Overview
- The conflict began with a joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iranian nuclear sites on February 28, 2026, which triggered months of strikes, naval skirmishes and proxy attacks across the region.
- Mediators brokered a provisional Memorandum of Understanding in mid‑June that set a 60‑day window to negotiate limits on Iran’s nuclear program and steps on sanctions relief.
- Iran rejected a proposal to extend that provisional deal and told mediators the United States must return to the original terms because Tehran says Washington violated commitments.
- President Donald Trump has said the United States has “total control” of the Strait of Hormuz while U.S. officials and Iranian authorities continue to trade competing claims over whether the waterway is open.
- The stalemate has kept maritime routes under threat, pushed oil prices and shipping costs higher, and deepened a humanitarian toll that has killed thousands and stretched U.S. military resources.