U.S. Strikes Iran's Gulf Coast as War Talks Resume in Qatar — May 25, 2026

U.S. forces struck missile launch sites and mine-laying boats near Bandar Abbas — home to a major Iranian naval base near the Strait of Hormuz — on Monday evening, even as Iranian negotiators sat down in Doha, Qatar for peace talks. U.S. Central Command framed the strikes as defensive, saying they were meant to protect American troops during the ongoing cease-fire. The timing underscored the razor-thin line between diplomacy and active combat that has defined this conflict since the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February 2026 triggered the war.

The central sticking point in negotiations remains Iran's nuclear program. President Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran's enriched uranium must either be handed over to the United States or destroyed in front of neutral witnesses — a maximalist demand whose acceptance by Tehran remains unclear. A senior U.S. official said Iran had 'in principle' committed to surrendering its enriched uranium stockpiles, but Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei flatly stated Monday that nuclear program specifics were not on the table. Baghaei also cooled expectations for a quick resolution, saying no one could claim a signing was imminent despite progress on a 'large portion' of issues.

Iran's delegation in Doha was led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and also included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The talks are complicated by Iran's insistence that any deal must also cover the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon — a front that showed no signs of cooling Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Israel 'at war with Hezbollah,' saying Israeli forces had killed over 600 Hezbollah fighters in recent weeks and vowing to intensify pressure. The Israeli military struck more than 70 Hezbollah sites across Lebanon in a single day, while Lebanon's health ministry put the death toll from Israeli strikes since fighting reignited in March at 3,185 dead and more than 9,600 wounded.

The war's economic toll remains severe. Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since late February, throttling global oil and gas supplies. Brent crude settled below $94 a barrel Monday — down 6.5% on the day — but still roughly 30% above pre-war levels. Even if a deal is struck, analysts warn oil flows could take months to normalize. Trump, speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, honored the 13 U.S. service members killed in the conflict while insisting Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon. He also pushed Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others to join the Abraham Accords as part of any peace framework — a demand analysts consider highly unlikely to succeed but one designed to mollify Iran hawks in the Republican Party. Senator Lindsey Graham called the Abraham Accords gambit 'simply brilliant.' Meanwhile, Iran's president ordered an end to the country's 87-day internet blackout, which had cut off more than 90 million Iranians from the outside world.