'Deal is over': Trump launches fresh Iran strikes targeting Hormuz; Brent crude prices up
Hours after declaring the June 17 interim peace memorandum of understanding effectively dead, the United States launched a fresh and larger wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday
- Jul 9, 2026,
- Updated Jul 9, 2026 8:54 AM IST
The interim agreement to end the US-Iran war is, in Donald Trump's own words, "over." Hours after declaring the June 17 memorandum of understanding effectively dead, the United States launched a fresh and larger wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting facilities across the country's southern coast with the stated aim of protecting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
"US 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," CENTCOM said in a post on X. "The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," it added.
A US official told Reuters the scale of Wednesday's strikes would exceed those carried out on Tuesday.
Trump's warnings and his verdict on the deal
The strikes came after Trump had signalled what was coming from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. "I'll give a little warning: We're going to hit them hard tonight," he told reporters before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
After leaving the summit, Trump posted videos on Truth Social that he said showed explosions in Iran and issued a direct warning to Tehran. "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" he wrote.
On the state of the interim agreement, Trump left little room for ambiguity. "It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them," he said when asked whether the June 17 memorandum remained in force. He added: "If we make a deal with Iran, I'm not sure that will stick. I found them to be very dishonourable people."
Despite the sharp language, Trump said he did not expect the conflict to return to full-scale war.
Cities struck across southern Iran
Iran's state news agency reported explosions across multiple locations along the country's southern coast, stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman.
Bandar Abbas, home to Iran's largest port and key facilities operated by both the Iranian Navy and the Revolutionary Guards, was among the targets; approximately eight explosions were heard as air defence systems activated.
In Chabahar and Konarak, around ten explosions were reported, with Iranian media noting power outages and damage to a maritime traffic control tower in both locations. According to Press TV, strikes caused damage to Shahid Beheshti Port, Kalantari Port, and the maritime traffic control tower in Chabahar. Press TV also reported that fragments from the Chabahar strikes hit a hospital in the city.
Explosions were also reported in Iranshahr, where Iran's state news agency IRNA said a firefighter was killed following an attack on Iranshahr Airport. Three explosions were heard in Sirik, two struck Abu Musa Island, two US projectiles hit Bushehr, and multiple blasts were reported in Jask. The US also struck a railway bridge near Aqqala in northern Iran, the first reported strike in that region since the ceasefire took effect.
Bahrain and Kuwait on alert
The regional ripple effects were immediate. Bahrain's Interior Ministry said sirens had been activated across several parts of the country. "The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry said on X. Kuwait's Defence Ministry separately confirmed that its air defence systems were confronting rocket and drone attacks.
Iran's response
Tehran's reaction was swift and pointed. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, posted on X: "Martyr Khamenei taught us not to fear America and showed that 'falsehood will perish.' Await the hard slap from the Iranians."
Nournews, affiliated with Iran's top security body, quoted a military source saying Tehran was preparing to launch a "massive attack" on US military bases in the region. Iran also said it had already struck US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to earlier American strikes on its infrastructure.
Before the latest round of strikes, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of violating the June 17 memorandum by challenging a clause that, according to Tehran, "emphasises the Islamic Republic of Iran's responsibility in determining arrangements for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz."
Markets react
The renewed strikes pushed energy prices higher, with Brent crude futures rising more than $1 a barrel in post-settlement trading on Wednesday to $79.28 per barrel, though still well below the late-April peak of over $120 per barrel, when the Hormuz closure first sent global energy markets into shock.
The interim agreement to end the US-Iran war is, in Donald Trump's own words, "over." Hours after declaring the June 17 memorandum of understanding effectively dead, the United States launched a fresh and larger wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting facilities across the country's southern coast with the stated aim of protecting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
"US 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," CENTCOM said in a post on X. "The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," it added.
A US official told Reuters the scale of Wednesday's strikes would exceed those carried out on Tuesday.
Trump's warnings and his verdict on the deal
The strikes came after Trump had signalled what was coming from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. "I'll give a little warning: We're going to hit them hard tonight," he told reporters before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
After leaving the summit, Trump posted videos on Truth Social that he said showed explosions in Iran and issued a direct warning to Tehran. "This is in retribution for yesterday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" he wrote.
On the state of the interim agreement, Trump left little room for ambiguity. "It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them," he said when asked whether the June 17 memorandum remained in force. He added: "If we make a deal with Iran, I'm not sure that will stick. I found them to be very dishonourable people."
Despite the sharp language, Trump said he did not expect the conflict to return to full-scale war.
Cities struck across southern Iran
Iran's state news agency reported explosions across multiple locations along the country's southern coast, stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman.
Bandar Abbas, home to Iran's largest port and key facilities operated by both the Iranian Navy and the Revolutionary Guards, was among the targets; approximately eight explosions were heard as air defence systems activated.
In Chabahar and Konarak, around ten explosions were reported, with Iranian media noting power outages and damage to a maritime traffic control tower in both locations. According to Press TV, strikes caused damage to Shahid Beheshti Port, Kalantari Port, and the maritime traffic control tower in Chabahar. Press TV also reported that fragments from the Chabahar strikes hit a hospital in the city.
Explosions were also reported in Iranshahr, where Iran's state news agency IRNA said a firefighter was killed following an attack on Iranshahr Airport. Three explosions were heard in Sirik, two struck Abu Musa Island, two US projectiles hit Bushehr, and multiple blasts were reported in Jask. The US also struck a railway bridge near Aqqala in northern Iran, the first reported strike in that region since the ceasefire took effect.
Bahrain and Kuwait on alert
The regional ripple effects were immediate. Bahrain's Interior Ministry said sirens had been activated across several parts of the country. "The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the ministry said on X. Kuwait's Defence Ministry separately confirmed that its air defence systems were confronting rocket and drone attacks.
Iran's response
Tehran's reaction was swift and pointed. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, posted on X: "Martyr Khamenei taught us not to fear America and showed that 'falsehood will perish.' Await the hard slap from the Iranians."
Nournews, affiliated with Iran's top security body, quoted a military source saying Tehran was preparing to launch a "massive attack" on US military bases in the region. Iran also said it had already struck US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to earlier American strikes on its infrastructure.
Before the latest round of strikes, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Washington of violating the June 17 memorandum by challenging a clause that, according to Tehran, "emphasises the Islamic Republic of Iran's responsibility in determining arrangements for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz."
Markets react
The renewed strikes pushed energy prices higher, with Brent crude futures rising more than $1 a barrel in post-settlement trading on Wednesday to $79.28 per barrel, though still well below the late-April peak of over $120 per barrel, when the Hormuz closure first sent global energy markets into shock.