Six months after coordinated American and Israeli strikes on Iran opened a new chapter of conflict in the Middle East, the region saw fresh exchanges this week, along with sharp disagreement over what exactly happened.
The current round of fighting traces back to February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, military leadership sites, and infrastructure. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on American bases and allied countries in the region. A ceasefire held for a period this spring, but hostilities have flared again in recent months, and this week brought another spike in activity.
On Monday, two oil tankers, one Saudi owned and one South Korean owned, were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz as the United States and Iran resumed strikes after months of what analysts describe as a stalemate. On Wednesday, President Trump said the United States could strike Iran "anytime we want." Iranian officials said strikes this week killed at least 18 people around the country, including, they said, at a wedding gathering. On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance said he was "extremely skeptical" that a wedding party had been hit, and said he would not describe the broader conflict as a war when asked whether it might be resolved before November's midterm elections. A US official told reporters that no American military facilities in the region had been affected after Iran said it had targeted US forces in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in response to the strikes. Kuwait and Bahrain separately reported Iranian drone activity after a US base in Jordan was reportedly targeted.
Away from the strikes, there were also signs of ongoing humanitarian and diplomatic activity in the wider region. Israel released four more Lebanese civilians who had been held by its forces in southern Lebanon, and a Red Cross convoy was seen passing a checkpoint near the Lebanon Israel border. In Iran, commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil, continued but at a reportedly slower pace as vessels anchored off the port of Bandar Abbas.
Markets and diplomats alike are watching for any sign of a new ceasefire attempt, as well as further statements from Washington and Tehran about the intensity and direction of the conflict heading into the fall.
When did this round of the Iran conflict start?
It began on February 28, 2026, with coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear, military, and infrastructure sites.
Is there a ceasefire in place now?
A ceasefire held for part of the spring, but strikes and retaliatory attacks have resumed in recent weeks.