Iran-Israel Conflict: Strikes, US Talks & Rising Tensions (2026)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel’s Tel Aviv and sites across the Mideast on Tuesday, while airstrikes hit Iran’s capital, even as President Donald Trump said the United States was in talks with the Islamic Republic to end the escalating conflict. The exchange of attacks came a day after Trump delayed a self-imposed deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international shipping lane.

Thousands of additional U.S. Marines are en route to the Gulf region, according to the Associated Press, as both sides continue to launch intense barrages. Iran has denied any negotiations are taking place. The war’s tempo remained high despite the tentative indication of potential talks.

Tehran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted international shipping, driving up fuel prices and raising concerns about the global economy. Brent crude, the international standard, briefly fell on news of potential negotiations but rebounded Tuesday, exceeding $100 a barrel – a nearly 40% increase since the start of the conflict, according to reports from the BBC.

Any negotiations between the U.S. And Iran would face significant obstacles. Washington’s objectives regarding Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs remain contentious. The authority to negotiate within the Iranian government is also unclear, particularly after Israel vowed to continue targeting leaders following the killing of several officials.

Iran remains deeply suspicious of the United States, citing previous instances where attacks occurred during high-level diplomatic talks, including the February 28 strikes that initiated the current war. Early in the conflict, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran’s military had been conducting strikes on the orders of local commanders, rather than from political leadership. The role of Iran’s recent Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who reportedly sustained injuries and has not appeared publicly, is also uncertain. It remains unclear whether he is directing the regular military or the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which traditionally answers only to the Supreme Leader.

While Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed the idea of negotiations with the U.S. As “fakenews,” Araghchi’s office confirmed that the foreign minister has been in communication with counterparts from Azerbaijan, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, and Turkmenistan regarding the war.

Trump announced the delay of potential action while a contingent of thousands of Marines is traveling to the region, fueling speculation that the U.S. May attempt to seize Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iran’s oil network. The U.S. Previously bombed the island, targeting its defenses but claiming to have left oil infrastructure intact.

Iran has threatened to mine the Persian Gulf if the U.S. Appears to be preparing for a landing of troops, which would complicate any amphibious assault and endanger all shipping in the area.

According to an analysis by the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank, Trump’s delay in threatening to bomb Iran’s power stations could be timed to coincide with the arrival of U.S. Marines on Friday. The center suggested that Trump could be positioning military assets for a potential invasion and seizure of Kharg Island while using negotiations as a cover. However, the center also noted that Trump could be genuinely seeking a way to de-escalate the situation, but whether Iran will reciprocate remains to be seen.

Trump has stated he has no plans to deploy ground troops into Iran but has not ruled it out. Israel has indicated its ground forces could participate in the war.

As airstrikes targeted Tehran, Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel on Tuesday. In Tel Aviv, a missile with a 100-kilogram warhead bypassed Israeli defenses and struck a street, damaging a neighboring apartment building and causing minor injuries to four people, according to rescue service worker Yoel Moshe.

“It feels like you’re a (sitting) duck, waiting for the missiles to hit you, or someone next to you,” said Amir Hasid, a Tel Aviv resident emerging from a shelter.

In Kuwait, power lines were damaged by shrapnel from air defense systems, causing partial electricity outages. Missile alert sirens sounded in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry reported destroying 19 Iranian drones targeting its oil-rich Eastern Province.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will continue to strike Iran and Lebanon even as the U.S. Considers a ceasefire. “There’s more to reach,” he said.

Israel conducted strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, targeting infrastructure allegedly used by the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group. A strike on a residential apartment southeast of the Lebanese capital killed at least three people, including a 3-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Five more people were killed in the south.

Lebanon has ordered Iran’s ambassador to leave by Sunday, declaring him persona non grata. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Denise Rahme stated that the Iranian embassy will retain a charge d’affaires to lead its diplomatic mission. The Lebanese government has criticized Iran and accused its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, potentially drawing the country into another war with Israel. Israel has claimed some of its strikes targeted Guard officials operating in Lebanon.

Authorities report that Israeli strikes have resulted in over 1,000 deaths in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people. Iran’s Health Ministry has reported a death toll exceeding 1,500. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian strikes. At least 13 U.S. Military members have been killed, along with more than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states.