US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on April 8 that the negotiation process aimed at ending the conflict between the US and Israel with Iran could conclude within the coming days. The statement came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had conducted strikes targeting missile launchers and boats laying mines in southern Iran.
Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, India, Rubio indicated that the talks in Qatar are ongoing with much back-and-forth over the specific language of the initial draft agreement. “It will take days,” he said. He emphasized that US President Donald Trump wants either a good deal or no deal. He also asserted that the Strait of Hormuz “must be opened” and that any blockade is illegal and unacceptable.
Earlier, CENTCOM said US forces carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran on April 7 to protect troops from threats. CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins confirmed the targets included missile launchers and boats attempting to lay mines. However, he did not provide further details. Iran's state television IRIB reported that loud explosions were heard near the city of Bandar Abbas around midnight local time.
Al Jazeera correspondent in Tehran, Resul Serdar, said the Iranian government has issued no official response to the US statements. Iranian officials neither confirmed nor denied the incident and provided no details. Former diplomat and Pentagon official Adam Clements argued that these airstrikes would not derail the formal diplomatic negotiation process between the two sides.
The attacks coincided with senior Iranian negotiators gathering in Doha for a new round of talks aimed at ending the nearly three-month-long conflict. The conflict has driven global energy prices higher after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil and gas shipping route. An official familiar with the Iranian delegation's visit to Doha said discussions focused on the Strait of Hormuz issue, Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and the potential release of Iran's frozen funds as part of a final deal.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei earlier stated that nuclear issues would only be negotiated after a framework agreement is finalized. President Trump declared the main goal of the conflict is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons from highly enriched uranium. Tehran has consistently denied having plans to develop nuclear weapons.
