Recent claims of respective defense strikes from both Washington and Tehran have threatened to derail fragile peace negotiations after the US military said it launched strikes on Monday against threats posed by Iranian forces.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Tuesday its air defense units had shot down a United States MQ-9 drone over the Persian Gulf, warning that any US violation of the ceasefire would be met with a severe response.

The Guards' Public Relations Department said the US "terrorist army", continuing interventionist adventurism in the region and aggressive behavior, had entered Iran's airspace.

It said Iranian forces also fired at an RQ-4 drone and an intruding F-35 fighter jet, forcing them to flee and leave Iran's airspace.

The Guards said it considers reciprocal retaliation as its legitimate and definite right.

The strikes came after the US Central Command said it carried out attacks on Monday in southern Iran against targets, including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites, in what it described as defensive actions.

The strikes were designed to "protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces", it said.

"US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire," Central Command spokesman Tim Hawkins said.

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said the US must win Iran's trust for there to be a deal, suggesting five confidence-building measures.

According to the Mehr News Agency, they comprise an end to the war on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon, with guarantees that the war will not be repeated; the lifting of the naval blockade; acceptance of Iranian arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz; the suspension of oil sanctions; and the release of Iran's blocked assets.

"If these five confidence-building measures are carried out, we will enter a 30-day and 60-day time frame, followed by discussions on the details of sanctions and the remaining issues; otherwise, this agreement will not happen," Azizi said.

Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, landed in Qatar on Monday to discuss ending the war and securing the release of Iran's frozen assets.

Tehran has insisted in previous negotiations that part of its blocked funds must be released as part of the process.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar traveled to New York for an official two-day visit for talks to end the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Dar is scheduled to attend a United Nations Security Council debate on the maintenance of international peace and security, Al Jazeera reported.

'Irreversible pathway'

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia said its position on the Palestinian question remains unchanged, affirming the need for "an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state".

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump urged the Muslim-majority and regional countries to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said he does not believe Pakistan should join the Abraham Accords and rejected calls to normalize relations with Israel.

Joining the accords conflicts with Pakistan's fundamental principles, Asif said, adding the country's position on the issue remained clear.

Brokered by the US in 2020 during Trump's first term, the Abraham Accords have seen Israel normalize relations with several Arab countries, including Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com