U.S. and Iran Trade Fire as Fragile Ceasefire Strains to Breaking Point

After more than five weeks of combat, Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire that took effect on April 7-8, 2026 . It has been repeatedly extended but remains fragile, with both sides regularly accusing each other of violations .

The Latest Escalation: Strikes and a Downed Drone

CENTCOM characterized the May 25 strikes as necessary to protect American forces from threats near the Strait of Hormuz. A spokesman, Capt. Tim Hawkins, said the U.S. military continues to use “restraint during the ongoing ceasefire” . Iran reported at least four people killed and described the attack as a joint U.S.-Israeli operation .

On May 26, the IRGC announced its air defense units had downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone after “precise intelligence monitoring” of what it called hostile activity . The Guard also claimed to have fired on an RQ-4 drone and an F-35 fighter jet, forcing the aircraft to leave Iranian airspace . As of the following morning, these claims had not been independently verified .

This is not the first flashpoint since the truce began. On May 7-8, CENTCOM struck Iranian military facilities after Iran targeted U.S. naval assets including the USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta, and USS Mason near the Strait . Iranian media also circulated footage of the Artesh Navy seizing a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman .

The Deal on the Table: What’s Being Negotiated

Pakistan-mediated talks in Doha are ongoing, even as violence spikes . The broad outlines of a potential agreement include:

• Iran would give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU) .
• The Strait of Hormuz would reopen permanently to commercial shipping .
• The ceasefire would become permanent, formally ending the war .

A senior Trump administration official told CBS News that Iran has agreed “in principle” to the disposal of HEU and that there is a “broad commitment on principles” . Senior administration officials have described the negotiations as “90-95 percent” complete, though they acknowledge negotiators are still haggling over implementation and verification .

Why a Deal Remains Out of Reach

Three major disagreements are blocking a final agreement:

Sanctions Relief: President Trump directly contradicted the reported framework on May 27, ruling out sanctions relief in exchange for Iran handing over its enriched uranium. “No, no, not at all. Not sanctions relief, no,” he said . This directly clashes with Iran’s expectation that frozen funds and economic restrictions be addressed .

Control of the Strait of Hormuz: Iran insists it must retain authority and sovereignty over the strait, a position the U.S. has rejected . Iran’s ten-point proposal from early April also demands a guarantee of no further U.S. attacks, the withdrawal of all U.S. combat forces from the region, and reparations — conditions Washington has refused .

Scope of Talks: The U.S. wants the nuclear file resolved immediately; Iran wants nuclear issues deferred to later talks and insists any deal must also end the regional war on all fronts, including against Hezbollah in Lebanon . Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei also said the draft agreement “contained no specific details” on management of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical gap .

What Officials Are Saying

President Trump: Has called the deal “largely negotiated” but instructed negotiators “not to rush into a deal” and says time is on the U.S.’s side . He has stressed that Iran can “never have a nuclear weapon,” the Strait of Hormuz must reopen, and, crucially, that sanctions relief is off the table for a uranium handover .

Secretary of State Marco Rubio: In late May, said “the world will get some good news” soon and that a peace announcement might be imminent. He laid out firm U.S. terms: “Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. The Straits need to be open without tolls. They need to turn over their highly enriched uranium” . Rubio also told The New York Times that a nuclear deal cannot be achieved “in 72 hours on the back of a napkin” .

Iranian Officials: Baghaei slammed the U.S. strikes as evidence of “bad faith and unreliability” and noted the deal lacks detail on key issues like the strait . Iran confirmed the existence of a draft agreement but stressed that nuclear issues are deferred for later talks, not part of a first-stage agreement .

What Comes Next

The ceasefire is holding in name only. The U.S. says it is acting with restraint; Iran says its drone shootdown was defensive. Neither side admits to violating the truce, yet both are striking and counter-striking. The core bargain — Iran gives up its near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile, and the strait reopens — is complicated by Trump’s refusal to offer sanctions relief and Iran’s insistence on controlling the Strait of Hormuz and linking the deal to a wider regional settlement.

Global energy markets remain disrupted, and the risk of the truce collapsing entirely is high . Diplomacy has not stopped, but the window for a lasting settlement appears to be narrowing with every exchange of fire.