Iran Condemns American Attacks as "A Serious Break" of Ceasefire

US Central Command (Centcom) has said that Iranian missile bases and ships trying to deploy mines were targeted with what it called"self-protective attacks"in southern Iran on Monday, reports BBC, broadcast Periscope

Iran's Foreign Ministry said it held the U.S. responsible for the consequences of their aggressive and unjustified <x0 operations"in the Hormozgan region, which has a coastline along the Hormuz Strait - the crucial waterway Iran has blocked by causing a rise in world energy prices.

It is not clear what impact the attacks will have on talks aimed at ending the conflict.

Of course, the Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no harm unanswered and will not hesitate to protect the Iranian nation", the Iranian statement said.

The US and Israel started their war with Iran on 28 February with a wave of deadly attacks, including one that killed the country's supreme leader.

After weeks of fighting, April 8 was agreed to a ceasefire and has since been widely respected, in addition to an apparent clash in early May.

In its statement, Centcom said US forces"conducted self-defense attacks in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces".

He did not elaborate on the location of the attacks, but an official quoted by the New York Times said they had targeted an area near Bandar Abbas - a southern port city and home of an Iranian naval base located in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media had reported earlier that local officials in Bandar Abbas were investigating after explosions were heard.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later said it had dropped an American threat and had shot a fighter plane that entered Iranian airspace, though it did not specify when that happened.

This happens in the context of talks aimed at extending the current ceasefire, with the ultimate goal of ending the conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that an agreement from the talks is still possible, but will be"over several days".

At the weekend, President Donald Trump initially suggested that an agreement was near before he said later that he had instructed negotiators"not to rush"for a deal.

According to American media, the possible agreement is not a final solution, but a memorandum of understanding reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire extension, reopening the Hormuz Strait and a plan for further negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme. /Periscope/