The US military said that it was carrying out another round of strikes on Iran after the Islamic Republic attacked ships in Strait of Hormuz a day earlier. The announcement came hours after President Donald Trump threatened to unleash more military action against Iran after saying that the Iranian attacks signaled the end of the ceasefire.
Trump, who is known for sending mixed messages about his intentions, has repeatedly threatened to escalate strikes against Iran, only to pull back after claiming diplomatic progress. He said Wednesday that the US would “probably hit them hard again tonight,” and later added that the latest back-and-forth fighting would not result in “long-term” military action.
A day after assaults on commercial shipping escalated into an exchange of strikes on Iranian and US military targets, Trump also renewed his past threats to hit Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalinisation plants, and to seize the oil-production hub of Kharg Island.
Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said the strikes are continued retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has asserted that the interim ceasefire deal gives it the right to manage traffic through the strait.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent end to the war, was defiant in a post on X, "The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold."
Iran War Live Updates: Iran Targets Headquarters Of US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain
Iran struck US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait in the early hours of Thursday, according to state and state-affiliated Iranian media, as Tehran's armed forces vowed a "crushing response" to renewed American strikes on southern Iran.
Iran War Live Updates: Brent Crude Nears $80
Brent crude rose as much as 1.4% to above $79 a barrel after surging more than 5% in the previous session. West Texas Intermediate traded near $74, taking oil's gains over the past two sessions to more than 6%.
Iran War Live Updates: US Holds Iran Accountable
US Central Command on X:
At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.
Iran War Live Updates: Breaking Promises Are Not Cost-Free, Says Iran
Iran's Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf on X:
America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit.
Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with “Iranian arrangements,” not American threats.
آمریکا هنوز یاد نگرفته است که زورگویی و بدعهدی دیگر بیهزینه نیست. شفاف بگویم: بزنید، میخورید.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) July 9, 2026
دست و پای بیهوده نزنید که بیشتر فرو خواهید رفت: تنگه هرمز، فقط با «ترتیبات ایرانی» باز میشود نه با تهدیدات آمریکایی.
Iran War Live Updates: Trump Gaggles With Press
US President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One on way back from the NATO summit:
Reporter: Are you going to pull more troops out of Europe?
Trump: I haven’t made that final determination. A lot is going to depend on Greenland. We’re going to make a very good deal on Greenland and if we don’t, maybe I will. A lot depends on Iran.
Trump: I had issues with Spain. And I still do. But they came back all the way today. Spain was very generous today. I told them I’m going to stop trading.
Reporter: What did Spain do?
Trump: They honored a request for lots of payments.
Trump: India and Pakistan. That war was raging. They were a week into it. Eleven planes were shot down, and that war was going to go nuclear. The Prime Minister of Pakistan said President Trump saved 30 to 50 million lives. Well, guess what? It could have been a lot more than that.
Iran War Live Updates: Donald Trump Gaggles
US President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One on way back from the NATO summit:
Trump: Iran just called. They want to make a deal very badly. I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making the deal.
Reporter: If they want to make a deal, why did they attack commercial vessels?
Trump: Because… they’re sort of crazy. But they want to make a deal badly.
Reporter: Are we returning to a full scale military conflict?
Trump: I don't know
Trump: We just hit them very hard. We hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we are going to hit them 20.
Trump: I would say I should have won that award more than anybody that ever received the Nobel Peace Prize because nobody settled wars. I settled eight of them
Reporter: Did Syria's President Ahmed Al-Sharaa make any commitments to you on helping with Hezbollah in Lebanon?
Trump: Yeah. I’m not going to tell you what he said. He was great and President Zelenskyy was great.
Iran War Live Updates: Strikes Raise Fears That War Could Resume
The latest exchange of fire raised fears that the war in Iran could reignite, and Trump fuelled those concerns by saying the interim agreement to pause fighting was “over,” although he added that he would allow negotiations to continue.
Attacks have repeatedly threatened the shaky ceasefire, but Trump's comments added new uncertainty, and oil prices shot up after he spoke. A renewed conflict could engulf the wider Middle East and would likely again halt energy shipments through the strait that are crucial to the global economy.
The new attacks on ships in the strait, despite the negotiations, could reflect a divide among Iran's leadership. Hard-liners seek lasting control over the waterway, which is a globally important conduit for fuel shipments and has become a critical lever in confronting the West. Pragmatists want a permanent peace deal to lift international sanctions and provide desperately needed economic relief.
(Source: AP)