File photo: Iran's former parliament speaker and top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.
Harold Cunningham | Getty Images News | Getty Images
- Three U.S. service members have been killed in Iran operation.
- Thousands of flights have been cancelled since the conflict in Iran began
- Congress aims to vote on war powers resolution in the coming week.
- Insurers are raising prices for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which raises the price of oil.
The U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran is intensifying, with Tehran's security chief on Monday saying that negotiations with Washington were off the table.
Prospects of an escalation in Middle East tensions sent oil prices surging, with U.S. crude as well as global benchmark Brent rising more than 8%, before paring some gains, as investors assess risks to supply disruption. Safe‑haven gold climbed, while U.S. futures and Asian equity markets fell across the board.
Iranian state media reported more than 200 people were killed in Iran, while the U.S. has confirmed three American service members have died and five seriously wounded.
President Donald Trump has warned of further American casualties and said the conflict could last up to four weeks, though also claimed Iran's new leadership wants to resume negotiations, without specifying any details. The strikes have, meanwhile, rekindled debate in Washington over presidential war powers.
The death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has left Iran in a sensitive leadership transition, with a temporary council, comprising senior cleric Ayatollah Alireza Arafi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, among others, assuming control.
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Iran security chief Ali Larijani rejects U.S. talks, blames Trump for chaos
Iran's security chief Ali Larijani attends a ceremony by the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah marking the first anniversary of Israel's assassination of their longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2025.
Anwar Amro | Afp | Getty Images
Iran's security chief Ali Larijani said that Tehran has no plans to engage in negotiations with the United States.
"We will not negotiate with the United States," the former adviser to the late supreme leader said in a post on X, dismissing reports that it is seeking to restart negotiations with Washington.
"Trump has plunged the region into chaos with his 'false hopes' and is now worried about further casualties of American troops," he wrote in an earlier post.
Kuwait reports drone interceptions as Iran continues retalitory strikes
An Iran-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Shahed-136, is displayed in a rally commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution's victory in Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, on February 11, 2026.
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Kuwait's Director General of Civil Defense said Monday that the country's Air Defense forces had successfully intercepted a majority of hostile Iranian drones approaching its borders through maritime routes.
The Kuwaiti official also confirmed that no injuries were reported from the interception operations, according to a report by state-backed media.
According to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran unleashed waves of drones and missiles on several Arab nations, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, over the weekend.
Since then, countries like Bahrain and the UAE have reported successful interceptions of hundreds of Iranian drones.
According to Bahrian officials, the attacks have included Iran's Shahed-136 type drones, a cheap, locally made drone that can act like a guided missiles that travel to a predetermined target.
U.S. and Gulf nations issue joint warning to Iran, vowing 'self- defense'
A group of Middle Eastern countries and the U.S. issued a joint statement Sunday night stateside, condemning Iran's missile and drone attacks and affirming their right to self-defense.
"The Islamic Republic's actions represent a dangerous escalation that violates the sovereignty of multiple states and threatens regional stability. The targeting of civilians and of countries not engaged in hostilities is reckless and destabilizing behavior," according to the statement.
"We stand united in defense of our citizens, sovereignty, and territory, and reaffirm our right to self-defense in the face of these attacks. We remain committed to regional security and commend the effective air and missile defense cooperation that has prevented far greater loss of life and destruction."
Marco Rubio to brief congressional leaders as Iran conflict escalates
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to update top leaders of the Senate and House at 4 p.m. ET on Monday.
This comes on the back of coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, and Tehran's retaliation that has seen it target U.S. bases in the region, including those in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
