The United States has launched a devastating new round of US strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump signalled he would “hit them hard again tonight” following a fierce exchange of attacks on Tuesday.
The escalating conflict has thrown the fragile Strait of Hormuz ceasefire into chaos, with explosive developments shattering weeks of delicate diplomacy. Local reports indicate that the latest American military intervention has targeted critical infrastructure along the Iranian coastline, igniting fresh fears of an all-out regional war.
New US Strikes on Iran
Explosions have been reported by Iranian state media in parts of the country’s south, including Sirik and Bandar Abbas—vital port cities positioned directly on the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Following the latest targeted raids, the US President took to social media to outline his administration’s position. In an aggressive post from Donald Trump on Truth Social, he wrote:
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!”
The regional fallout from the confrontation was immediate. Gulf nations reported retaliatory Iranian attacks following the American intervention, with explosions rocking Bahrain’s capital, Manama. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti air defences intercepted incoming missiles and drones, and Qatar issued an emergency security alert for its citizens.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who also serves as the country’s chief negotiator with the US, responded sharply on X. He stated that 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,” Ghalibaf wrote, adding that the Strait of Hormuz will only open under Iranian arrangements—not “American threats”.
Defending the heavy deployment of American air power, US Central Command maritime security officials stated that the military action was necessary to protect international trade lanes. Officials said the raids were carried out to “further degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation” in the vital waterway.
In an official press release, Centcom added:
“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Despite these defensive declarations, several explosions have also reportedly been heard in other parts of the Iranian coast, including the cities of Konarak and Chabahar.
Iranian state TV reported eight explosions in Bandar Abbas, and said two missiles had hit the ports of both Sirik and Jask—also located in southern Iran. It added that two projectiles had hit the island of Abu Musa, which has been the subject of a longstanding ownership dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Air defence systems have been activated in Bandar Abbas, according to reports in Iranian state media.
The true extent of the damage from the direct US strikes on Iran is not yet fully known, but local Iranian media have reported widespread power cuts in Chabahar and a large fire at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) barracks in Bushehr. Two of three power lines cut off in Chabahar had been restored quickly and a third would be operational soon, the Iranian Students’ News Agency said.
Speaking to reporters from Air Force One on Wednesday evening, the US President revealed that Tehran had attempted to open a dialogue before the bombs began to fall. Trump noted that Iran had “called a little while ago” and wanted to make a deal “so badly”.
However, the President expressed deep skepticism regarding their diplomatic intentions. Trump added:
“I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal – I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal, that’s the problem.”
On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed it had launched “powerful” targeted raids in response to prior hostile actions against three commercial tankers navigating the region. Tuesday into Wednesday saw the worst exchange of military strikes between the US and Iran since the diplomatic deal—known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU)—was signed on 17 June.
The official Strait of Hormuz ceasefire now appears completely defunct. Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement signed last month with Iran was “over”, and added the US had “hit them very hard last night” and would “probably hit them hard again tonight”.
He told reporters on the tarmac:Â “I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people.”
In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, fired back in a post on X, condemning the rhetoric while warning of further military retaliation.
“We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valour.”
The original 14-point deal between the US and Iran had laid out a structured framework for peace. This included a 60-day period for a ceasefire during which negotiations should continue, the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, and the US lifting heavy economic sanctions on Iran.
While the 60-day period for negotiations is not yet up, Trump made it clear that Donald Trump on Truth Social and in person saw further diplomatic talks as “a waste of time.
These are not the first military actions since the landmark MoU was signed. The conflict has simmered for weeks, with the US launching a series of strikes on Iran on 26 June after an Iranian projectile hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Further US strikes on Iran took place on 27 June, following an attack on an oil tanker. But later that month both sides had agreed to “stand down”—a temporary truce that has now utterly collapsed under the weight of fresh hostilities.
With US Central Command maritime security assets remaining on high alert in the Gulf, the world now watches to see whether tonight’s threatened bombardments will push the two nations into an uncontainable conflict.
