US-Iran hostilities, underway since late February 2026, have featured periodic US and Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear-related targets alongside Iranian responses near the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf states, without a formal congressional declaration of war. As of late August, Washington has shifted emphasis from sustained airstrikes to intensified secondary sanctions and economic measures aimed at isolating Tehran’s oil trade and finances, while Iran maintains that pressure will not force concessions and signals openness to renewed diplomacy through mediators such as Qatar and Oman. The most recent US action—strikes on launchers in the strait on August 30—marks the first military move in weeks and follows expiration of earlier memoranda of understanding without a final accord. Congressional notifications under the War Powers framework have reset operational timelines, yet lawmakers have shown limited appetite for a formal declaration amid ongoing economic and diplomatic tracks. Upcoming developments include further sanctions enforcement and any progress on Hormuz access or nuclear limits that could alter escalation dynamics.