US and Iran trade strikes and threats as Trump weighs next move after midterms
The gist
The US struck Iran's Qeshm Island and targets near the Strait of Hormuz as Trump said Tehran "wants a settlement."
The war has driven up global energy prices and contributed to the Republicans' midterm defeat.
How it unfolded
- Jun 13, 2025Israel launched major strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, two days before a sixth round of US-Iran talks was due in Oman.
- Jun 22, 2025The US joined Israel, bombing Iran's Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan nuclear sites.
- Feb 28, 2026The US and Israel launched war on Iran with strikes on Iranian cities; in the first wave at least 175 people, mostly children, were killed when a school was struck, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike.
Key terms
- midterms
- US general elections held near the midpoint of a president's four-year term, when all House seats and about a third of Senate seats are contested.
- Strait of Hormuz
- A narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, bordered by Iran and Oman.
- Qatari mediators
- Qatar has mediated third-party negotiations in many conflicts, using its geopolitical links to facilitate talks between opposing states and groups.
Source: Wikipedia