American forces conducted "self-defense strikes" against missile sites near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Monday, targeting locations that threatened nearly two dozen US Navy warships. Captain Tim Hawkins of US Central Command said the attacks hit missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to lay mines in the strategic waterway.

The strikes occurred as Iranian negotiators arrived in Qatar for cease-fire discussions, potentially complicating diplomatic efforts. Military officials confirmed that surface-to-air missiles were zeroing in on US vessels, including two aircraft carriers enforcing a blockade in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The timing raises questions about the fragile peace process.

US intelligence assessments reveal Iran has restored operational access to 30 of 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining roughly 70 percent of its prewar missile stockpile. Despite the 38-day campaign, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps still commands hundreds of speedboats capable of mining operations. American forces have sunk most of Iran's conventional navy.

The ongoing conflict threatens what President Trump called the greatest energy disruption in modern times, with the strait carrying approximately 20 percent of global daily oil supply. US stockpiles of long-range missiles have reached critically low levels, limiting options for neutralizing hardened underground facilities.