Month-long ceasefire shatters as US and Iran resume strikes
One-month US-Iran ceasefire shatters; both sides resume strikes across multiple fronts.
Event / Conflict
Ongoing military conflict between the US and Iran beginning February 2026, involving destruction of Iranian tankers, missile strikes, and disruption of Strait of Hormuz shipping affecting global oil supply and prices.
2026-08-29 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 29 Aug, 01:34 UTC
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Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick issued a written apology on September 2 acknowledging his error. He stated: '18 members of our military have died, and to those families my heart breaks and I am so very sorry for their loss.' Lutnick claimed he had mistakenly been thinking about a January U.S. military operation in Venezuela where no service members were killed.
Eighteen U.S. service members have died and more than 750 have been wounded since President Donald Trump started a war against Iran on February 28, according to the Defense Department's war casualty database.
During a CNBC interview on September 2, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the U.S. military operation against Iran had not resulted in American deaths, saying 'there haven't been American deaths. It's really just an economic choke-out.' This statement was factually inaccurate, as 18 U.S. service members had been killed in the conflict.
President Donald Trump responded to the controversy on Truth Social, stating that 'Sec. Lutnick had Venezuela on his mind when he said nobody was killed. 18 people were killed in Iran!' Trump's statement supported Lutnick's explanation that the Commerce Secretary had confused the Iran conflict with a separate military operation in Venezuela.
A U.S. military operation in January to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro resulted in seven U.S. troops being injured and none being killed.
President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that the United States remained prepared to launch additional military strikes against Iran at any moment. Trump stated 'We destroyed much more than their radar. The attack was very violent, and we are ready to launch another at any time.'
Four people were killed during a wedding ceremony in the Sirik district during US military strikes. Approximately 70 additional people were wounded in the attack. The US military did not comment on the civilian casualties but stated it does not intentionally target civilians.
Iran declared it would pursue a new military strategy aimed at 'breaking the foundations' of the United States without providing specific details. Iran also warned all countries cooperating with the US military not to do so, threatening potential consequences.
Iran conducted coordinated attacks using missiles and drones against US military installations in Kuwait on Thursday. The Iranian state television confirmed the strikes were in response to US military actions against Iranian targets, stating they were conducted 'in response to crimes committed by America against the Iranian people.'
Iran claimed responsibility for conducting retaliatory strikes using missiles and drones against military interests of US allies throughout the region, including Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates.
The United States implemented a new package of secondary sanctions targeting Iran's commercial partners. US Energy Minister Chris Wright stated these measures aim to apply 'maximum economic pressure' on Iran.
Israel's Defense Minister stated the country was prepared to respond 'with force' to any Iranian attack. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar clarified that Israel had 'no intention of joining the war for the moment' and expressed doubt Iran would make the mistake of attacking.
The US military launched two separate bombing campaigns on Sunday and Tuesday targeting Iranian installations. The first targeted an alleged Iranian attempt to mine the Strait of Hormuz. The second targeted Revolutionary Guard facilities including radar and air defense sites, resulting in 19 deaths including 7 military personnel and civilians.
Hostilities resumed on Sunday after a one-month period of relative calm, ending a fragile cease-fire agreement. The resumption of military operations continues an escalation cycle that has persisted since the war began in late February with no diplomatic resolution in sight.
Two oil tankers caught fire after striking mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian claims. This strait is a critical chokepoint for global oil transportation and has been controlled by Iran since the beginning of the conflict.
Iran's currency reached a new record low on Wednesday, with traders in Tehran exchanging 2.20 million rials for one U.S. dollar, representing a 10 percent decline from the previous week's record low.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran will 'continue to feel the squeeze' from the United States until it drops any nuclear weapons ambitions and ends support for armed groups in the Middle East. Iran has consistently insisted its nuclear program is peaceful.
A U.S. airstrike struck a home hosting a wedding in Kuhestak, a coastal town in southern Iran overlooking the Strait of Hormuz. Four people were killed—two women and two children aged 4 and 16. At least 68 people were wounded in the strike.
Since fighting resumed between the U.S. and Iran, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed to approximately $95 per barrel, representing an increase of more than 30 percent from the start of the six-month conflict.
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure on Iran's southern coast, including air defense sites, radar systems, and maritime assets. The strikes followed Iranian military actions in the region.
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