A wave of overnight military strikes has left the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran in tatters, and US President Donald Trump says the truce is over. The escalation follows attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and retaliatory strikes on military sites in the Gulf region. Speaking in Ankara beside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said, “I think it’s over,” adding, “As far as I can tell, it’s just a waste of time.”
US forces targeted more than 80 sites in Iran late Tuesday, information from statements from the US administration. The action followed attacks on three commercial vessels while they were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. One was a Qatar-owned LNG tanker. A Saudi crude oil tanker and a Liberia-flagged ship were also attacked. Iran has not officially claimed responsibility for the tanker incidents. The UK Maritime Trade Operations confirmed the attacks but did not release the names of the vessels involved. No casualties or environmental damage have been reported so far.
Iranian state television separately reported that seven oil tankers were damaged or caught fire in the strait overnight: four were allegedly targeted while transferring oil, while three others were reported damaged and immobilized after striking naval mines. The reports have been attributed to Iranian state media and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval forces. Shipping-data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported that some operators continued moving Gulf oil through a US-protected lane near Oman, with vessels’ location systems and crew members’ mobile phones switched off.
Iranian officials announced strikes on US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of violating the recently signed memorandum of understanding, which aimed to extend the ceasefire and reduce hostilities. He said renewed US sanctions and ongoing regional conflicts had undermined basic elements of the agreement. Iran warned that it would defend its sovereignty and respond to any further attacks.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the US actions, calling them necessary in light of what he described as Iran’s breach of the ceasefire. Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, meanwhile, insisted that the US had broken the truce. The two sides continue to trade accusations and military blows, while Tehran and Washington have also pursued indirect contacts through mediators. In September, Araghchi said the parties remained engaged in discussions over an Iranian proposal for a seven-day ceasefire; he said Washington was seeking to add further conditions.
Footage from the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas showed multiple explosions and fires overnight, though the specific targets of the US strikes remain unclear. Oil prices rose sharply following Trump’s announcement that the ceasefire was over. A separate market report put the rise at 6%, reflecting heightened concern over the impact of renewed fighting and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The confrontation follows a series of ceasefire efforts in a war that began on February 28, 2026. A two-week ceasefire was announced on April 7 and later extended; the parties signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17 before hostilities resumed. Trump declared that agreement over in early July. Those earlier pauses and diplomatic initiatives have failed to prevent a return to military action.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, with a impressive portion of the world’s petroleum passing through its waters. The waterway remains operational, but shipping is taking place under heightened security restrictions and large navigational risk. Iran has also proposed ending the war and fully reopening the strait within a week if the United States meets specified conditions, including ending its blockade of Iranian ports. Disruptions in the region can have immediate effects on energy prices and supply chains worldwide.
