The US military has carried out fresh strikes in southern Iran, targeting missile sites and boats that were allegedly attempting to lay naval mines, according to US Central Command.

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In a statement, Central Command said the operation was conducted in “self-defence” and aimed at protecting American troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

A spokesperson for the command said US forces were continuing to defend personnel in the region while showing restraint during what it described as an ongoing ceasefire.

The latest attacks come amid continuing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran to end the conflict that has spread across the Middle East in recent months.

Speaking on Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai said negotiators had made progress in discussions with the United States, but warned that an agreement was still not close.

“It is correct to say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion,” Baqai said. “But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is imminent — no-one can make such a claim.”

Iran has not yet publicly responded to the latest US strikes. It remains unclear whether the attacks could affect ongoing negotiations between the two sides.

Diplomatic efforts

At the weekend, President Donald Trump suggested that Washington and Tehran were nearing a deal. However, he later said he had instructed negotiators “not to rush into” an agreement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said on Monday that a breakthrough remained possible.

The conflict began after the US and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on 28 February. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and Gulf states allied with Washington.

Regional impact

Iran also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil exports. The disruption caused a sharp rise in global oil prices and increased concerns about wider instability in the region.

Fighting and military exchanges have continued despite diplomatic contacts between the two sides, with both Washington and Tehran accusing each other of escalating tensions.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Compiled from various sources. 26 May 2026

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I thought it was over

This means they found a way to clear up the discussions.

7 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I thought it was over

No. Trump just knee-jerking the left into a whining frenzy as usual.

Iran needs to sink a couple of ships anchored in the SOH. You escalate, so do we.

If this is coming from the US government there's a good chance that it's a fake narrative. Why would Iran be laying mines at this stage of the game? It would only cause the problems later. It sounds fishy and it smells fishy, and just about everything that comes from this White House Is not truthful.

53 minutes ago, earlinclaifornia said:

This means they found a way to clear up the discussions.

Nope, just another opportunity to manipulate oil prices and make a profit.

These latest strikes seem to be more about frustration than military necessity. The US keeps insisting this is “self‑defence”, instead it looks more like trying to show it still has leverage (while avoiding real escalation that would put its people in harms way).

Surely, the US must know it can’t force Iran to fold without it too paying a heavy price. That’s where the pettiness of these strikes creeps in, they really change nothing strategically but the US can claim it's being “tough”!

I am so tired of Trump's rhetoric. Dont believe a thing he says. As for peace with Iran, impossible.

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

I thought it was over

Me too but I suspect we are being lied to.

Over and over again.

Self defence? Funny (or sad) thing is some people buy these talking points.

Bibi phone calls defeated peace.

26 minutes ago, earlinclaifornia said:

Bibi phone calls defeated peace.

Agreed.

Bibi doesn't want peace between iran and the US and Bibi wants freedom to do as he pleases, especially with regards to lebanon.

"Self defense" during a "ceasefire"?!? Sounds like Bibi's idea of a truce.

Another attack during peace negotiations in Qatar. The strikes were ordered Trump. Trump is acting on impulse and rely on his terrible instincts to order the strikes. Iran will respond with their ASCM, ASBM and fast attack crafts. US carriers and battleships are between 200-700 km from Iran coastline and vulnerable. The ships defense system will be tested. Trump has put US service men and women in harms way and jeopardize the peace plan.

10 hours ago, koolkarl said:

I am so tired of Trump's rhetoric. Dont believe a thing he says. As for peace with Iran, impossible.

The worst president in modern history.

A reality show conman in charge of the USA rapidly sliding into dementia who seems to think war is some kind of video game, with no experience, no plan, surrounded by unqualified inexpeirenced yes people who blindly do as they are told to please the emperor with no clothes. All cheered on by 35% of Americans who are in a cult and further supported by 50 senators and 230 or so spineless congressional republicans feeding at the trough with the permisssion of the most corrupt supreme court in history.

What could go wrong?

This analysis outlines a catastrophic disruption to global energy, demonstrating that modern industrial economies cannot function without Middle Eastern crude and diesel.

The Scale of the Shock

• Unprecedented Speed: Losing 11–12 million barrels daily in 48 hours creates a supply cliff up to 100 times steeper than the 1979 crisis.

• Delayed Impact: The West is temporarily cushioned by final pre-crisis shipments and a temporary 2 million barrel-per-day strategic reserve drain.

• Structural Deficit: Alternative bypass pipelines cannot absorb the loss, guaranteeing prolonged global scarcity even if peace is declared.

The Diesel Bottleneck

• Independence Myth: The U.S. remains dependent on foreign energy because light domestic shale oil cannot match the properties of heavy crude.

• Refining Reality: American refineries require heavy crude imports to produce the high volumes of diesel and jet fuel needed for commerce.

• Economic Halt: Because diesel powers global freight, farming, and mining without scalable substitutes, shortages trigger immediate, systemic economic contraction.

Geopolitical and Economic Fallout

• Asymmetric Vulnerability: Low-cost drones and missiles have permanently destroyed the assumption of safe commercial shipping through the Persian Gulf.

• The Great Simplification: This crisis serves as a hard accelerant for deglobalization, forcing a rapid, involuntary transition toward localized economies and lower material consumption.

Same as Adolf accusing the poles of something they didn't do so he could use it as an excuse fot blitzkrieg on them. Where is the evidence of the Iranians laying mine's did the Yanks catch them doing it.