The tenuous ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed on Wednesday after American forces carried out a wave of strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets, retaliating for Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump declared that the truce with Tehran was over, while Iran responded by launching missiles and drones at American military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The escalation shattered a preliminary framework agreement reached between the two countries in recent weeks, an accord that had already been tested by repeated flare-ups. According to US officials, Trump approved the strike plan while attending the NATO summit in Turkey, where the crisis quickly overshadowed discussions on defense spending and the war in Ukraine.
US Central Command said its forces hit Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites and anti-ship missile capabilities, as well as more than 60 small boats operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in and around the strait. The command stated that the operation followed Iranian attacks on three merchant ships transiting the international waterway.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced that it had fired missiles and drones at dozens of American military sites across Bahrain and Kuwait, including Isa Air Base in Bahrain, which hosts US forces. In parallel with the military response, the Trump administration reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales, tightening economic pressure on Tehran.
Energy markets reacted sharply to the renewed hostilities. Brent crude futures jumped 5.8 percent to 76.2 dollars per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 2.75 percent to 72.38 dollars. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one fifth of the world's oil supply, and analysts warned that a prolonged disruption could push prices significantly higher.
Diplomats and regional governments urged both sides to step back from a wider war, though neither Washington nor Tehran signaled an immediate willingness to de-escalate. Observers noted that the coming days would show whether the framework agreement can be revived or whether the Gulf region is heading toward a broader and more dangerous confrontation.
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