US Strikes Iran Again: What We Know So Far
The US military said it has launched a new strike in southern Iran, targeting Iranian missile sites and vessels suspected of attempting to lay mines.
US Central Command stated the attack was carried out in ‘self-defence’ and designed ‘to protect our forces from threats posed by Iranian forces’.
Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said the US military ‘is continuing to defend our forces while exercising restraint amid an ongoing ceasefire’.
The attack came as Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqai said there had been progress in talks with the US, but a deal to end the conflict ‘is not imminent’.
Where did the US strike take place?
Captain Hawkins said the strike targeted an area near Bandar Abbas, a southern port city and Iranian naval base located in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the New York Times.
Iranian state media previously reported that local officials in Bandar Abbas were investigating after explosions were heard.
Iran has yet to respond to the latest US strike, and it remains unclear how this will affect potential peace talks between the two nations.
In response to the strike, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal is still possible, citing Tuesday’s talks between Iran’s chief negotiator, foreign minister, and Qatar’s prime minister.
‘We will see if we can make progress. I think there’s still a lot of back-and-forth on specific language in the draft documents, so it will take a few days,’ Rubio told reporters during an official visit to India.
He added that President Donald Trump had ‘expressed his desire to achieve this’.
‘He will either get a good deal or none at all,’ Rubio said.
How far have US-Iran talks progressed?
Last weekend, Trump said both sides were close to a deal but later instructed negotiators to ‘not rush’, while Rubio previously suggested a deal could be reached by Monday.
However, Baqai responded: ‘It is true we have concluded most of the issues discussed… but to say that this means a deal is imminent, no one can make such a claim.’
The memorandum of understanding under discussion reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and further talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Why are talks stalled?
CBS News, BBC’s US partner, reported that US intelligence believes Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in an Israeli attack on the first day of the war that also killed his father and predecessor, who is now hiding in an undisclosed location.
This has complicated communications with his envoys, slowing down talks with the US.
US media reports that the talks are unlikely to produce a final agreement soon.
A man walks past a banner depicting Iran’s current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, along a street in Tehran on 6 May 2026. (AFP via Getty Images)
Issues still under dispute are likely to be negotiated later, including details of sanctions relief for Iran, the release of frozen Iranian funds, and US demands for Iran to limit its nuclear ambitions.
At the start of the war, Iran was estimated to have around 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity — just one step away from the 90% needed for nuclear weapons, which theoretically allows for the production of atomic bombs.
On Monday night, Trump said the enriched uranium would be ‘handed over to the US immediately’, or ‘preferably, with cooperation and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed on site’.
When did the US-Iran ceasefire begin?
US and Iranian forces have adhered to the ceasefire since 8 April.
Iran continues to control shipping routes in the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, while the US Navy attempts to blockade Iranian ports.
The US and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on 28 February, sparking conflict across the Middle East.
Iran retaliated by attacking Israel and US allies in the Gulf, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.
This move caused global oil prices to surge sharply.