Iran-USA Conflict (2026)

In the early hours of 28 February 2026, the US and Israel struck Iran. Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed in the first attack. Pakistan later brokered a ceasefire, and a memorandum followed in June. It fell apart within weeks. Talks are still stuck.

Think of three questions as you read. How did the war start? Why did the memorandum fail? And why does it matter to India?

1How did the war begin?

On 28 February 2026, the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. The US called it Operation Epic Fury, and Israel called its part Operation Roaring Lion. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening strikes. Iran hit back with missile and drone attacks on Israel and on US bases across the region.

The Assembly of Experts chose a new leader and announced the result on 9 March. It was Ali Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei. (Source: Al Jazeera)

Killing a leader did not end the war. It put a son in his place. The Supreme Leader controls the army, the Guards and the courts, so the change shaped every later talk.

• War began 28 Feb 2026. Khamenei killed.
• Mojtaba Khamenei named on 9 March.

2What happened at Hormuz, and why a blockade?

Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz in late March. The strait links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It is narrow, so one navy can threaten every ship. A large share of the world’s oil goes through it, so a closure raises fuel prices far from Iran.

A two-week ceasefire began on 8 April, mediated by Pakistan. Talks in Islamabad on 11–12 April failed at first. The US then put a naval blockade on Iran from 13 April. It stops Iranian oil from reaching buyers and cuts Iran’s income.

Pakistan shares a border with Iran and has ties with the US too. So it could carry messages between two sides that did not talk directly. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey also helped. (Source: Al Jazeera)

• Hormuz blocked: late March.
• Ceasefire: 8 April, via Pakistan.
• US blockade: 13 April.

3What was the Islamabad Memorandum, and why did it fail?

On 17 June 2026, Donald Trump signed at the Palace of Versailles in France. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian signed remotely from Tehran. The deal had 14 points. Hormuz was to open to ships, and the US blockade was to be lifted within 30 days. It promised at least $300 billion for Iran’s rebuilding. The nuclear programme was left for later talks.

It also opened a 60-day window to reach a final peace. (Source: Al Jazeera)

Then it fell apart. On 7–8 July, ships were attacked in the strait, the US struck back, and Trump called the truce “over”. On 18 July Iran said it was suspending its commitments. The window ran out on 17 August with no final deal. (Source: Al Jazeera)

The big questions were never settled: missiles, Iran’s allied groups and the nuclear programme. Each side blamed the other, so trust broke before anything solid was built.

• Signed 17 June 2026; 14 points; 60-day window.
• Collapse: 7–8 July. Window ended 17 Aug.
• Nuclear issue left for later.

4Why does India care?

India buys most of its crude oil from abroad, so a shut strait can push up fuel prices. In June 2026, four cargo ships carrying urea, DAP and sulphur crossed the strait safely to Indian ports. (Source: PIB)

In June, the government put a limit on retail diesel sales, to stop hoarding. It withdrew the limit from 1 July after supplies became normal. (Source: PIB)

PM Modi spoke to President Pezeshkian on 30 June and welcomed the understanding reached. (Source: PIB)

Ships for Indian ports pass the strait or sit near its waters, so any attack puts Indian sailors and cargo at risk. Many Indians also work in Gulf states near the fighting.

• Oil, fertiliser and diesel supply are at stake.
• Modi–Pezeshkian call: 30 June.
• Indians in the Gulf are exposed.

5What happened next, and where is it stuck?

On 17 August, Trump refused to extend the deadline and told Iran to surrender. (Source: Al Jazeera)

In late September, mediators shuttled between US and Iranian teams at the UN General Assembly in New York. Qatar helped. No deal came. (Source: Al Jazeera)

Iran wants Hormuz reopened first, in return for sanctions relief and a regional ceasefire. The US wants every issue, especially the nuclear one, settled together. Events are moving fast, so re-check the latest before an exam.

• Deadline not extended: 17 Aug.
• Talks in New York, late September; no deal.
• Dispute: Hormuz first vs everything together.

6What are the exam traps?

• Ceasefire 8 April and blockade 13 April are different dates.
• The memorandum was signed 17 June; the window ended 17 August.
• Mediator in April: Pakistan.
• UPSC CSP 2026 GS-I Q30 asked which countries’ ships must cross Hormuz: Bahrain and Qatar. Read the full 2026 paper.