Lebanese civil defense workers searched through the debris of a building in al-Hosh, near Tyre, after an Israeli strike early on May 26, 2026. The likelihood of ending the war in Iran seemed to diminish on Tuesday as Israel reported that it was amplifying attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah, backed by Iran, while the U.S. military targeted Iranian boats and missile sites.
U.S. Central Command’s spokesperson, Capt. Tim Hawkins, stated on Monday that Iran’s vessels were trying to lay mines, which prompted a defensive response from the military. Hawkins emphasized that the U.S. continues to protect its forces while exercising restraint during the ongoing ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Tuesday that its air defenses had downed a U.S. drone and engaged a fighter jet that entered its airspace. A Telegram channel linked to Iranian security forces reported that a U.S. strike killed three Iranians south of Lark Island amid ongoing diplomatic talks in Qatar aiming to resolve hostilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on Tuesday that a resolution to end the war in Iran might take several days. President Trump introduced a new condition, suggesting Gulf Arab countries should endorse the Abraham Accords with Israel, potentially complicating initial efforts. Saudi Arabia has tied the normalization of relations with Israel to recognizing a Palestinian state.
Trump wrote on social media that given the U.S.’s substantial efforts to resolve this intricate issue, Gulf States should, at the very least, simultaneously sign the Abraham Accords. Concurrently, Iran’s foreign ministry accused the U.S. of maritime piracy against Iranian ships and termed U.S. actions as violations of the ceasefire. They highlighted aggression during diplomatic efforts mediated by Pakistan as evidence of U.S. ill-intent toward Iran, regional people, and the international community.
The ceasefire was initially established to facilitate U.S.-Iran talks aimed at concluding the U.S.-Israel conflict in Iran. In Lebanon, at least 11 people, including a woman and two children, perished in an Israeli strike late Monday in Mashghara, Bekaa Valley, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
President Trump recently expressed optimism about the U.S. and Iran nearing a memorandum of understanding to halt the war, though Iranian officials pointed out unresolved disputes. These disputes involve Iran’s conditions to lift sanctions and access frozen assets, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and the U.S. continue nuclear program discussions, amid U.S. accusations of Iran’s aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran has declined the demand to relinquish highly enriched uranium.
Senior Iranian foreign ministry official, Hossein Nooshabadi, noted that a potential framework might involve ending the war on all fronts, including conflict with Hezbollah. Contrarily, Israel is firmly against ending its operations in Lebanon. Despite the U.S.-brokered April ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday that Israel would further escalate attacks in Lebanon, causing more residents to leave Beirut’s southern suburbs fearing further escalation. Hezbollah continues to confront Israeli forces in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Israel has recorded 22 soldiers, a contractor, and two civilian deaths from Hezbollah’s actions. Lebanon’s health ministry reports nearly 3,200 deaths since the war began on March 2, including many women, children, and first responders. As per Lebanese government and U.N. agencies, over one million people have been displaced in southern Lebanon due to ongoing conflicts.