President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government and infrastructure sites.
Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June aimed at a war-ending deal based on a memorandum of understanding signed by both countries.
The U.S. and Iran have nonetheless continued to exchange strikes, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz the primary flashpoint.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament and the leader of Tehran's peace talks delegation, said in a statement posted on social media on Monday that "Americans keep bringing new military equipment to the region and claim they're after stopping the war."
Iran, Ghalibaf added, is ready to face the U.S.
"We've reached the stage of mastery in recognizing these American games, and on that basis, we've prepared ourselves. Actions must confirm claims, not contradict them," he wrote.
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
Jul 20, 2026, 7:07 AM EDT
Pentagon releases names of 2 service members killed in Jordan attack
The Pentagon on Monday identified two soldiers killed in Friday's Iranian missile and drone attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Among them was Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, the Pentagon said. Gonzales was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command, Ansbach, Germany.
An undated photo of Pvt. Isabella Gonzales who died in an attack in Jordan.
US Army
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died on July 18, from wounds sustained in the attack the day before. Feehan was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 32nd Army Air Missile Defense Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the Pentagon said.
An undated photo of First Lt. Tyler James Feehan who died in an attack in Jordan.
U.S. Army
A third U.S. service member remains missing following the attack. U.S. Central Command, which oversees troops in the Middle East, said human remains recovered at the scene are undergoing identification.
Separately, another U.S. service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday in an incident involving the disposal of a downed Iranian drone, according to CENTCOM.
The Pentagon typically withholds the identities of deceased troops until at least 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
-ABC News’ Steven Beynon
Jul 20, 2026, 5:56 AM EDT
UKMTO says ship on fire in Strait of Hormuz after attack
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Centre reported that a vessel was on fire in the southern route area of the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, near Oman's coast.
The vessel "was struck by an unknown projectile," the UKMTO said in its report. "The crew safely abandoned the vessel and have been recovered by a tug boat. The fire has not been extinguished and the vessel is currently adrift. There is no reported environmental impact."
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
Jul 20, 2026, 5:12 AM EDT
US will 'face the consequences' of any Kharg Island operation, Iran official says
The U.S. will "face the consequences" if it launches any ground operation to seize Iran's Kharg Island, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, during his weekly press conference.
Asked about President Donald Trump's threats to seize the strategically-located island in the northern Persian Gulf, Baghaei said there are people in Iran who are "counting down the minutes to welcome" U.S. forces.
Baghaei told reporters that Iran's implementation of the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. "became practically impossible" as a result of the recent resumption in fighting.
Asked whether the MOU was now void, Baghaei said, "An understanding or agreement has value and validity as long as its parties adhere to their obligations; otherwise, it will be nothing more than a document on paper."
This satellite image shows an oil terminal on Kharg Island, Iran, on February 25, 2026.
2026 Planet Labs Pbc/via Reuters
"This agreement was formed on the basis of mutual obligations, and with its violation by the United States, its implementation by Iran became practically impossible," Baghaei added.
Asked about Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying on Sunday that the U.S. was open to diplomacy with Iran, Baghaei said Iran does not believe the U.S. is negotiating in good faith.
"When the US talks about diplomacy, it means imposition, intimidation, threats and sanctions, and certainly as long as they are in this space and seek to impose their demands on the Iranian nation, our response will definitely be to defend Iran's dignity and national sovereignty," Baghaei said.
"The guarantee of implementing any treaty and agreement is the power of the parties, and we are determined to make this tool more powerful day by day," he added.
Baghaei also repeated Tehran's long-time assertion that Iran is "determined to take the necessary measures to exercise our sovereignty and to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz is not abused to harm our interests."
