U.S. conducts more "self-defense strikes" after shooting down Iranian missiles

American military forces carried out strikes on an Iranian island abutting the Strait of Hormuz in response to attempted Iranian drone and missile attacks, the latest clash between the two countries as President Trump pushes to strike a longer-term agreement with Iran.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Tuesday it shot down three Iranian drones that targeted civilian mariners. Iran also launched ballistic missiles at U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf region that "all failed to hit their intended targets," according to CENTCOM, including three missiles that were fired at Bahrain but were shot down by air defenses, and two missiles that "fell short or broke apart enroute" before hitting Kuwait.

In response, CENTCOM said it carried out "self-defense strikes" at a ground control station on Iran's Qeshm Island.

In a statement, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its strikes were in reaction to an earlier move by CENTCOM Tuesday to disable an oil tanker sailing toward Iran by firing a missile at its engine room. The IRGC said it targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and a "vessel belonging to the American Zionist enemy." CENTCOM said on X that claims the Fifth Fleet was struck by the IRGC were "FALSE."

Iran and the U.S. entered into a ceasefire on April 7, halting most direct hostilities in the three-month-long war, but some clashes have continued even as U.S. forces say the ceasefire remains in place, including several since the start of last week. Iran has also barred ships from sailing through the Strait of Hormuz without its permission, paralyzing shipping traffic in the crucial oil corridor, and the U.S. has enforced a blockade on Iranian ports and disabled some vessels accused of evading it.

"CENTCOM forces remain vigilant and ready to defend against unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire," the military command said in its statement Tuesday.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian negotiators have held indirect talks on extending the ceasefire, lifting the U.S. blockade, opening the Strait of Hormuz and launching broader discussions on the thorny issue of Iran's nuclear program. Those talks have not yielded a deal yet, but Trump administration officials expressed optimism last week.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said Monday the country was halting all conversations with the U.S. until Israel cut off fighting in Lebanon, where it is waging an offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah. Mr. Trump said Tuesday that it's "false and erroneous" to suggest that the U.S. and Iran are no longer speaking.

"The conversations between us have been going on continuously, including four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, one day ago, and today," Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.