Iran said that the United States violated the ceasefire, after Washington carried out what it described as “defensive strikes” in the south of the country, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that reaching an agreement to stop the conflict may “take a few days.”“.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the strikes that targeted Hormozgan Province, where Iranian media reported hearing explosions at dawn on Tuesday, constitute a “flagrant violation” of the fragile truce that has been ongoing for about seven weeks..

The two sides had previously spoken about progress in a memorandum of understanding aimed at stopping the war and resuming navigation through the besieged Strait of Hormuz, while giving the negotiators a period of 60 days to discuss the most complex files, most notably the Iranian nuclear program..

Iranian media reported that Iranian negotiators sought, during the talks that took place in Qatar, to include a clause in the memorandum requiring the release of billions in frozen assets..

Oil is rising again

Following the strikes, which the United States said targeted boats that were trying to lay mines and missile launch sites, Rubio told reporters on board his plane in Jaipur, India, that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open “in any way.”“.

The war, which began with American and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, caused a major shock to oil supplies and pushed the prices of fuel, fertilizer, and food to rise. Iran then responded by launching drones and missiles at Gulf countries hosting American bases.

Navigation traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade usually passes, has declined to limited levels since the start of the war..

After news of the US strikes, Brent crude rose by about 3.5% on Tuesday, exceeding $99 per barrel..

Iran reserves the right to respond

The US Central Command announced late Monday that it had carried out new strikes with the aim of “protecting our forces from the threats posed by Iranian forces.”“.

On the other hand, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, on Tuesday, that it reserves its right to respond, noting that air defense units shot down an American drone and fired on another drone and a fighter plane, which it said had entered Iranian airspace over the Gulf region.. (Rotters)