According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted Iranian boats allegedly attempting to place naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz. Photo of a US Sailor aboard USS Comstock observes a commercial vessel while enforcing the US blockade against Iran. File photo: X/CENTCOM
US-Iran ceasefire under strain after fresh strikes
Iran has condemned the overnight US strikes as a “grave violation” of the truce, while diplomatic negotiations remain underway through Qatari mediation
The ceasefire surrounding the ongoing US-Iran war came under renewed strain on Tuesday (May 26) after overnight US airstrikes in southern Iran triggered fresh tensions between the two countries, even as diplomatic negotiations continue in Qatar.
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The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces carried out “self-defence strikes” against Iranian targets in the Persian Gulf region to protect US troops from what it described as immediate threats posed by Iranian forces.
Attack on Iranian naval
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted Iranian boats allegedly attempting to place naval mines near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes. Iranian media reported that the attacks took place near Larak Island in southern Iran.
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A Telegram channel linked to Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said four Iranian navy personnel were killed in the overnight strikes. The men were identified as Abbas Eslami, Ghodrat Zarangari, Abdolreza Golzari and Hossein Sotoudeh. Iranian media noted that Sotoudeh had been due to marry in the coming days.
‘Grave violation’
Iran strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a “grave violation” of the already fragile ceasefire arrangement that has held unevenly since earlier rounds of fighting between Iran, the US and Israel.
The IRGC also claimed it had shot down a US MQ-9 drone after American aircraft allegedly entered Iranian airspace over the Persian Gulf. Iranian state-linked media further claimed that air defence systems fired at other aircraft operating in the area.
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The latest escalation comes as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran continue through mediators in Qatar. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a diplomatic agreement with Iran remained possible, but stressed that US President Donald Trump wanted either a “good deal” or “no deal at all”.
Abraham Accords
Trump has simultaneously increased pressure on Gulf Arab nations and Iran to join an expanded version of the Abraham Accords, linking any future peace agreement with Tehran to broader regional normalisation involving Israel.
Also read: What are Abraham Accords and why does Trump want them tied to Iran peace deal?
Iran authorities had announced that internet access, heavily restricted since the start of the conflict in February, would gradually be restored after nearly three months of severe disruptions.