Middle East crisis live: US attacks Iran missile sites as Tehran negotiators hold talks in Qatar

US forces launched self-defense strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile launch sites and boats that were attempting to emplace mines, US Central Command announced. The actions were taken to protect American troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

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US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.

These strikes occurred amid fragile ceasefire conditions and as Iran's top negotiator and foreign minister arrived in Doha, Qatar, for talks with the Qatari prime minister. The negotiations are focused on a potential deal to end the ongoing war.

President Donald Trump described the talks with Iran as proceeding "nicely" via social media, but issued a warning: "It will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all." He also suggested that Iran's enriched uranium could be destroyed within the country under the supervision of an international nuclear agency, a move experts believe could be a significant concession.

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It “will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all”.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from India, stressed the imperative to open the Strait of Hormuz. "What's happening there is unlawful, it's illegal, it's unsustainable for the world, it's unacceptable," he told reporters. Rubio indicated that the negotiating language for a potential deal could take several days to finalize.

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What’s happening there is unlawful, it’s illegal, it’s unsustainable for the world, it’s unacceptable.