US military carried out an attack on southern Iran, multiple explosions heard

(Patria) - The United States military announced that it carried out attacks in southern Iran, targeting missile launch sites and ships attempting to lay mines, despite a ceasefire between the two countries.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that the attacks were undertaken in "self-defense" and aimed to "protect its forces from the threats posed by Iranian forces."

A CENTCOM spokesperson said that the US military "continues to defend its forces with restraint during the ongoing ceasefire."

Several explosions were heard early this morning local time in the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, after which the air defense system was activated. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard initially reported three explosions, citing unnamed sources, but an official confirmation of the cause was not immediately released.

The Revolutionary Guard said in a later statement that the sound of an explosion was heard near Bandar Abbas airport and that the air defense system was "activated to act against enemy targets."

The strikes were carried out at a time when Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that some progress had been made in negotiations with the US, but that an agreement to end the conflict "does not necessarily follow very soon."

Iran has yet to respond to the latest US attacks. It is unclear what impact the attacks will have on a potential peace agreement between the US and Iran.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump suggested that the parties were close to an agreement, but later said he had instructed negotiators to "not rush" him.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that an agreement could be reached.

However, on Monday, Baghaei responded: "It is true that we have reached a conclusion on a large part of the issues being discussed... But to say that this means the signing of an agreement is very soon - no one can claim that."

The US and Israel launched widespread attacks on Iran on February 28, triggering conflict across the Middle East. Iran responded by attacking Israel and US allied states in the Gulf and de facto closing the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a global increase in oil prices.