The U.S. and Iran came close to all out war this week US President Donald Trump speaks before signing a proclamation in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images) The exchange of fresh strikes between the United States and Iran for two consecutive nights following the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter raises the spectre of a return to full-scale war amidst rhetoric of a slim progress in negotiations.