WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: Anti-war demonstrators hold signs as they gather near the White House to protest the war in Iran on April 7, 2026 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a temporary ceasefire has been reached between the U.S., Iran, and Israel, pausing attacks for about two weeks while Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations continue toward a longer-term agreement. Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
The United States and Iran traded strikes Monday as negotiations between the two sides stalled and Tehran again insisted any peace deal must also cover Israel’s escalating offensive into Lebanon.
Weeks of indirect talks marked by stark threats and several waves of air strikes have so far failed to agree an end to the war or the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping channel for Gulf oil and gas.
The latest exchange of fire coincided with Israel expanding its offensive into Lebanon, with Prime Minister Netanyahu vowing to push deeper into the country and instructing the military to strike “terror targets” in a southern district of Beirut.
The United States has backed its ally’s operations in Lebanon against the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, while still trying to come to an agreement with Iran to end the war it launched in late February with strikes on Tehran, reopen Hormuz and impose controls on Iran’s nuclear programme.
