Iran-US War: US Launches ‘Defensive’ Strikes On Iranian Targets Amid Rising Gulf Tensions

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]activity. So, now this heavy air craft fire and multiple explosions reported overnight in Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas. Yes, over to you. Right, Arzu. If I can request you to please stay on with us as we track some more developments from the war. The United States military's Central Command has confirmed that the US military carried out strikes in southern Iran against targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites in what it described as defensive actions.

[00:00:34]So, Arzu, now we're getting to know that the US Central Command has confirmed that they did carry out strikes in southern Iran. Now, remember Arzu that there is a ceasefire that is ongoing.

[00:00:47]However, still we are seeing this, you know, self-defense kind of an attack by the US in southern Iran.

[00:00:58]I will definitely and that's very concerning while there's a talk of ceasefire there's a ceasefire between both the countries and among that also there are attacks that can really be witnessed and now the US military has stated that it has carried out strikes on Monday in southern Iran against the targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites in what it described as defensive actions. And US Central Command states in a statement that its strikes were designed to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces. So, definitely the you know, the statement states that action was taken because it as described as this you know, defensive action in a self-defense. And US Command Command continues to defend our forces while using the same using during the ongoing ceasefire. This is what the Navy captain has, you know, a commander central command spokesperson said. Yes.

[00:02:06]Arzu, I'll request you to please stay on with us. So, we are also joined by General Shivaji who is a defense expert.

[00:02:14]Thank you so much, sir, for taking out your time and for speaking to NewsX. A very good morning to you. But, sir, we are seeing increase in hostilities between US and Iran. US uh Central Command is stating, sir, that they carried out strikes in southern Iran in self-defense.

[00:02:34]Uh do you believe that this is something that can be done while they're talking about a ceasefire? While they're talking about negotiating a peace deal, sir?

[00:02:45]Very good morning. It's again when they talk uh and uh in fact uh everyone is expecting that the damage uh some of these things may be wrong.

[00:02:58]As the news the US is striking in the southern Iran.

[00:03:03]Uh likely to be very bad.

[00:03:08]But, all such uh it looks that the the talks are off back and they are on the last stages now.

[00:03:16]Maybe that it is another day or two uh peace treaty is going to be announced.

[00:03:22]But, such such a thing can be done by only time.

[00:03:27]Can uh still be in case a counter bomb back.

[00:03:33]Now, this can uh be possible treaty of uh this peace treaty now between between US and Iran.

[00:03:42]Uh that that uh be a commander law.

[00:03:47]So, let's see how things hold. But, it also they look like that what Iran and that uh that they are going to put mine in on the state of our book.

[00:04:00]And feel board has been also advised that that And they are thinking that this is the corner of the tunnel of the agreement.

[00:04:10]Uh not in so basically the ball of labor but suddenly when the talks are going they are the last and we are expecting some a sort of peace deal around something happen then talks and peace and you can find again you know peace by sticking and then again hostility start.

[00:04:33]It will be bad for both.

[00:04:35]Absolutely. Thank you so much General Shivaji for taking out your time and for speaking to NewsX with your valuable perspective on this issue.

[00:04:43]Well viewers, we have some more information flowing our way. US President Donald Trump appears to signal a possible shift in Washington's stand on Iran's enriched uranium stockpile. In a latest message, Trump has laid out three options. Handing over the uranium to the US for destruction, destroying it inside Iran with US-Iran coordination, or destroying it at another acceptable location under international monitoring.

[00:05:12]The remarks mark a change from Trump's earlier hardline position where he said that the US would take control of the uranium. Now the focus appears to be on verified destruction rather than transfer. Iran had earlier said that it would be able to handle the down-blending itself. The public nature of the message is being seen as a direct signal to Tehran amid sensitive negotiations. The uranium issue, which became a major flashpoint in the conflict, could now emerge as the centerpiece of a possible diplomatic breakthrough.

[00:05:47]Arzoo, my colleague, continues to be with us. Arzu, like we were talking about, even though hostilities are going on, there's also talk of peace. There's also talk of negotiations. And over here, we have a message from US President Donald Trump, who seems to have dropped his hardline stance on the enriched uranium of Iran. And he's offered three, you know, options in front of Iran in a way to maybe, you know, start off the negotiations on a good note. Arzu.

[00:06:32]All right. So, we'll try to reconnect with my colleague Arzu over there. But remember that this is something that, you know, Trump has been talking about. It has been a thorn in the talks earlier on, as we see.

[00:06:47]All right. And some more information coming in after 87 days of near total darkness, Iran's internet is coming back on.

[00:06:58]Iranian President Rouhani has just directed the Ministry of Communications to restore, in fact, all internet services. At its worst, connectivity had dropped to 1 to 4% of normal levels, according to NetBlocks.

[00:07:17]And the blackout started in late January, first triggered by the protests that were happening in Iran. And then massively, it escalated when the US Israeli strikes started in February.

[00:07:31]Now, a government cyberspace committee voted 9 to 3 to approve the restoration of internet services in Iran. And there's still serious internal resistance to opening the country back up. Let me go across to my colleague Rumi Mishra who's joining us for more information on this.

[00:07:49]Rumi, uh after, you know, 87 days of complete blackout on the internet, we are finally seeing some kind of an approval to restore it. Take us through the details, please.

[00:08:04]Shivani, well, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has now finally issued this order to reopen international internet access according to Iranian state media citing an official after the almost 90-day blackout in the wake of the war against US and Israel.

[00:08:23]Uh this report was from Reuters and it cited the head of public relations at Iran's Communications Ministry. The mechanism for how and when Iran would reconnect to the global web following this decision was of course unknown and has not yet been revealed.

[00:08:41]Most Iranians have been unable to access the worldwide web for 87 days according to the internet observatory NetBlocks.

[00:08:48]As you clearly pointed out, with only a few citizens having access to VPNs, which are of course very expensive and advanced to circumvent the restrictions, which is how we were getting all these visuals of the strikes throughout the past 3 months. But now, um after an initial internet blackout from 8th of January to in a response to nationwide, you know, anti-government protests where which were taking place in Iran, um connections just gradually started deteriorating throughout February 28th, and after that, the war even started, which is why connections were completely blacked out and stopped.

[00:09:29]Uh this, of course, Shivani, comes as US President Trump has yet again um threatened Iran of another strikes and in fact carried out strikes saying that this is a defensive action that the US has taken and said that Iran has no deal with which is imminent despite progress in talks with US. So yes, Shivani, a very important update coming in from the Middle East where on both sides we're seeing