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The US military has launched a series of strikes on Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). The strikes come as Iranian officials travel to Qatar in hopes of negotiating a ceasefire with the US and Israel. CENTCOM claimed the strikes were ‘defensive' and that the bombs were dropped to protect US forces from Iranian soldiers. It appears the US has fully dedicated itself to Israel's strategy of ‘forward defence', a strategy that justifies the use of violence before an attack has actually happened. ‘Forward defence' is a term coined by the Israeli military, and is used to reframe the language used for what legal experts call ‘illegal and unprovoked attacks'. By definition, ‘defence' must come after an attack, not before.
The US military refused to reveal where the attacks struck, but the Iranian military confirmed explosions in Bandar Abbas, some 70km (42 miles) from the Strait of Hormuz, in southern Iran. These latest attacks come as the temporary ceasefire mediated by Pakistan remains intact. The ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but the US has continued striking Iran intermittently, even with the armistice in effect. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a statement on May 26 claiming that it had shot down a US drone that entered Iranian airspace, and also fired on an American F-15 that conducted flyovers over Iran.
“To say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion would be correct. However, to say that this means an agreement is on the verge of being signed is not something anyone can claim,”
-Esmail Baghaei
According to sources in Iran, several IRGC soldiers were killed in the attack on Bandar Abbas. Iran's foreign ministry claimed on May 25 that Tehran and Washington are making progress in ceasefire negotiations, but the ongoing strikes have cast doubt on the timeline of a permanent ceasefire. The escalating tensions over the last few days have come right after Trump said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was “largely negotiated” with Iran. Israel and the US's war on Iran has tanked global markets and sent oil prices soaring.
US claims attacks will continue
While Iran has not confirmed the extent of the attacks, multiple US military personnel have confirmed that they happened and will continue to do so. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently in India, said US targets include boats attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as Iranian missile launch sites. Washington has repeatedly accused Iran of laying sea mines near the Strait of Hormuz, the thin channel which normally transports nearly a fifth of the world's oil and gas. Iran's closure of the Strait is the largest factor impacting global oil prices and has exacerbated multiple energy crises around the world.
Rubio also made it clear that America's goal is to open the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that regardless of Iran's convictions, the Strait would be opened ‘one way or another'. US President Donald Trump made multiple posts on Truth Social pertaining to the attacks and ceasefires, claiming that negotiations were going ‘nicely' but attacks would continue if talks with Iran began to stall. Trump's post seemingly referenced the popular US game show Deal or No Deal, with strange capitalization.
“It will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all”
Another broken ceasefire
The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire mediated by Pakistan on April 8, but peace has been nowhere to be found for Iranian residents. Negotiations and de-escalation are both underway, but in the meantime, Iran is being consistently attacked by the US. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the ceasefire, is currently in China, meeting with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang. The US has been pushing China for weeks to take action in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but after China balked, Donald Trump insulted the country, implying Jinping's government is weak, and claiming that the US doesn't need China's help anyway.
Are peace talks stalling?
It's unclear how these latest attacks have affected the timeline of peace negotiations, but the trend of US and Iranian retaliations has not stopped since April 8. With recent reports that Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is injured and in hiding, it appears as though Iran's senior leadership has experienced serious communication breakdowns. According to US officials, Iranian negotiators attempting to communicate with the Trump administration have struggled to relay information through Iran's fractured command structure, contributing to delays in ceasefire and nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Donald Trump is still insisting that Iran ships out its refined uranium, and Iran has made it clear it is unwilling to do so.
