Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at new U.S. strikes against Iran, a high-level Quadrilateral Security Dialogue conference, and Russia’s impending assault on Kyiv.

Mixed messaging appears to be the theme of ongoing talks to end the Iran war. Mere hours after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote that negotiations were “proceeding nicely,” the U.S. military launched what it called “self-defense” strikes on southern Iran early Tuesday local time, prompting Tehran to accuse Washington of violating the two countries’ tenuous cease-fire.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at new U.S. strikes against Iran, a high-level Quadrilateral Security Dialogue conference, and Russia’s impending assault on Kyiv.

Mixed messaging appears to be the theme of ongoing talks to end the Iran war. Mere hours after U.S. President Donald Trump wrote that negotiations were “proceeding nicely,” the U.S. military launched what it called “self-defense” strikes on southern Iran early Tuesday local time, prompting Tehran to accuse Washington of violating the two countries’ tenuous cease-fire.

According to U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, Tuesday’s assault aimed to “protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.” U.S. Central Command “continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing cease-fire,” he said, noting that the operation targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats that were attempting to set mines. Tehran said that at least four members of its naval forces were killed.

Iran has vowed swift retaliation for the White House’s “grave violation” of the truce. “Undoubtedly, the Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave any act of hostility unanswered and will not hesitate in defending Iran’s sovereignty,” Iran’s foreign ministry said. “The commission of these acts of aggression, coinciding with the ongoing diplomatic process mediated by Pakistan, once again exposes the ill intent and bad faith of the U.S. ruling establishment to the people of Iran, the people of the region, and the international community.”

The country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps pledged to “respond decisively” to any attacks that violate the cease-fire. It claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9........

© Foreign Policy