May 25 (UPI) -- The United States launched strikes in southern Iran on Monday even as negotiators for Tehran and Washington were preparing for further talks to end their war, a U.S. military spokesman said. Capt. Tim Hawkins of the U.S. Central Command said in a statement issued to media outlets that the strikes were "self-defensive" in nature and were carried out "to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces." "Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to