Tue 26 May 2026 at 9:22amTue 26 May 2026 at 9:22amThe US military said the strikes were a defensive action. (Supplied: US Central Command)The US military says it has carried out strikes against targets in southern Iran, including missile launch sites and boats attempting to lay mines.US Central Command described the strikes as defensive actions.In a statement, US Centcom said the strikes were designed "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces"."US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire," said US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesperson.US and Iranian forces have observed a ceasefire since April 8.Iran has maintained controls on Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite the US Navy enforcing a blockade on Iran's ports.Last week, US Central Command said the naval blockade on Iran had redirected 100 vessels and disabled four.The blockade is "allowing zero trade into and out of Iranian ports which has squeezed Iran economically", CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said.The US military said more than 200 aircraft and warships were supporting the mission, including multiple guided missile destroyers.Strikes occur during peace talksIran's top negotiator and its foreign minister are in Doha today for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the US.However, officials from Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.US President Donald Trump said that a deal with Iran would either be "great and meaningful" or there would be "no deal".US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier told reporters in New Delhi that the US would give diplomacy every chance to succeed before considering whether to deal with Iran in "another way".There was a "pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait [of Hormuz], get the strait open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter, and hopefully we can pull it off," Mr Rubio said.