Iran warns US after strikes: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has a “legitimate” right to respond to any “violation” of the ceasefire after the US military carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz. It is unclear how the attacks will affect the ceasefire.
• War negotiations: The strikes came hours after Iranian negotiators met with Qatari mediators in Doha for talks in coordination with the US. The US and Iran are working toward a “memorandum of understanding,” but disputes over language concerning Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions have held up a deal.
• Israel hardens stance: In Lebanon, Israel is preparing to expand its attacks against Hezbollah, including in Beirut, an Israeli source said. A US official signaled Washington’s support for Israel’s approach.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning local time in Iran, explosions were heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
A short while later, US Central Command said it had conducted “self-defense strikes” around the Strait of Hormuz.
Here’s what to know about the overnight strikes:
- Three explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas, the IRGC said early Tuesday local time citing “sources.” Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, citing witnesses, said similar sounds were also reported in the Persian Gulf near Sirik and Jask.
- Some time later, CENTCOM spokesman Timothy Hawkins told CNN US forces carried out strikes in southern Iran “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” adding that targets included “missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines.”
- When asked about the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that “the straits have to be open, they’re going to be open one way or the other, so they need to be open.”
- Later in the day, the IRGC said it had “shot down a US drone and forced a US drone and fighter jet to flee.” It warned “against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressive US military,” saying it “considers its right to reciprocal response to be legitimate and certain.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed in a statement that its forces downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone and opened fire on an F-35 fighter jet and another drone that that had entered Iranian airspace.
In a statement, the IRGC did not reveal when the incidents took place. Last night, the US military carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats around the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC warned in the statement that it will retaliate against any ceasefire violations.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warns against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressive US military, and considers its right to reciprocal response to be legitimate and certain,” a statement by the group said according to Iranian state-affliliated media.
US and Iranian forces have previously exchanged fire during the ceasefire, and it’s unclear how the attacks will affect the truce.
Before the US carried out what it called “self-defense strikes” targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats in the early hours of this morning local time, officials from the US and Iran had signaled that talks aimed at reaching a peace agreement were progressing.
While it’s unclear whether the attacks will impact negotiations, here’s what officials have said about their current status:
US
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that talks on an agreement with Iran are being held up by disputes over wording, telling reporters there are “disagreements over a word, a sentence.”
- Yesterday morning, US President Donald Trump said negotiations are “proceeding nicely,” but warned military operations could resume if a deal is not reached.
Middle East nations will “no longer serve as shields for US bases,” Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Tuesday.
In an written address to mark the Islamic Hajj season, Khamenei spoke of a “new order” emerging for the Gulf region and the world.
“The United States not only will no longer have a safe haven for its mischief and for establishing military bases in the region but day by day, it is growing more distant from its former status,” Khamenei said.
Iran has threatened retaliation after the United States carried out what it described as “self-defense” strikes on Iranian missile launch sites and boats allegedly laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes targeted:
- Missile launch sites in southern Iran
- Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boats
- Naval assets accused of attempting to place mines in shipping lanes near the Strait of Hormuz
Iran condemned the attacks as violations of an already fragile ceasefire and warned that it would respond. Iranian officials and the IRGC said the country would “leave no act of aggression unanswered,” while Supreme Leader statements warned that U.S. forces in the region would no longer have “safe haven.”
The latest escalation comes amid broader tensions from the ongoing 2026 Iran war, which began after large-scale U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year. Fighting has centered heavily around:
- The Strait of Hormuz
- Maritime security and shipping routes
- Iran’s missile and drone capabilities
- Regional oil and energy infrastructure
The U.S. says its recent operations were defensive and intended to protect American troops and commercial shipping. Iran argues the strikes undermine ongoing diplomatic talks and ceasefire negotiations taking place in Qatar and elsewhere.
Oil markets reacted nervously to the renewed confrontation because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy shipping chokepoints.
