US launches new strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats
The US has carried out new strikes on Iran that it says targeted missile sites and boats. US Central Command said the strikes were taken in 'self-defence', while Iran reported that it had downed a US drone that entered its airspace.

The United States has carried out a new set of strikes on Iran that it says targeted missile sites and boats. According to the BBC, US Central Command said the strikes were taken in 'self-defence'. Iran, for its part, said it had downed a US drone that entered its airspace.
The strikes came at a delicate moment, with diplomatic contacts toward a possible deal between Washington and Tehran still under way, reflecting a complex picture in which escalation and negotiation are advancing at the same time. The two sides' accounts diverge, and details on the ground are hard to verify independently.
Because the two sides' statements conflict, the course of events will become clearer through official declarations and developments in the hours ahead. Potential effects on regional energy and maritime traffic are being watched closely.
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