The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that it carried out airstrikes in southern Iran in self-defense.
According to The New York Times, CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran "to protect our forces from Iranian military threats." In a statement, CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said, "The targets of the strikes included missile launchers and an Iranian vessel that was preparing to lay mines." He added that the strikes were carried out near Bandar Abbas, where an Iranian naval base is located near the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, Iranian local media reported that explosions had occurred in Bandar Abbas, a port city in southern Iran. With ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran underway, the selective strikes are interpreted as Washington's move to pressure Tehran into reaching an agreement.
