US carries out new strikes against Iranian military site, official says

The U.S. military has carried out a new round of strikes against Iran, a U.S. official confirmed to CBS News on Wednesday, another challenge to a tenuous ceasefire between the two countries.

The official described the strikes as defensive, downing four Iranian drones and hitting a ground control station in the port city of Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth. Drones posed a threat near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial chokepoint for oil shipping that has been closed since the start of the war.

The official said the ceasefire between the United States and Iran is still considered to be respected.

“These actions were measured, purely defensive and intended to maintain the ceasefire,” the official added.

Reuters was the first to report the new strikes.

The strikes came just two days after the US Central Command confirmed a previous series of “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran, hitting missile launch sites and Iranian boats allegedly seeking to lay mines. CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said Monday the strikes were carried out to “protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”

Iran condemned the previous strikes, calling the move a “serious violation of the ceasefire” and vowing that the Iranian government “will not leave any act of hostility unanswered.”

The attacks come as President Trump is pressing Iran to reach a longer-term deal with the United States – and threatening to resume a large-scale bombing campaign if Iran does not agree to his terms.

Over the weekend, the president sounded optimistic, saying a peace deal had been “extensively negotiated.” But on Wednesday, Mr. Trump seemed less confident, telling a Cabinet meeting that the United States was “not satisfied.”

“Maybe we need to go back and get it over with, maybe we don’t,” Mr. Trump said, adding that he believed Iran wanted to make a deal.

A senior Trump administration official said Sunday that Iran has agreed in principle to a model deal, although formalizing and signing a final deal could take several days. The deal under discussion would involve a two-step process. First, Iran would immediately allow the Strait of Hormuz to open in exchange for the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. After that, the two sides would negotiate a mechanism for Iran to abandon various parts of its nuclear program.

Iran has agreed in principle to get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, the Trump administration official said. It is not clear how these materials, almost military grade, would be disposed of. Mr. Trump wrote on social media Monday that the material could be destroyed in the United States or “preferably” in Iran.

Go further with The Free Press

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos