Iran-USA Conflict (2026)

Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader within the war’s first hour. Five months on, the ceasefire that followed is still being tested.

MCQ Questions

Iran-USA Conflict · Timeline

From a decapitation strike to a truce still being tested

28 Feb 2026

War begins, Khamenei killed

US-Israeli strikes (Operation Epic Fury) hit Iran’s nuclear and military sites. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is killed within the first hour.

9 Mar 2026

Mojtaba Khamenei named successor

Iran’s Assembly of Experts names Ali Khamenei’s son as the new Supreme Leader, days after his father’s killing.

8 Apr 2026

Pakistan brokers a ceasefire

A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire ends the war’s most intense, 40-day opening phase.

17 Jun 2026

Islamabad Memorandum signed

A 14-point US-Iran agreement opens a 60-day window on the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions, and Iran’s nuclear programme.

Aug 2026

Truce frayed, talks continue

The memorandum frayed by July. As of early August, Oman is mediating fresh talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The pattern: military victory came fast, inside days. Ending the war didn’t. Killing one leader installed a more hardline one, and five months on, a signed truce is still being tested port by port.

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📑 Contents

1Must Know
2Good to Know
3Test Yourself
4Great to Know
5Current Affairs

Must Know

The war began on 28 February 2026. The US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, codenamed Operation Epic Fury.
An Israeli strike killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei within the war’s first hour.
Iran retaliated with about 170 ballistic missiles. Targets included Israel and US bases in Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
On 9 March 2026, Iran’s Assembly of Experts named Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the new Supreme Leader.
Pakistan brokered a ceasefire on 8 April 2026. It ended the war’s most intense, 40-day opening phase.

Good to Know

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz after the February strikes. The US answered with a naval blockade, starting 13 April 2026.
The blockade cost Iran an estimated $4.8 billion in lost oil revenue by 1 May 2026.
On 17 June 2026, the US and Iran signed a 14-point agreement called the Islamabad Memorandum.
Pakistan was the lead mediator. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt also helped facilitate the talks.
The memorandum promised a reopened Strait of Hormuz, an end to the naval blockade, and a $300 billion Iranian reconstruction fund. It deferred Iran’s nuclear programme to later talks.
The conflict pulled in other countries too. Hezbollah struck Haifa from Lebanon, and Qatar shot down two Iranian bombers.
US Central Command confirmed 18 American service members killed in the conflict. Iran and other affected countries reported far higher combined casualties in the war’s opening days.

Test Yourself

Great to Know

Killing one leader didn’t end the war. It replaced Ali Khamenei with a son seen as even more hardline, and Israel has said it would target him too.
The Strait of Hormuz is why a distant war moves oil prices everywhere. Close to a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade passes through it.
Signing an agreement and actually ending a war turned out to be different things. The Islamabad Memorandum began fraying within weeks of being signed.
For exams, track the mediators, not just the combatants. Pakistan brokered the April ceasefire. Oman is mediating the Strait of Hormuz talks as of August 2026.
This war is one entry in a longer list. See IntlRel0021 — On-Going Wars and Global Flashpoints for other active conflicts in 2026. See IntlRel0043 — World Politics: 2026 Tracker for this year’s wider diplomatic timeline.

Current Affairs

As of 4 August 2026, Oman is mediating fresh talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said the talks were moving forward, while denying any direct talks with Washington. (Source: Al Jazeera)
On 1 August 2026, President Trump threatened renewed strikes “not seen since World War II.” He then said he would hold off, to allow time for a deal. (Source: Al Jazeera)
On 18 July 2026, Iran formally suspended its commitments under the memorandum. It cited US breaches of the agreement. (Source: Wikipedia — Islamabad Memorandum)
The ceasefire frayed on 8 July 2026. Following attacks on three ships in the Strait on 6-7 July, the US struck Iranian targets again. President Trump declared the truce “over.” (Source: Wikipedia — Islamabad Memorandum)
The 14-point Islamabad Memorandum was signed on 17 June 2026. Donald Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles in France; Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed remotely from Tehran. (Source: Wikipedia — Islamabad Memorandum)
On 22 June 2026, PIB reported that four cargo ships carrying Urea, DAP, and Sulphur had crossed the Strait of Hormuz safely. They are headed to Indian ports at Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Paradeep, and Mundra. India’s total fertiliser stock stood at 196.08 lakh tonnes that day, up from 168.67 lakh tonnes a year earlier. (Source: PIB)
Both sides had already breached earlier truce terms between April and June 2026. These included Israeli strikes on Lebanon and Iranian drone attacks on Gulf states. (Source: Wikipedia — Timeline of the 2026 Iran war)
30 June 2026: India’s response to the conflict: PM Modi held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who briefed him on developments in West Asia. Modi welcomed the understanding reached and called for continued dialogue toward lasting peace and stability. (Source: PIB)
The same day, the Indian government extended its full customs duty exemption on critical petrochemical imports by 15 days, to 15 July 2026. The exemption, first granted due to conflict-linked supply disruptions, benefits sectors like plastics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and automotive components. (Source: PIB)
A day earlier, on 29 June 2026, the Petroleum Ministry withdrew its temporary retail petrol/diesel restrictions (a 200-litre/day HSD limit per customer, imposed 12 June to curb conflict-linked hoarding and diversion to bulk buyers), effective 1 July 2026, after concluding domestic fuel supply had normalised. (Source: PIB)