The US military said it has launched a new strike in southern Iran,\ntargeting Iranian missile sites and vessels suspected of attempting to\nlay mines.<\/p>\n
US Central Command stated the attack was carried out in\n\u2018self-defence\u2019 and designed \u2018to protect our forces from threats posed by\nIranian forces\u2019.<\/p>\n
Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said the US military\n\u2018is continuing to defend our forces while exercising restraint amid an\nongoing ceasefire\u2019.<\/p>\n
The attack came as Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqai\nsaid there had been progress in talks with the US, but a deal to end the\nconflict \u2018is not imminent\u2019.<\/p>\n
Where did the US strike take place?<\/p>\n
Captain Hawkins said the strike targeted an area near Bandar Abbas, a\nsouthern port city and Iranian naval base located in the Strait of\nHormuz, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n
Iranian state media previously reported that local officials in\nBandar Abbas were investigating after explosions were heard.<\/p>\n
Iran has yet to respond to the latest US strike, and it remains\nunclear how this will affect potential peace talks between the two\nnations.<\/p>\n
In response to the strike, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a\ndeal is still possible, citing Tuesday\u2019s talks between Iran\u2019s chief\nnegotiator, foreign minister, and Qatar\u2019s prime minister.<\/p>\n
\u2018We will see if we can make progress. I think there\u2019s still a lot of\nback-and-forth on specific language in the draft documents, so it will\ntake a few days,\u2019 Rubio told reporters during an official visit to\nIndia.<\/p>\n
He added that President Donald Trump had \u2018expressed his desire to\nachieve this\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u2018He will either get a good deal or none at all,\u2019 Rubio said.<\/p>\n
How far have US-Iran talks progressed?<\/p>\n
Last weekend, Trump said both sides were close to a deal but later\ninstructed negotiators to \u2018not rush\u2019, while Rubio previously suggested a\ndeal could be reached by Monday.<\/p>\n
However, Baqai responded: \u2018It is true we have concluded most of the\nissues discussed\u2026 but to say that this means a deal is imminent, no one\ncan make such a claim.\u2019<\/p>\n
The memorandum of understanding under discussion reportedly includes\na 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and\nfurther talks on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n
Why are talks stalled?<\/p>\n
CBS News, BBC\u2019s US partner, reported that US intelligence believes\nIran\u2019s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in an Israeli attack\non the first day of the war that also killed his father and predecessor,\nwho is now hiding in an undisclosed location.<\/p>\n
This has complicated communications with his envoys, slowing down\ntalks with the US.<\/p>\n
US media reports that the talks are unlikely to produce a final\nagreement soon.<\/p>\n
A man walks past a banner depicting Iran\u2019s current Supreme Leader,\nAyatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, along a street in Tehran on 6 May 2026. (AFP\nvia Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Issues still under dispute are likely to be negotiated later,\nincluding details of sanctions relief for Iran, the release of frozen\nIranian funds, and US demands for Iran to limit its nuclear\nambitions.<\/p>\n
At the start of the war, Iran was estimated to have around 440\nkilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity \u2014 just one step away from\nthe 90% needed for nuclear weapons, which theoretically allows for the\nproduction of atomic bombs.<\/p>\n
On Monday night, Trump said the enriched uranium would be \u2018handed\nover to the US immediately\u2019, or \u2018preferably, with cooperation and\ncoordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed on site\u2019.<\/p>\n
When did the US-Iran ceasefire begin?<\/p>\n
US and Iranian forces have adhered to the ceasefire since 8\nApril.<\/p>\n
Iran continues to control shipping routes in the Gulf via the Strait\nof Hormuz, while the US Navy attempts to blockade Iranian ports.<\/p>\n
The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on 28\nFebruary, sparking conflict across the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Iran retaliated by attacking Israel and US allies in the Gulf,\neffectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
This move caused global oil prices to surge sharply.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-strikes-iran-again-what-we-know-so-far-1780088225", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }