U.S. Central Command said Tuesday it conducted “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes underscore the dual-track posture Washington has maintained through months of intermittent negotiation: visible military readiness combined with active diplomatic engagement.

“Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.” The operations took place even as a 60-day ceasefire-extension MOU framework nears finalization.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responded with a counter-claim through state media. The IRGC said it engaged an F-35 fighter jet and several drones after they allegedly entered Iranian airspace. Iran’s government did not provide evidence of the engagement, and the Pentagon has not confirmed any aircraft losses. Iran’s state-media announcements often outpace verifiable facts during periods of heightened domestic political pressure.

The defensive strikes follow weeks in which Iranian small craft and naval assets have attempted to plant mines in the strait — the same mines that the proposed 60-day framework would require Iran to clear as part of reopening Hormuz to commercial traffic. The contradiction is not lost on negotiators: Iran is simultaneously emplacing mines and agreeing in principle to clear them, a pattern that has frustrated American officials but is read by analysts as Tehran preserving negotiating leverage.

President Trump used Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the 13 service members killed during Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. military campaign launched in late February against Iranian targets. “In Operation Epic Fury, we lost 13 wonderful souls, wonderful special people,” Trump said. The framing — honoring war dead while pursuing a negotiated end — mirrors the dual posture.

Markets initially absorbed the news with limited reaction. Brent traded around $98-$99 Tuesday, near a five-week low set Monday on deal-progression signals. WTI moved between $93 and $95 after briefly falling below $90 Monday. Traders have learned to expect intermittent military exchanges within the broader trajectory toward a framework deal. The signal that matters now is whether mine-clearing operations begin under the proposed 60-day MOU.

Continuing coverage: Geopolitics · Iran · Strait of Hormuz Explainer.