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Middle East news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Iran fired missiles at Gulf nations and US bases, killing 18 US soldiers. A ceasefire deal was announced April 7 and took effect April 8.
Background
The conflict began in late February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran retaliated with ballistic missile attacks across Israel and against US bases in the region. A ceasefire was announced on April 7 and went into effect on April 8, but tensions have continued, with recent exchanges of fire between the US and Iran.
How it unfolded
- late FebruaryUS and Israeli attacks on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking the war.
- Apr 7, 2026A ceasefire deal was announced.
- Apr 8, 2026The ceasefire went into effect.
- recentlyIran launched strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan, and the US struck Iranian targets in retaliation.
Who’s saying what
- US
- US officials say they are considering scaling back troop presence in the Gulf and shifting defense burden to regional partners.
- Iran
- Iran vowed 'severe punishment' for US attacks and continues to target US forces and bases.
Still unverified
Reports of an Iranian attack on a wedding that killed four people, as cited by the Iranian Red Crescent, are unverified.