US launches airstrikes on Iran amid Doha negotiations
Al Jazeera
The US military launched airstrikes near the Strait of Hormuz as an Iranian delegation arrived in Qatar for cease-fire talks. Tehran says a deal remains distant despite progress in negotiations.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced airstrikes targeting Iranian missile launchers and vessels attempting to lay mines near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins told Al Jazeera the attacks were “self-defense” to protect US troops.
The strikes took place despite a Pakistan-brokered cease-fire in effect since April 8. Iranian media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, about 70 kilometers from the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has not officially responded to the attack, but sources in Tehran say the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a ship at sea before the US launched its airstrikes. Several IRGC members were killed in the incident.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides had made progress in negotiations, but “a deal is not close.” Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated: “It is true to say we have wrapped up most of what was on the table. But to say this means a deal is imminent, no one can claim that.”
Aboard an aircraft in Jaipur, India, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz — through which one-fifth of global oil and gas passes — must be opened “one way or another.” He suggested a deal with Iran could be reached “in a matter of days.”
US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that negotiations were going “well,” but warned of further attacks if no agreement is reached. He wrote: “It will either be a great deal for everyone or no deal at all — back to the battlefield and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever.”
A high-level Iranian delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, arrived in the Qatari capital Doha to discuss obstacles to a permanent peace deal.
Trump also wants to link the talks to commitments by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Pakistan to join the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 for the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher in Washington DC said the airstrikes could derail cease-fire negotiations. “There have been several such clashes, especially right after the cease-fire began. It’s unclear if the current incident is out of the ordinary,” he said.
