Vaughn Cockayne

U.S., Iran trade strikes as dispute over control of Strait of Hormuz escalates

The U.S. military launched a new round of strikes against Iran on Sunday evening, as Washington looks to hamper the Islamist regime's ability to control the Strait of Hormuz.

July 12, 2026

Iranian state media reports explosions in coastal region

Iranian state-affiliated media reported explosions in coastal towns Sunday, just hours after Tehran launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. military installations in Persian Gulf states.

July 12, 2026

U.S. military says Strait of Hormuz open despite recent strikes on commercial ships

U.S. Central Command said Sunday the Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to "lawfully transit" and insisted that Iran does not control the waterway, despite recent strikes on commercial ships.

July 12, 2026

Tehran denies reports of U.S.-Iran talks continuing

Iranian officials on Friday denied reports that the U.S. and Iran were gearing up for continued peace negotiations, even as President Trump said Tehran has begged to restart talks.

July 10, 2026

Turkey in talks with Kremlin over control of Russian-made S-400 missile defense system

The Kremlin confirmed Friday it is holding discussions with Turkish leaders over future control over the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, as Turkey looks for ways to gain access to U.S. jet fighters.

July 10, 2026

Iran digs outs from U.S. strikes, sprays missiles across Gulf region as the peace process teeters

Tehran dragged its Persian Gulf neighbors back into the U.S.-Iran war Thursday by firing a volley of drones and missiles at American partners across the region as part of a major flare-up in violence that upended peace talks.

July 9, 2026

U.S.-Iran ceasefire collapses amid new strikes as Trump mulls restarting war

The U.S. launched new strikes on Iran, Central Command announced Wednesday, as the two sides moved closer to resuming full hostilities.

July 8, 2026

Trump plans further strikes on Iran, considers reimposing naval blockade

President Trump on Wednesday warned of more imminent attacks on Iranian targets and weighed reinstating a U.S. naval blockade after the two nations traded strikes over control of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.

July 8, 2026

U.S. launches new strikes on Iran following attacks on tankers in Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday revoked an authorization from June that allowed Iran to legally export its oil following a series of attacks on tanker ships traveling in the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the day.

July 7, 2026

Three ships hit by projectiles while in Strait of Hormuz

A tanker ship was struck by an unidentified projectile Tuesday while traveling near Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime authorities.

July 7, 2026

What are the main issues facing U.S., Iranian negotiators?

Billions in frozen assets, an ambiguous nuclear program and a $300B reconstruction fund are just a selection of the high-stakes issues facing U.S. and Iranian negotiators over the next few months as both sides look to find an end to the war and get the best deal possible.

July 3, 2026

Israel hits back at Hezbollah in Lebanon, threatening Iran-U.S. peace talks

The Israeli military announced Friday that it struck 10 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in retaliation for an earlier attack on troops, further weakening an already fragile ceasefire and potentially threatening the success of peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.

July 3, 2026

Lead Iran negotiator tells allies Tehran will go to war again if U.S. does not fulfill commitments

Iran's parliament speaker and lead negotiator in diplomatic talks with the U.S., Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told representatives from China and Belarus Friday that Tehran was prepared to restart the war if Washington does not fulfill its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

July 3, 2026

Syrian foreign minister meets with Lebanese officials as tensions over Hezbollah mount

Syria's foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, on Thursday began a diplomatic tour of Lebanon as his country looks to maintain comfortable relations with its unstable neighbor.

July 2, 2026

Pentagon moves to consolidate drone programs under single office

The Pentagon is moving nearly every unmanned and autonomous systems program into a new office, in a bid to catch up in a global production race the U.S. is currently losing by volume.

July 2, 2026

U.S., Iran conclude two days of indirect talks in Qatar with major questions left unresolved

U.S. and Iranian negotiators concluded two days of indirect negotiations in Qatar on Wednesday, in the first uneasy diplomatic steps toward peace following tit-for-tat attacks over the weekend.

July 1, 2026

Trump says U.S. and Iran are getting along well despite military flare-up near Strait of Hormuz

Attempts to settle the Iran war are "moving along well" despite a recent volley of tit-for-tat airstrikes in the middle of negotiations, President Trump said Wednesday.

July 1, 2026

Trump’s envoys meet with war mediators in Qatar, but U.S. and Iran fail to meet face to face

President Trump's envoys met with the Qatari prime minister on Tuesday but U.S. and Iranian delegations kept their distance from each other in Doha as the countries tried to negotiate an end to their four-month-old war.

June 30, 2026

No direct meetings between U.S. and Iranian officials scheduled this week, Qatar says

There will be no direct technical talks or meetings between Iranian and U.S. officials while both sides are in Doha, Qatar, this week, the country's Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday.

June 30, 2026

U.S. prepares new round of peace talks in Qatar, but Iran says it won’t go

The U.S. and Iran are set to meet for another round of diplomatic talks on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, President Trump announced on Monday after a series of retaliatory strikes in the Strait of Hormuz threatened to upend the peace process.

June 29, 2026