Overview
- The 60-day memorandum between the United States and Iran expired on Monday without a final deal, returning relations to uncertainty and removing the tacit pause in direct attacks.
- Iran has adopted more confrontational steps since the lapse, including a public bounty on U.S. soldiers and reported increases in missile and drone production and hard-line promotions.
- Two Iranian-made Hadid-110 drones struck targets in the Pirmam district of Erbil, hitting the Kurdistan regional premier’s office and a security chief’s residence with no reported casualties.
- The United States is maintaining a naval blockade that has sharply reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. officials say unprecedented new economic measures against Iran will be announced.
- Parallel U.S. diplomacy on Gaza, led by Jared Kushner’s contacts with Hamas and talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, faces limited progress because Israel insists on full Hamas disarmament before withdrawal.