By Zoila Palma: On Monday, the United States launched new strikes on southern Iran targeting missile sites and boats that officials said were attempting to place mines near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes were carried out in what the US described as an act of self-defence aimed at protecting American troops from threats posed by Iranian forces, BBC reports.
In a statement, US Central Command said American forces conducted the strikes near Bandar Abbas, a key Iranian port city that hosts a naval base along the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Centcom spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said the military action was intended to defend US personnel while maintaining restraint during the ongoing ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Today, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that it had downed a US drone and fired on a fighter jet and another drone that allegedly entered Iranian airspace. Iranian state media reported that the IRGC warned Tehran had the “legitimate and definite” right to respond to any violations of the ceasefire agreement.
The latest military action has raised new uncertainty over ongoing diplomatic efforts between the two countries.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations were continuing and pointed to talks scheduled between Iran’s top negotiator, the Iranian foreign minister and Qatar’s prime minister.
Rubio said President Donald Trump remained committed to securing an agreement, adding that discussions were focused on the wording of an initial document and could take several more days.
The post International News: US launches strikes on Iran as ceasefire tensions threaten Peace talks appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: On Monday, the United States launched new strikes on southern Iran targeting missile sites and boats that officials said were attempting to place mines near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes were carried out in what the US described as an act of self-defence aimed at protecting American troops from threats posed
The post International News: US launches strikes on Iran as ceasefire tensions threaten Peace talks appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.