U.S. Carries Out New Strikes Against Iran as Trump Says Cease-Fire Is 'Over'

The American military launched new strikes against Iran on Wednesday in order “to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” CENTCOM wrote on X Wednesday afternoon.

President Donald Trump described the fresh attacks as "retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran."

"If it happens again, it will get much worse!" the President added in a post on Truth Social.

The strikes come as Trump earlier on Wednesday said the interim agreement to end the Iran war is “over” and threatened further U.S. strikes amid a flare-up of hostilities.

"We hit them very hard last night, and we'll probably hit them hard again tonight," he told reporters on the second day of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Renewing previous threats to strike Iran’s infrastructure, including desalinization plants and electric plants, Trump said the U.S. "may take over Kharg Island," Iran's main oil terminal. He noted that the U.S. had struck the land on Tuesday, but avoided its oil facilities.

When asked about the status of the Memorandum of Understanding, signed on June 17, Trump declared: “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore."

“They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people,” he continued. “If they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”

A flare-up of hostilities saw Iran target U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain overnight after the U.S. struck Iranian targets following attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the U.S. strikes “absolutely necessary,” on account of Iran “violating” the cease-fire.

“I think it is totally crucial that [the] U.S. forcefully reacts,” he told reporters. “I expect allies today to reconfirm that Iran should never, ever get its hands on a nuclear capability.”

Rutte also urged for “freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage through which around a fifth of global oil production traditionally flows. A full reopening of the waterway is “crucial for all 32 allies,” he said.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, a top negotiator for Iran, insisted it was the U.S. that had violated the interim peace agreement. He cited the U.S. reinstating sanctions on Iranian oil sales—a move made Tuesday after oil tanker attacks—as an example, as well as the “persistent threats of further strikes.”

“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold,” he vowed.

U.S. and Iran trade strikes and accusations

CENTCOM announced late afternoon Tuesday that it had begun launching “a series of powerful strikes against Iran" after noting that three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz had been “recently attacked” by Iranian forces.

Hours later, CENTCOM confirmed it had struck over 80 targets across Iran, including air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, and anti-ship missile capabilities. It also struck “more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the Strait to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor.”

The IRGC, in a statement carried by semi-official state media, said that it had retaliated to the U.S. by launching a salvo of drone and missile strikes at  “key U.S. military facilities” across Bahrain and Kuwait.

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior issued several warnings for civilians to seek shelter and Kuwait’s armed forces said it had detected and successfully intercepted ballistic missiles and drones breaching its airspace. No material damage was reported as a result of the attacks.

The strikes brought renewed instability to the Gulf region, prompting international leaders to urge for restraint.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign affairs chief, said: “The exchanges of fire between the U.S. and Iran further complicate already fraught talks to end the war. Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait are unacceptable.”

“Under the memorandum, Tehran committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” she continued. “Its recent attacks on ships near the Strait violate that commitment and threaten to disrupt the resumption of energy supplies. Freedom of navigation must be unimpeded.”

The Memorandum of Understanding laid out the terms for an extended 60-day cease-fire, allowing time for further technical talks to take place.

That deadline is set to expire in mid-August, but amid flare-ups of violence and accusations of violations from both sides, it seems little progress has been made in negotiations.

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed the Iran deal with mediators in Doha at the end of June, but there were no high-level talks confirmed with Iranian officials.

After declaring the cease-fire “over” on Wednesday, Trump said he would speak to his negotiators, but argued it was a “waste of time” dealing with Iran.

Oil jumps amid fresh strikes and renewed uncertainty

After Trump’s latest comments, and following the overnight hostilities, the price of Brent crude oil spiked once again, jumping to almost $79 per barrel Wednesday morning—an increase of over 5% from the day before.

Maritime authorities raised the threat risk for vessels transiting the Strait to "severe," warning that "deliberate hostile action" is likely under current conditions.