US and Iran continue attacks amid negotiations; Israel expands operations in Lebanon
The United States and Iran have continued attacking each other even as they negotiate a permanent end to the war, with the US destroying boats it said were laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly firing on US tankers in the same waterway. Israel has meanwhile expanded its strikes on Hezbollah and launched a ground offensive in Lebanon, further straining the ceasefire between the two countries.
The United States and Iran continued attacking each other this week even as the two sides negotiate a permanent end to the war, with Washington destroying boats it said were laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly firing on US tankers in the same waterway.
US forces in recent days struck targets inside Iran, destroying boats that, according to US statements, were attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington described the attacks as defensive measures to protect international shipping. Iran responded with counterattacks: the Revolutionary Guards reportedly fired on US tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Anna Sauerbrey, foreign policy coordinator of the German weekly Die Zeit, analyzed the US strategy behind the continued strikes. Omid Rezaee, a Die Zeit trainee and Iran expert, explained the demands that US President Donald Trump is making to the Iranian regime. The analysis comes as the US and Iran pursue negotiations aimed at a permanent end to the war, a process that has not halted hostilities on the ground or at sea.
Separately, the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came under further strain. Israel has expanded its attacks on Hezbollah and, according to its own statements, launched a ground offensive in Lebanon. Steffi Hentschke, Die Zeit correspondent, reported on the goals Israel is pursuing with the renewed offensive in its northern neighbor.