US President Donald Trump has threatened further strikes against Iran, declaring the ceasefire agreement between the two nations is effectively over. Speaking at the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump warned: 'I'll give a little warning – we're going to hit them hard tonight.' The comments came after a wave of US strikes targeted Iran's southern region, with explosions reported in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr along the Gulf coast.
The Pentagon stated the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's foreign ministry earlier accused the US and Israel of rendering the interim peace accord 'ineffective'. The escalation has left nearly 6,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait, according to Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, who called for 'maximum restraint and de-escalation'.
Oil markets reacted sharply, with Brent crude rising 5% to over $78 a barrel, the highest since the US-Iran ceasefire was agreed last month. The price surge followed attacks on fossil fuel tankers near the strategic waterway. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised US conduct, likening it to 'bending rules, bullying rivals, creating obstacles, and cheating' in a post on X.
In related developments, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth cancelled a planned trip to Israel amid the escalating violence. He was expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz. Additionally, Kuwait's armed forces reported intercepting two ballistic missiles and 13 drones that breached its airspace, with no casualties or damage.
Lebanon has demanded Israel's withdrawal from two 'pilot zones' in the south before further negotiations in Rome. The demand comes after five rounds of US-sponsored talks aimed at ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah, though a framework agreement has been rejected by the militant group.
