An agreement meant to end months of fighting between the United States and Iran is now hanging by a thread. Over the weekend, both countries struck each other militarily and accused the other of breaking the deal, raising fears that weeks of diplomacy could fall apart entirely.
President Donald Trump ordered new airstrikes against Iranian military sites over the weekend, saying Tehran had crossed a line. Iran fired back, sending missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait while warning that further American attacks could bring talks to a complete halt.
The timing is troubling. It’s been less than two weeks since Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 14-point agreement designed to calm the conflict and open a 60-day negotiation window covering sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s nuclear program, according to the Associated Press. Here’s how things unraveled, step by step.
June 17
Trump and Pezeshkian signed the 14-point memorandum, committing both countries to halt military operations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, begin lifting the U.S. naval blockade, and negotiate a broader peace deal within 60 days.
June 19
Just two days later, renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon put the deal to the test. Iran argued the agreement was meant to stop fighting on every front, Lebanon included. U.S. officials, as per a report from Newsweek, said the broader peace process remained on track despite the violence.
June 20
Iran accused Washington of acting in bad faith, pointing to the continued U.S. naval presence and unresolved disputes over who controls shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said it would keep asserting authority over the waterway until its concerns were addressed. U.S. officials disagreed, saying maritime traffic remained open.
June 25
The Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely was struck by an “unknown projectile” near Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. Two U.S. officials told Reuters they believed Iran was responsible. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority confirmed minor damage to the ship’s bridge and said all 21 crew members were safe.
June 26-27
The U.S. military launched retaliatory strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, hitting drone facilities, surveillance systems, and air defenses, saying Iran had violated the ceasefire.
June 27
Iran rejected that account and said the American strikes themselves were the actual violation. Tehran argued Washington should have resolved disputes through diplomatic channels rather than resuming military action, warning that continued attacks could derail negotiations. That same day, the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT Kiku was struck by Iranian one-way attack drone.
June 28
The U.S. carried out another round of strikes after Trump said Iran had violated the agreement again. CENTCOM said Navy and Air Force jets hit 10 Iranian military targets near the Strait of Hormuz in direct response to the drone attack on the MT Kiku.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait, warning the peace process could come to a complete halt if Washington kept up military action. Both sides continued insisting the other was to blame.
The Bigger Picture
Nearly every dispute in this conflict traces back to one unresolved question: who controls shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Until that’s settled, the ceasefire may remain fragile, even with weeks still left on the negotiating clock.