US renews Iran strikes as pressure mounts on peace talks

As President Donald Trump faced mounting pressure Monday to finalize a peace deal with Iran, the U.S. military carried out strikes in the southern region of the Middle Eastern country.

The renewed strikes came after Trump began lowering expectations that a deal was near.

In a statement from U.S. Central Command, military officials said the strikes were designed "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces."

U.S. forces targeted boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, in what a CENTCOM spokesperson described as defensive actions amid the "ongoing ceasefire."

Nearly three months since the start of the war, Trump is bound by expectations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has sent oil prices skyrocketing due to its closure, while also pushing to remove Iran's enriched uranium as a part of the country's nuclear program.

Over the weekend, Trump said an agreement with Iran was near before adding that American negotiators could take their time. Iran's Fars news agency said Trump's announcement that deal was nearly final was "inconsistent with reality."