US Military Strikes Iranian Missile Sites While Deal Talks Continue; Trump: 'Proceeding Nicely'; Rubio Says Deal Language Could Take 'Couple of Days'

May 26, 2026 — Even as US-Iran nuclear deal negotiations continued, US military forces conducted 'self-defense strikes' targeting Iranian missile launch sites and boats in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon characterized the strikes as necessary defensive action against proximate Iranian military activity, maintaining a distinction between the tactical military track and the diplomatic track. Trump told reporters that the overall deal talks were 'proceeding nicely,' and Secretary of State Rubio stated publicly that deal language finalization could 'take a couple of days' — suggesting the framework text remains in active drafting rather than a completed document ready for signing. Iran's IRGC reported that 25 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz within a 24-hour period under Iranian oversight, framing the strait as already operationally open under their supervision — Iran's long-standing position in negotiations. The Quad foreign ministers (US, Australia, India, Japan) meeting in New Delhi discussed Hormuz threats to global shipping as a multilateral concern, with India particularly focused on the energy supply chain impact. The White House addressed the apparent contradiction of simultaneous strikes and deal-making by framing the military action as defensive and distinct from the diplomatic track. Oil markets continued pricing in a near-term deal despite the fresh strikes, with traders assessing the military activity as tactical rather than a breakdown in the broader framework. The 14-point MOU remains the public baseline: Phase 1 would require Hormuz to reopen within 30 days with Iran permitted to freely sell oil; Phase 2 would be a 60-day window for nuclear negotiations and sanctions relief sequencing.