ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Tuesday morning (Erbil time) carried out renewed attacks in southern Iran, calling them “self-defense strikes,” despite the two warring sides reporting significant progress in their discussions in recent days.

“US forces conducted self-defense strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces, Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines.” said CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins.

“US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” he added.

Hours before the CENTCOM statement, Iranian media reported explosions in Iran’s southern port of Bandar Abbas, but did not specify the cause or blame the US and Israel.

Speaking to reporters in India hours later, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that negotiations are still ongoing toward an agreement in Qatar.

“The president’s expressed his desire to make it. He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” said Rubio, noting that one of Washington’s priorities is to keep the Strait of Hormuz “open ⁠one way or the ⁠other.”

An Iranian delegation headed by parliament speaker Mohammed-Bagher Ghalibaf traveled to Doha on Monday to consult senior Qatari officials regarding “some aspects” of the ongoing negotiations with the US.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that several members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in the attack on Bandar Abbas.

Hostilities have largely halted since Iran and the US reached a fragile ceasefire agreement in early April, which was subsequently extended for an unknown period as the two sides continued working toward a permanent deal, mediated by Pakistan.

The two sides have traded multiple proposals for a comprehensive peace agreement, with Iran calling Washington’s demands excessive and Washington dubbing Tehran’s demands unacceptable.

The developments come despite US President Donald Trump’s remarks on Saturday asserting that an agreement was “largely negotiated” with the Iranian side and awaited finalization, following a series of indirect negotiations through Pakistani mediators.

Before CENTCOM announced the renewed attacks on Iran, Trump said Tuesday that Iran’s enriched Uranium will either be handed to the US and subsequently destroyed or, in coordination with Tehran, destroyed in place or “another acceptable location,” in a post on Truth Social.

On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry said that Tehran and Washington have “reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues” under discussion after weeks of indirect talks through Pakistani mediators, while stressing that no final agreement has been reached.

The US-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, with Washington eyeing a halt to the Iranian nuclear program and limits on the country’s missile capabilities. The war lasted over a month and led to the deaths of thousands and billions lost in damages.