As US President Donald Trump's negotiators claim progress in Iran 'peace talks' major flare-ups break out putting region on brink of war again - and Benjamin Netanyahu warns of escalation15:26, 26 May 2026Middle East peace talks have been dealt a major hammer blow after the US opened fire on targets across southern Iran, while Tehran’s troops claimed they downed a £30m American MQ-9 attack drone.‌Explosions were heard late on Monday in the Iranian coastal town of Bandar Abbas and elsewhere in southern Iran as war flared up again between Israel and Hezbollah. At the same time discussions are ongoing, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged missile attacks and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of an escalation. The outbreak of attacks has threatened to shake the fragile ceasefire supposedly underway in both conflict zones, Iran since April 8 and Lebanon since April 17.‌One intelligence assessment seen by the Daily Mirror dubbed the US tactics as “strategic chaos” and ventured that the ceasefire was never about “peace.” It said: “The April 8 ceasefire was never about peace - it was a tactical pause allowing both sides to resupply and reposition.‌“The US strikes confirm that periodic escalation is built into the strategy. Iran retains approximately 60% of its missile launchers and 40% of its drone arsenal - enought to continue the war of attrition.‌“The US retains the ability to conduct limited strikes.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Motjaba Khamenei issued a statement threatening: “The Middle East will no longer be a safe haven for American bases,” in the latest threat.‌And in a message to Muslim pilgrims during the Hajj season he added Iran was strengthening the “resistance front” including Tehran and proxies in Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq.He threatened Israel as Tehran is becoming increasingly emboldened over controlling the Strait of Hormuz, the key waterway between the Persian Gulf and and the Gulf of Oman, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passes.‌And Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit back at US attacks on boats being used to mine local waters and missile sites in southern Iran, vowing it would wreak revenge.The IRGC said: "The IRGC has warned against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressive US army and considers its right to reciprocal response legitimate and certain." Despite the flare-up US secretary of state Marco Rubio claimed negotiations with Iran would continue.‌Speaking after the strikes, Rubio said: “We’ll see if we can make progress. It’ll take a few days.” Israeli troops struck more than 70 Hezbollah sites across Lebanon, including ten command centres and weapons centres in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.Netanyahu said Israel's military offensive against Hezbollah had "eliminated... over 600 terrorists.” And he warned: "But what this requires of us now is to increase the strikes, to increase the intensity."‌Sources told the Mirror Israel’s foreign ministry has launched a huge campaign in Washington to persuade President Trump that any release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a peace deal to end the war will go straight into Hezbollah’s warchest.One source told the Mirror: The Americans are beginning to become wary of advice from the Israelis.” The US military said it conducted "self-defence" strikes on Iran on Monday evening, targeting a number of sites in the south of the country.Article continues belowUS Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said the targets included "missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines". He said it was to "protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces", adding that CENTCOM continues to use "restraint during the ongoing ceasefire.”