Trending 
The United States carried out strikes on missile-related targets in southern Iran on Monday, even as diplomatic efforts continued in Doha to negotiate an end to the conflict, US Central Command said.
US Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins said in a statement that the US forces conducted what he described as defensive operations “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” adding that the targets included missile launch sites and boats allegedly preparing to deploy naval mines. No further operational details were provided.
“US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces,” Tim Hawkins said.
The strikes come despite a fragile ceasefire that has held since April 8, as Washington and Tehran continue talks aimed at ending a war that has disrupted global energy markets.
US President Donald Trump also weighed in on the diplomatic efforts, saying in a social media post that Iran’s enriched uranium should either be handed over to the United States for destruction or eliminated under international supervision.
He suggested the process should be witnessed by the International Atomic Energy Agency or a similar body, though it was unclear whether his remarks reflected an official negotiating position.
“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location, with the Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent, being witness to this process and event,” Trump wrote.
Earlier on Monday, Trump said it should be mandatory for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Bahrain and Jordan to sign up to the Abraham Accords, a set of agreements brokered in 2020 with nations historically hostile to Israel, as part of a peace deal with Iran.
Trump said he had spoken to the leaders of those countries on Saturday about efforts to end the war with Iran. Bahrain and the UAE have already signed the accords, along with Morocco and Sudan.
While some of those countries have been linked to past US-led normalisation efforts with Israel, several Gulf states have repeatedly stated that formal ties with Israel depend on progress toward a Palestinian state.
Analysts say the latest developments show the fragility of the ceasefire, even as diplomatic optimism briefly lifted after comments from US officials suggesting a possible breakthrough.
