Scattered debris and smoke, at an unknown location, during what the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on July 22, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
U.S. Central Command via Reuters

Iranian state media reported that U.S. missiles struck locations late on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran. Two people were killed in a U.S. missile strike in the town of Shalamcheh on the Iraqi boarder, Iranian state media said early on Thursday (July 23, 2026).

Also read: How the second phase of the Iran-U.S. war started and why it is raging | Explained

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, said his country would adopt an “eye for an eye” defence doctrine. “Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,” he posted Wednesday on X.

The ‌U.S. ⁠military ⁠said late on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) that it ‌completed its latest round of ‌strikes on Iran ⁠at President Donald Trump’s ‌direction, marking the 12th ‌successive night of American attacks. U.S. Central Command said the attacks were designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the flow of international shipping.

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Oil prices fell in early trading on Thursday (June 18) after the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement that would end the Iran war, ‌reopen the Strait of Hormuz and waive U.S. sanctions on Tehran’s oil, resolving the largest energy ⁠supply disruption in history.

Brent crude futures were down 89 cents, or 1.12%, at $78.66 a barrel as of 0005 GMT, ‌and U.S. West Texas Intermediate fell 98 cents, or 1.28%, to $75.81 a barrel.

The benchmarks resumed their ‌decline, reversing gains made on Wednesday after U.S. ‌President ⁠Donald Trump said he could resume his bombing campaign ⁠if Iran’s leaders “don’t behave”.

-Reuters

Iran still has “21, 22%” of its missiles left, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday (June 5, 2026), in a week in which Tehran fired dozens of them toward regional neighbours, despite a sputtering ceasefire.

“They still have capacity. They have some missiles; they have some drones. I would say, percentage-wise, maybe 21, 22% of their missiles,” Mr. Trump told NBC News in an interview.

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U.S. arms sales to Taiwan take years to process and are unrelated to the war with Iran, a source familiar with the matter ‌said, after a senior U.S. official suggested there was a pause due to ⁠the need to have enough arms for the conflict.

Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has been waiting for ‌the U.S. to approve an arms sale that Reuters has reported could be worth ‌up to $14 billion.

President Donald Trump sowed ‌uncertainty ⁠in Taipei by saying, after meeting China’s President ⁠Xi Jinping this month, that he was undecided on whether to approve the package.

– Reuters

Republicans struggled Thursday (May 21, 2026) to find the votes to dismiss legislation that would compel President Donald Trump to withdraw from the war with Iran, delaying planned votes on the matter into June.

The House had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, brought by Democrats, that would rein in Mr. Trump’s military campaign. But as it became clear that Republicans would not have the numbers to defeat the bill, GOP leaders declined to hold a vote on it.

A motorcade believed to be carrying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi upon his departure, as Pakistan prepares to host the U.S. and Iran for the second phase of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, April 26, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
| Photo Credit:
AKHTAR SOOMRO

Iran’s Foreign Minister headed to Russia on Sunday (April 26, 2026) as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington hung in the balance, following a flurry of regional diplomacy and the collapse of planned talks in Pakistan.

Abbas Araghchi visited Oman between trips to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad and is expected to meet President Vladimir Putin on Monday (April 27, 2026), according to the Iranian ambassador.

Also Read | Israel-Iran war updates on April 26, 2026

Iran, through ‌Pakistani mediators, gave the U.S. ⁠a new proposal ‌on the reopening ‌of ‌the ⁠Strait of Hormuz ⁠and the ending of ‌the war, with nuclear negotiations postponed ‌for a later stage, Axios ⁠reported on Sunday (April 26, 2026), ‌citing a U.S. official and two ‌sources with knowledge of the ⁠matter.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the evolving regional situation.

“During their warm and cordial conversation that lasted fifty minutes, the two leaders had a detailed exchange of views on the current regional situation and ongoing efforts to promote peace and stability in the region,” the Prime Minister’s office said.

Also read: Shipping crisis exposes gaps in India’s maritime strategy

Attempts at ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran fell flat after Tehran’s top diplomat left Pakistan, and President Donald Trump’s envoys stayed away after he told them not to travel to Islamabad. Mr. Trump said there was no point “sitting around talking about nothing” but adding the war would not immediately resume.

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The U.S. naval forces intercepted an Iran-linked vessel in the Arabian Sea on Saturday (April 25, 2026), said the U.S. Central Command.

Taking to X, it said that the U.S. Department of Treasury has sanctioned M/V Sevan and 18 other “shadow fleet” vessels “for for activities related to transporting billions of dollars worth of Iranian energy, oil and gas products, including propane and butane, to foreign markets”.

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Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The success of peace talks between the United States and Iran depends on Washington avoiding “excessive demands” and “unlawful requests,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman said early on Sunday (April 12, 2026) after marathon talks in Islamabad.

“The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran’s legitimate rights and interests,” Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X.

He added that the two sides had discussed a range of issues including the strategic “Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, the lifting of sanctions, and the complete end of the war against Iran.”

– AFP