US Says It Conducted ‘Self-Defence’ Strikes on Iran as Ceasefire Talks Near Conclusion

The United States said on Monday that it carried out “self-defence” strikes against radar and command sites in Iran over the weekend, citing what it described as “aggressive Iranian actions”. The incidents come as negotiations to extend the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran enter their final stages, with the proposed agreement awaiting approval from US President Donald Trump.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iran had shot down an MQ-1 drone operating over international waters. In response, American forces launched strikes on targets in Goruk, near Iran's coastline, and on Qeshm Island, both located along the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.

“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” Centcom wrote on X.

“No American service members were harmed. CENTCOM will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests in response to unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire,” it added.

The latest exchange comes amid heightened security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor through which roughly a quarter of global energy supplies pass during peacetime.

According to a New York Times report, the United States has quietly been escorting commercial vessels through the strait in recent weeks. Citing an official, the report said the US military had helped around 70 commercial ships transit the waterway safely over the past three weeks. The vessels had reportedly switched off their transponders to reduce the risk of detection.

Despite the flare-up, Trump indicated that negotiations with Tehran were progressing. In an interview with Fox News, he said the two sides were close to reaching a “very good deal”, though he declined to rule out military action should talks collapse.

The US President also said Iran had agreed not to pursue a nuclear weapons capability, which has remained the central sticking point in the latest round of negotiations.

Diplomatic exchanges have continued alongside the military activity. Earlier on Monday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had targeted an air base used in what it described as a U.S. attack on a telecommunications tower on Sirik Island. The group did not disclose the location of the installation it struck.