US launches self-defense strikes on mine-laying boats in southern Iran, CENTCOM says

The US military launched “self-defense strikes” against Iranian boats that were reportedly laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz Monday, according to US Central Command.CENTCOM spokesperson Capt.Tim Hawkins said US military “eliminated” two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats that were seen setting mines in the strait, and also took out a surface-to-air missile site in Bandar Abbas, aaccording to Fox News. The missile site based at Iran’s primary naval station was reportedly targeting US warplanes, Hawkins said.The US strikes – and alleged mine-laying – are both violations of the tentative extension of a tenuous cease-fire agreement that emerged after whirlwind negotiations over the weekend that appear close to ending the war in Iran.The tentative deal that is yet to be finalized would reopen the strait without tolls, end the fighting for 60 days and begin a short window to negotiate an end to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Tehran would also clear the mines it had deployed at the strait’s checkpoint and allow ships to pass freely, according to parameters of the agreement, according to Axios.In return, the US would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and waive some sanctions against the Iranian regime – allowing Tehran to sell oil again.President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately warned that the deal wasn’t finalized though. A senior Trump administration official previously told The Post that the president may opt out if Tehran doesn’t commit to his terms, including a hardline on the nuclear program.Even so, two sources told Fox News that the “defensive strikes” are “over for now” and do not indicate an end to the fraigle cease-fire.Several other explosions were reported close to Sirik and Jask, two coastal cities along the strait and Gulf of Oman, respectively, earlier Monday. ...