Iran accused the United States on Tuesday of committing a “gross violation” of a fragile ceasefire after American forces struck targets in the southern Hormozgan province, near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. The strikes threaten to derail ongoing peace negotiations that both sides had previously described as making progress.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks, which Iranian media linked to explosions heard early Tuesday morning. The US, however, defended the operation as defensive, saying forces targeted missile sites and vessels attempting to lay naval mines. Following the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters aboard his plane in India that the strait must remain open “one way or the other.” He also said negotiators may need “a few days” to finalise a deal halting the conflict.
A Deal Within Reach, But Obstacles Remain
Iran and the US have been conducting indirect talks in Qatar aimed at producing a memorandum of understanding. That initial agreement would end hostilities, restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz within 30 days, and open a 60-day window for tackling harder issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, recently returned from Doha after pushing for the release of approximately $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets, a demand that one source cited by Fars news agency described as “the last sticking point,” with Iran’s ISNA agency calling the Qatar talks “overall positive.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they reserved the right to retaliate, claiming their forces shot down one US drone and fired on another drone and a fighter jet over the Gulf.
Lebanon Violence Adds Pressure
Further complicating negotiations, Israel launched more than 120 air strikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday, among the heaviest bombardments in weeks. Lebanon’s health ministry reported 31 deaths and 40 injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “deepening its operations” with “large forces in the field.” Iran has made halting Israeli attacks on Lebanon a condition of any final agreement.
The war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, continues to disrupt global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes, has carried only a fraction of its usual traffic since fighting began. Thousands have died across the conflict, predominantly in Lebanon and Iran.
