Trump resumes strikes on Tehran as negotiations edge towards collapse

The United States has resumed military strikes against Iran for the first time in almost two months, with the Trump administration framing the operation as an act of “self-defence” aimed at protecting American personnel and maritime routes in the Gulf. 

According to US Central Command, the overnight strikes targeted missile-launch infrastructure and vessels allegedly linked to Iranian operations around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors. 

The renewed military action comes amid an increasingly fragile diplomatic process centred on extending the informal ceasefire that has largely held since the end of the 12-day conflict in 2025. 

Talks had reportedly focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to full navigation and establishing a roadmap for discussions over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. Iranian envoys had recently travelled to Doha, while further talks were expected in Islamabad in early June.

Backlash looms in Washington

The draft agreement between the US and Iran, details of which have circulated in Washington policy circles in recent days, is already facing growing criticism among conservative and foreign policy hawks. 

Critics argue that offering Tehran economic relief at this stage would amount to rescuing a regime already weakened by deep economic instability, political pressure and the broader consequences of the conflict. 

Opponents of the negotiations contend that any agreement granting Tehran additional time to negotiate in exchange for sanctions relief and economic concessions risks stabilising the regime at a moment when it remains under exceptional strain.

Trump pushes to expand Abraham Accords 

Facing mounting criticism over the negotiations with Tehran, Trump sought to regain political momentum by linking the Iran talks to a broader regional initiative centred on expanding the Abraham Accords.

In a lengthy post published on Truth Social, the US president argued that several Arab and Muslim-majority countries should simultaneously join the normalisation framework with Israel as part of a wider regional settlement connected to Iran.

Following discussions with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, Trump stated that “it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.”

Trump also suggested that Iran itself could eventually become part of the arrangement, claiming that several regional leaders “would be honored” to welcome the Islamic Republic into the accords if an agreement with Washington were reached.

“The Middle East would be United, Powerful, and Economically Strong, like perhaps no other area, anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote.

The initiative, however, risks adding further complexity to an already fragile diplomatic process. There has so far been no visible public endorsement from Saudi Arabia for directly linking any future Iran agreement to broader regional normalisation with Israel, while the inclusion of countries such as Türkiye and Pakistan underlines the increasingly expansive geopolitical ambitions behind Trump’s proposal.

At the same time, additional pressure continues to build elsewhere in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced plans to intensify operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Strikes that, in practice, have continued despite the formal ceasefire and ongoing negotiations in Washington.