In a tense development, U.S. forces carried out "self-defense" strikes in southern Iran early Tuesday, with the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirming the actions were essential to "protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."
CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins elaborated that the targets included missile launch sites and Iranian vessels allegedly attempting to deploy mines. Hawkins emphasized, "U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire."
This military action unfolds as U.S. President Donald Trump simultaneously asserts that peace negotiations with Iran are "proceeding nicely." However, Trump issued a stern warning via social media, stating that the outcome would either be "a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all," menacingly suggesting a return "Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before" should talks falter.
Further underscoring the delicate regional situation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently in India, affirmed the imperative of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open "one way or the other," hinting at potential further U.S. intervention against Iran. Rubio indicated that a comprehensive deal with Iran could materialize within days, with Fox News reporting, citing senior U.S. officials, that the Iran deal was "95% there" on Monday.
These recent strikes are not an isolated incident since the April 8 ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. The preceding months saw a U.S. Marine seizure of the Iranian cargo ship Touska and exchanges of fire in the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides attributing the initial aggression to the other.
President Trump separately articulated his vision for Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, proposing it be "immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed," or alternatively, destroyed within Iran or "at another acceptable location."
In a broader diplomatic push, Trump also urged Arab nations to endorse the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements designed to normalize relations with Israel. This initiative, however, met with a firm rejection from Pakistan, with sources close to Reuters indicating that the issues of the Accords and the Iran deal were "not interlinked and cannot be made so."
An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran.
Majid Saeedi | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The geopolitical instability had a mixed impact on global oil markets Tuesday morning. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures saw a decline of approximately 5% to $91.87 per barrel, while the international benchmark Brent crude futures unexpectedly rose by 2.14% to $98.2.
Chen Lanhee, a partner at advisory firm Brunswick, commented on CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia," highlighting a significant public desire for an end to the conflict. Chen stated, "It doesn't matter what Iran does or doesn't have, it doesn't matter what the contours of the deal are. They just want the war over to bring petrol or gas prices down."
