Ankara/Tehran, July 8,2026: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared that the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran to halt the conflict was effectively “over”, as Washington launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian targets and Tehran warned that all US bases in the region would become “legitimate targets” if violations continued.
Speaking ahead of a NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara, Trump signalled a sharp break from the fragile truce brokered last month under Pakistan’s mediation.
“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them,” Trump told reporters alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
Trump’s remarks came hours after the US military struck more than 80 targets in Iran, in what Washington said was a response to attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The escalation marked the most serious setback yet to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17, which had been intended to create a 60-day window for indirect negotiations on a permanent peace deal.
The interim ceasefire had already come under strain after talks between US and Iranian officials in Qatar ended last week without a breakthrough. Tensions rose further on Tuesday when Washington revoked a general licence that had allowed Iran to sell crude oil, petrochemical and petroleum products through August 21 under the ceasefire arrangement.
The US Treasury said Iran would have until July 17 to wind down transactions previously permitted under the licence. The move came after three tankers were struck by projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Washington to harden its stance.
US Central Command said American forces launched the latest strikes “to impose heavy costs” on Iran after attacks on commercial shipping. A US official said the operation targeted Iranian air defence systems, coastal surveillance infrastructure, anti-ship cruise missiles, drone launch sites and surface-to-air missile systems. CENTCOM also said more than 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were hit in an effort to degrade Iran’s ability to target maritime traffic.
Iran condemned the strikes as a “gross violation” of both international law and the ceasefire agreement. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the “US terrorist army” had attacked monitoring and surveillance centres along Iran’s southern coastline in the early hours of Wednesday, calling the operation a breach of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter and a direct violation of the first article of the memorandum, which requires the cessation of military operations.
The ministry warned neighbouring Gulf states against allowing their territory or facilities to be used for attacks on Iran, saying any such cooperation would amount to complicity in aggression. It added that Iran’s armed forces “will not hesitate” to defend the country’s sovereignty and would strike the source of any attack in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several southern locations, including Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Qeshm Island and Kharg Island, the latter being Iran’s main oil export hub. No large-scale civilian casualties were immediately reported, though Iranian outlets said several people were injured by shrapnel after a projectile hit a commercial pier in Sirik. Press TV and other state media also reported damage to fishing piers and boats in some coastal areas.
Iran said one member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy was killed in Bandar Mahshahr during what it described as an encounter with enemy drones. Separately, the IRGC claimed it had shot down a US MQ-9 drone over Khormoj in Bushehr province, though there was no immediate confirmation from Washington.
Tehran responded by threatening broader retaliation across the Gulf. Iran’s military said all US bases in the region would become “legitimate targets” if Washington continued to violate the ceasefire. In a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, the army said it had already targeted what it described as gathering centres of US forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.
The Revolutionary Guards later said they had launched a joint missile and drone operation against US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, including Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. According to Iranian state media, the operation struck dozens of US-linked targets and also involved the downing of a US drone.
Bahrain said its air defences intercepted and destroyed Iranian aerial attacks over the kingdom early Wednesday. State television reported that sirens sounded several times and residents were urged to move to safe places, though no casualties or damage were immediately reported. Kuwait also condemned Iranian strikes on its territory, calling them repeated and unlawful attacks that undermined de-escalation efforts.
The renewed fighting also heightened fears for regional shipping and global energy supplies. Qatar accused Iran of attacking the Qatari-owned LNG tanker Al Rekayyat near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the incident as an unacceptable assault on international maritime navigation and a grave violation of international law. Doha said it held Tehran fully responsible for the attack and any resulting damage, while also summoning Iran’s deputy ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Iran rejected Qatar’s accusations as “perplexing”, while state media claimed that a Qatari vessel had been targeted after ignoring repeated warnings from Iranian forces. Maritime security agencies also reported that a Saudi-flagged tanker was damaged off Oman. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying a major share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
The confrontation pushed oil prices higher, with crude rising more than 3 per cent after Washington revoked Iran’s oil licence and confirmed the latest strikes.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of committing major violations of the Islamabad Memorandum, citing renewed threats of military action, the reimposition of oil restrictions, attacks on southern Iran and continued Israeli military action in Lebanon. “The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold,” he wrote on X.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi had earlier warned that talks on a final agreement could not proceed while the United States continued issuing threats. Trump, however, has repeatedly signalled he is willing to resume bombing if Tehran does not comply with US demands, saying earlier this week that Washington could “finish the job” if necessary.
At the NATO summit in Ankara, Secretary General Mark Rutte backed Washington’s latest action, calling the strikes “absolutely necessary” and saying the United States had to react forcefully if Iran was violating the ceasefire.
China, however, urged both sides to return to diplomacy. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the use of military force was “not appropriate” and warned that reigniting the war would serve no one’s interests.
The latest escalation has cast serious doubt over the future of the Pakistan-mediated ceasefire, which was meant to pave the way for a lasting settlement after months of conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year. With negotiations stalled, oil sanctions restored and both sides once again exchanging fire, the prospect of a durable peace now appears increasingly remote.
