The US military said on Monday it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats carrying landmines, while President Donald Trump said on social media that talks with Tehran were “progressing well.”
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Army Central Command, said in a statement that the strikes were carried out “to protect our troops from the threats posed by Iranian forces” but that the military was “exercising restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”
Further details were not immediately available, including more details on threats from Iran and what it means for negotiations. There was no official reaction from Iran, which sent its parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf to Qatar for talks on a possible deal with the US.
Qatar, which faced intense attacks from Iran during the war, has billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds.
In Iran, Tabnak, a news website believed to be close to former Revolutionary Guard chief Mohsen Rezaei, identified four dead Guard soldiers it said were killed in US attacks on boats. Iranian state television separately reported explosions around Bandar Abbas, a city on the Strait of Hormuz that is home to a military port and a dual-use airport.
The attacks were the latest to shake a weeks-long ceasefire in the war. The Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of all crude oil and natural gas trade passes, remains effectively under Iranian control, disrupting global energy markets.
Trump raised the issue of recognizing Israel
Earlier, Trump had said that any deal to end the Iran war should include requiring several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Abraham Accords, an agreement signed by the US in Trump’s first term aimed at normalizing relations with Israel.
The proposal comes as the emerging Iran deal faces criticism from fellow Republicans who favor a tougher stance on Iran, and it could add new diplomatic complications to the talks.
Trump pointed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as countries that should “immediately” sign. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the first countries to diplomatically recognize Israel in 2020.
He wrote that “Given all the work the United States has done to solve this extremely complex puzzle, it should be imperative that all these countries, at least together, sign the Abraham Accords.”
Trump had long hoped that Saudi Arabia would join. Saudi Arabia in particular has for decades called for Israel to return to its 1967 borders and allow the formation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel’s conduct in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has also alienated the Gulf Arab states and the wider Muslim world.
Pakistan remains the main mediator
Recognition of Palestinian statehood is also important for Pakistan, which is among the countries that does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Islamabad-based analyst Syed Mohammad Ali said Pakistan’s position on Israel remains unchanged despite Trump’s latest proposal.
The president said he presented the Abraham Accords plan to leaders during talks on Saturday. He said he would accept “one or two” countries refusing to sign, but said the majority must be willing. Egypt and Jordan already formally recognize Israel and have longstanding peace treaties. Turkey first recognized Israel in 1949.
Masood Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, said it remains to be seen how practical the proposal could be for the countries on Trump’s list.
“Invoking the Abraham Accords at this stage gives a new dimension to the diplomatic and mediation processes because this issue was not on the agenda,” he said, pointing to domestic pressure on Trump to sign a favorable agreement.
Nevertheless, Khan said, “The diplomatic track is still being worked on, and I believe Pakistan is at the center of it, supported by regional countries.”
It is unclear when or how any agreement with Iran will be completed. Trump suggested that Iran might also eventually sign the deal if a deal is reached.
The agreements are a series of diplomatic, economic and security agreements forged under US influence during Trump’s first term, with Sudan, Morocco and most recently Kazakhstan also joining.