Iran live updates: Trump says 'friendly' talks ongoing amid continued attacks

Tue, July 28, 2026 at 7:43 AM UTC

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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.

Latest Developments

Jul 28, 3:43 AMJordan shoots down drone, state media says

Jordan's official Petra news agency said the country's armed forces shot down a drone that breached Jordanian airspace early on Tuesday.The drone was shot down in an eastern desert area inside Jordanian territory, the agency said, citing a military spokesperson.

Jul 28, 3:38 AMNext round of US-led Israel-Lebanon talks set for Rome, official says

A State Department official told ABC News on Monday that the next round of U.S.-brokered talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials will take place in Rome from Aug. 4 to 6.The official said the next round will begin "with significant momentum."The official cited last week's launch of a pilot scheme under which Israeli forces will withdraw from three south Lebanon villages to allow the Lebanese Armed Forces to deploy there and clear the areas of Hezbollah presence and weapons. Israeli forces withdrew from the scheme's first village last week.The official also noted the "productive meeting" between President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House last week.

Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images - PHOTO: Lebanese Armed Forces troops patrol the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh in southern Lebanon on July 26, 2026.

During the planned Rome talks, the official said, "technical groups will focus on advancing the full implementation of the framework agreement. That includes expanding the pilot zone process, resolving all outstanding border issues, and working on a comprehensive peace and security agreement.""The first pilot zone is a concrete opportunity to deliver real progress on the ground, restoring Lebanese state authority through the verifiable disarmament of terrorist organizations and building the confidence needed for next steps," they added."The experience of the initial zones will help us perfect pilot zone implementation so it can expand in a phased manner," the official said.The trilateral U.S.-Israel-Lebanon framework, the official said, "is the only path to lasting peace. Fully implementing it is in the clear interest of both countries, and the Trump administration is committed to its success."-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston

Jul 28, 3:07 AMMajor north Iraq gas field attacked, Iran media says

Iran's state-run IRIB corporation reported an attack on northern Iraq's Khor Mor gas field, which supplies a majority of the region's electricity.IRIB said the gas field, in Sulaymaniyah in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, was attacked early on Tuesday local time, around the same time explosions were reported in Erbil -- the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, around 125 miles away.-ABC News' Desiree Adib

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Jul 27, 4:42 PMTrump says 'very friendly negotiations' happening with Iran

Jul 27, 4:07 PM60 dead in 12 days of strikes: Iranian Health MinistryThe Iranian Health Ministry said the last 12 days of strikes by the U.S. left 60 people dead and about 670 others injured.

Jul 27, 4:00 PMIranian Deputy Foreign Minister: 'Iran rejected an American proposal'

Jul 27, 1:28 PMTrump claims US and Iran are 'meeting'

Jul 27, 12:02 PMTrump tells Axios he's prepared to return to 'very strong military action' in Iran

Jul 27, 9:32 AMSaudi Arabia says it intercepted drones coming from Iraq

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said Monday that its forces intercepted "a number of drones coming from Iraqi territory."The drones were targeting oil facilities in the east of the country and around Riyadh, the statement said.-ABC News' Victoria Beaule

Jul 27, 8:53 AMTrump holds off on Iran strikes, weighing diplomacy, munitions stockpiles: Sources

President Donald Trump has put off a major escalation with Iran in favor of an effort to revive diplomacy to open the Strait of Hormuz, two sources told ABC News.The sources said the president was prepared to carry out a series of attacks as he headed into a meeting with top advisers and officials on Friday, having publicly warned that a massive attack could be on the horizon.But Trump then decided to hold off on an escalation, according to sources, who also stressed that Trump retained the option to change his mind and carry out more strikes.Sources said top officials discussed the impact a major escalation could have on the Pentagon's depleting stockpiles of air defense interceptors, including Patriot anti-missile interceptors.Trump has denied any munitions shortages, telling The Wall Street Journal, "We have far more munitions than anyone in the world, and far more than we need."U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth "inherited a depleted situation," but also insisted "the U.S. has everything that it needs to conduct this campaign as effectively as it needs to be."White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement, "President Trump has always been consistent in saying he prefers a diplomatic solution, but he continues to retain all options if Iran continues terrorist activities in the Strait of Hormuz or against allies.""Combined with successful sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy and 13 straight days of strikes against military targets in response to their repeated aggression, it would be wise for Iran to work towards a negotiated deal. Otherwise, they know what will happen," Cheung added.The New York Times first reported the president's decision to delay military escalation.-ABC News' Rachel Scott

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