US says it struck mine-laying boats, missile sites in southern Iran

Several people were reported killed after what Iranian outlet SNN described as a US-Israeli attack on the southern part of Larak Island near the Strait of Hormuz early Monday local time.

Citing local sources, the report named three of the alleged victims as Abbas Eslami, Ghodrat Zarangari and Abdolreza Golzari, though the total number of casualties remains unclear.

There were also unconfirmed reports that those killed were affiliated with the IRGC.

Oil prices dropped sharply Monday amid growing optimism that the United States and Iran may be moving closer to an agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures fell nearly 7% to around $96 a barrel by mid-afternoon, retreating from the four-year highs reached earlier in the crisis as diplomacy gathered pace in Doha.

The decline followed renewed signals from US President Donald Trump that negotiations with Tehran were advancing, though major disagreements remain unresolved.

Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem says an Iranian source claimed heavy gunfire heard near Bandar Abbas began after the IRGC targeted a vessel at sea, followed by US fighter jets striking IRGC naval boats in the Gulf.

According to the source, several IRGC Navy personnel were killed.

“The situation is still unfolding,” the source said.

US President Donald Trump said Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile must either be handed over to the United States for destruction or eliminated under international supervision.

“The Enriched Uranium (Nuclear Dust!) will either be immediately turned over to the United States to be brought home and destroyed or, preferably, in conjunction and coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran, destroyed in place or, at another acceptable location,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He added that the process should take place in the presence of the “Atomic Energy Commission, or its equivalent,” as negotiations between Tehran and Washington continue through regional mediators.

Conflicting reports emerged from southern Iran on Monday after explosions were reported east of Bandar Abbas, a key port city overlooking the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian outlet Tabnak reported that the runway at Bandar Abbas airport had been struck by a missile, though no official confirmation was immediately issued.

Shortly afterward, Iran’s Mehr News Agency said the situation in Bandar Abbas was “under control” and there was “no cause for concern” following the explosions.

No further details on the cause or extent of the reported incident were immediately available.