Key facts
- President Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire over following a new exchange of strikes.
- The US launched approximately 90 airstrikes against Iran overnight, targeting missile launchers and a runway.
- Iran responded with missile strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.
- The renewed clashes follow Iranian attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The US stated strikes aim to degrade Iran's capacity to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran accused the US of war crimes for targeting civilian infrastructure, including bridges.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared the fragile US-Iran ceasefire over following a new exchange of strikes, ordering further US military action and threatening to target Kharg Island. The renewed clashes follow Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and US military sites.
The US launched approximately 90 airstrikes against Iran overnight on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, while Tehran responded by hitting Gulf countries, marking the most intense exchange of fire since a ceasefire memorandum of understanding was extended on June 17.
Sirens sounded in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar after Iranian missiles targeted these locations. The US military stated the strikes were intended to degrade Iran's capacity to "threaten freedom of navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for global oil and gas.
Iran accused the US of war crimes, alleging that two bridges in the eastern provinces leading to Mashhad were targeted, which constitute key infrastructure for Iran's cross-border trade with China. Iranian state media also reported explosions in several cities, including Bushehr, and casualties in Khuzestan and Iranshahr.
The escalation follows Iran's attack on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Iran has sought to charge fees for passage through the strait, which the US considers an international waterway. Iranian officials, including parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, vowed retaliation and criticized US policy.
Mediators, including Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, attempted to de-escalate tensions, but negotiations for a permanent truce were intended to begin after the funeral of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, now overshadowed by the escalating conflict.