U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that a ceasefire with Iran was over and initiated fresh bombing raids, escalating tensions after labeling Iran's leaders "cuckoo" and "scum." The renewed military action followed Iran's earlier bombing of ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump stated that the truce had concluded and threatened to target Iran's bridges, electricity grid, and water-cleansing plants. He later posted on social media, "This is in retribution for Wednesday's bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!" He also shared images of smoke plumes from the apparent bombing raids.
The U.S. had previously resumed airstrikes on Tuesday night as a "punishment" for the attacks on tankers. More than 80 U.S. airstrikes targeted military facilities, including vessels used to harass shipping and air defense systems. Iranian state media reported that eight individuals died in these attacks.
U.S. Central Command stated that the strikes were intended to "impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway." Additionally, the U.S. revoked a license that had permitted Iran to sell oil on global markets, a measure stipulated in a memorandum of understanding agreed upon the previous month.
In response, Iran declared the agreement "dead," targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, and claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ9 drone and damaged 85 U.S. facilities. Earlier at the summit, Trump described Iran's leaders as "evil, sick people - they're cancer. And you've got to cut out cancer early."
Following Trump's threats, Tehran vowed to transform the Middle East into "a sea of fire" and to close the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials also threatened to launch missiles at Israel and asserted that Iran's regional proxies, such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen, were prepared for action. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament, stated, "We don't fold."
Crude oil prices increased by 5% following the resumption of hostilities. Qatar and other Gulf states condemned Iran's actions as an "explicit violation" of international law. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte supported the U.S. action and reiterated the alliance's stance against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Amidst the diplomatic and military developments, French President Emmanuel Macron was observed jogging in Ankara, Turkey, where the NATO summit was taking place.