US Officials Saw Threats From Iran Before Renewing Strikes

Iran deployed mine-laying boats in the Strait of Hormuz and flew attack drones near U.S. ships, threatening actions that drew U.S. strikes early Tuesday, according to two U.S. officials. Hours later, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard promised a “decisive reciprocal response” to any ceasefire violations.

The two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military matters, said the strikes came after the Americans observed Iranian forces taking several actions, including launching the drones and activity at missile launch sites. The U.S. military attacked Iranian boats and launch sites in what it called “self-defense strikes.”

The ratcheting up of hostilities after a period of relative calm added to the uncertainty surrounding negotiations for a potential peace deal. President Donald Trump and his administration have continued to offer conflicting signals about the state of play, indicating over the weekend that a deal, at least to open the key oil and gas shipping lanes of the strait, was close at hand.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said talks to end the war were ongoing, and a deal could take “a few days.” A day earlier, Trump said there was no hurry to reach an agreement, and the result would be either “great and meaningful” or “no deal” at all. Iran’s lead negotiators returned home Tuesday from peace talks in Qatar, indicating at least a temporary pause in the discussions.

Trump has repeatedly threatened a return to hostilities while also pushing for a peace agreement. He has focused on a preliminary deal to reopen the strait, which Iran has effectively blockaded, but Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and U.S. sanctions on Iran remain largely unresolved issues.

As the Revolutionary Guard said it would respond forcefully to any U.S. strikes, the country’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in a written statement that the war with the United States had shown that U.S. military bases in the Middle East are no longer safe.

Here’s What Else We’re Covering:

— Internet in Iran: A top Iranian official said Tuesday that the government is gradually loosening restrictions on internet access, months after imposing a near-total blackout on millions of Iranians.

— Israeli strikes in Lebanon: Israel’s military said it had struck more than 100 sites overnight in Lebanon, including what it said were weapons storage facilities of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. The escalation threatens to complicate diplomatic efforts to resolve the war in Iran.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Max Bearak, Eric Schmitt, Erika Solomon and Euan Ward/Arash Khamooshi
c. 2026 The New York Times Company

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