Against the backdrop of negotiations, tensions with Iran have reached a peak. A series of powerful explosions were heard in the port city of Bandar Abbas in the south of the Islamic Republic, while media outlets affiliated with the Iranian opposition reported hearing fighter jets over the city.
Several explosions were also reported near the city of Isfahan, where footage was published showing a large column of smoke outside the city, in an area where a military base is located. The Tasnim news agency reported that in both Bandar Abbas and Isfahan, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was carrying out controlled detonations of ammunition, and that echoes of explosions were expected over the next 72 hours.
US President Donald Trump said Iran genuinely wanted to make a deal with the US and that it would be good for Washington and its allies. "Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be good for the US and those that are with us," Trump posted on Truth Social. The remarks appeared to be an attempt to calm tensions after 24 hours of fire exchange between the sides.
Airmen deployed with U.S. Air Forces Central perform maintenance on an F-16 fighter jet at a base in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/ykcsPhVRwx
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 31, 2026
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said distrust and constantly shifting positions by the US and Israel in Lebanon were causing delays in the diplomatic process. "The ceasefire in Lebanon is an integral part of any comprehensive halt to hostilities in the region," Baghaei said.
Overnight US strike
US Central Command said that it had carried out a series of "self-defense strikes" Sunday against military targets inside Iran. The American move came amid a deadlock and peak tensions in ceasefire talks, as well as especially belligerent rhetoric from senior officials in Tehran.
According to CENTCOM's statement on X, US fighter jets destroyed air defense systems, a ground control station and two one-way attack drones in the area of Goruk and on Qeshm Island in southern Iran. The strike was carried out in direct response to Iran's downing of a US MQ-1 drone while it was operating over international waters. The US military stressed that no Americans were injured in the incidents.
At the same time, the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed Monday morning that it had attacked an air base used by US forces, in response to a US strike on a communications tower on Sirik Island.
