The United States Conducts "Defensive Strikes" in Southern Iran

SadaNews - The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the U.S. military carried out what it described as "defensive strikes" in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats suspected of being used to plant mines in the region.

CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins stated that U.S. forces "carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran to protect their troops from threats posed by Iranian forces," adding that the operations were part of a response to activities deemed a direct threat to U.S. forces in the region.

Hawkins clarified that the targets included missile launch sites, in addition to Iranian boats that were "attempting to plant mines," affirming that CENTCOM "continues to defend its forces while exercising restraint during the ceasefire period."

The statements coincided with reports of explosions heard in various areas of southern Iran, near the Strait of Hormuz, where reports indicated an explosion in the city of Bandar Abbas, alongside other explosions near the cities of Sirik and Jask overlooking the strategic waterway.

In additional details reported by U.S. media, including Fox News, a military official stated that U.S. forces observed two boats belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard while they were planting mines in the Strait of Hormuz, before they were destroyed.

The same source noted that another strike targeted a surface-to-air missile site in the Bandar Abbas area, which Washington stated was threatening its warplanes in the region.

According to U.S. officials, these operations are "purely defensive" and were a direct response to immediate threats, without being considered an escalation or a violation of the existing ceasefire.

Two informed sources confirmed that the recent strikes do not signify a collapse of the truce, emphasizing that they fall within the defensive rules of engagement and do not indicate the end of the ceasefire between the parties.

One official stated that the operations were temporarily halted, explaining that the U.S. military only acted upon detecting a direct threat, whether via boats or air defense systems, reiterating that the primary goal was to "protect U.S. forces in the region."