehran continued in Qatar.
According to U.S. Central Command, the attacks targeted boats allegedly attempting to deploy naval mines as well as missile launch sites, describing the operation as a “defensive action” to protect American forces in the region.
The strikes came just hours after Iran’s top negotiator and Foreign Minister arrived in Doha for critical discussions with Qatar’s prime minister over a possible agreement with the U.S. to end the escalating conflict.
Despite ongoing negotiations, both Washington and Tehran appeared cautious about predicting any immediate breakthrough.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said diplomacy would still be given “every chance” before Washington considered taking action “another way”.
“There is a pretty solid proposal on the table involving reopening the Strait of Hormuz and entering serious, time-limited negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to New Delhi.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed negotiations with Iran were progressing positively but warned that new attacks could follow if talks collapse.
“It will either be a great deal for everyone, or no deal at all,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Hours later, U.S. Central Command confirmed fresh strikes had been carried out to counter threats posed by Iranian forces while maintaining restraint during the fragile ceasefire period.
At the same time, Iran claimed it had successfully shot down a “hostile” stealth drone using a newly developed air defence system, though officials did not reveal where the drone originated from.
Iranian media quoted unnamed officials as saying the incident was a message that “no more stealth drones can penetrate the skies of the Persian Gulf”.
Regional tensions also intensified after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would step up attacks against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Shortly afterwards, the Israeli military confirmed strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and surrounding areas, despite an earlier ceasefire agreement reached in April.
Sources familiar with the Doha negotiations said discussions focused heavily on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iran’s central bank governor was also reportedly involved in discussions surrounding the release of frozen Iranian assets as part of a broader peace agreement.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, handling nearly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Since the war began on February 28 following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, traffic through the waterway has dropped sharply from around 125 vessels daily to only a few dozen ships.
Iranian state television reported that 32 vessels and five oil tankers passed through the strait in the last 24 hours under authorisation from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards naval forces.
The prolonged standoff has triggered spikes in global oil prices while increasing costs for fuel, fertiliser and food worldwide.
However, oil prices reportedly fell more than four per cent on Monday amid growing optimism that a diplomatic deal could soon be reached.
Trump also used the moment to push for wider Middle East normalisation efforts, calling on countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey to join the Abraham Accords established during his first term.
Political analysts said the move appeared aimed at linking a future Iran agreement with a broader vision for reshaping regional alliances in the Middle East.
