Say hello to $200 oil: US strikes Iran amid Qatar peace talks
The United States has launched what it described as “self-defence strikes” on targets in southern Iran, even as senior Iranian officials arrived in Qatar for negotiations aimed at securing a broader peace agreement with Washington, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
According to the U.S. Central Command, the strikes targeted missile launch sites and Iranian vessels that were allegedly attempting to deploy naval mines in the region.
“U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” CENTCOM spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement.
The U.S. military said the operation was carried out to protect American troops stationed in the Middle East, but did not provide further details about the scale of the strikes or casualties.
Iranian sources cited by Al Jazeera said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had been targeting a vessel at sea shortly before the attacks. Several IRGC personnel were reportedly killed.
The incident comes despite an official ceasefire between the United States and Iran that has been in place since April 8. Analysts warn the latest escalation could complicate diplomatic efforts currently under way in Doha.
The Iranian delegation attending the Qatar talks includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations were “proceeding nicely”, while stressing that Washington expects a far-reaching agreement.
“It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In a separate post, Trump said Iran’s enriched uranium should either be handed over to the United States or “destroyed in place”.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei acknowledged progress in the talks but cautioned against expectations of an imminent breakthrough.
“To say that we have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the issues under discussion would be correct. However, to say that this means an agreement is on the verge of being signed is not something anyone can claim,” Baghaei said.
Meanwhile, IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaghari sharply criticized Washington’s actions.
“As long as the Americans continue their military adventures in our region, no agreement will be reached. The US government has repeatedly shown that it only understands the language of force. Say hello to $200 oil,” Zolfaghari wrote on X.
As long as the Americans continue their military adventures in our region, no agreement will be reached.
— Ebrahim Zolfaghari ☫ (@ibrahim_zolfgri) May 26, 2026
The US government has repeatedly shown that it only understands the language of force.
Say hello to $200 oil.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran were “proceeding nicely” and called for a broader expansion of the Abraham Accords, urging several Middle Eastern and Muslim-majority nations to join what he described as a historic regional peace initiative.
