Hormuz – Trump Says Iran Ceasefire Has Ended After New Strait Attacks
Hormuz – US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the ceasefire arrangement with Iran was no longer in effect, following renewed military exchanges and attacks on commercial vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. He said diplomatic contacts could continue, but expressed little confidence that negotiations would produce a lasting result.
Speaking during a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump described the truce as finished and criticised Tehran’s conduct. His comments came after Iranian forces were accused of targeting ships in the strategically important waterway, a route that carries a major share of global oil supplies.
Shipping route returns to centre of confrontation
The Strait of Hormuz has again become the focal point of the wider US-Iran conflict, which began in late February after large-scale US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory. Iran has argued that it should regulate traffic through the passage and collect transit charges from vessels using it.
Tehran has also warned ships against travelling outside routes it considers authorised. In recent days, at least three vessels were reportedly struck, leading to a major US military response against Iranian sites on Tuesday. Iran then launched retaliatory attacks targeting US facilities in Gulf states.
Markets reacted quickly to Trump’s statement, with oil prices rising about five percent. The latest escalation has put additional pressure on the interim agreement intended to halt the fighting and pushed crude prices to their highest level in roughly two weeks.
Explosions reported near Iranian coastal cities
Iranian state media reported several explosions around the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The reports included six blasts on Qeshm island, seven in Sirik and additional explosions in Bandar Abbas, one of Iran’s most important port cities.
Further blasts were later reported in Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power station. The city is also located near Kharg island, the principal export terminal through which most Iranian crude oil shipments pass.
Iranian media said a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed in the country’s southwest. No further details were immediately provided.
US says dozens of Iranian targets were hit
US Central Command said American forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran, including air defence positions, coastal radar installations and around 60 small boats operated by the Revolutionary Guards. CENTCOM said the operation was intended to reduce Iran’s capacity to threaten international shipping in the trade corridor.
Iran responded by striking what it said were dozens of US military locations in Kuwait and Bahrain. Explosions were heard in Bahrain, according to an AFP journalist. Bahrain’s interior ministry and Kuwait’s military said their air defence systems were activated early Wednesday, though neither authority confirmed damage or casualties.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, accused Washington of committing serious violations of the memorandum of understanding. He cited the return of oil sanctions and US objections to Iranian measures in the strait.
Oil sanctions add pressure to negotiations
The United States has also tightened economic pressure on Tehran by withdrawing sanction waivers linked to Iranian oil sales. The US Treasury Department cancelled a licence issued in June that had permitted Iran to produce, sell and deliver crude oil and related products through August 21.
A US official said Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz were unacceptable and would bring consequences. The official, who spoke anonymously, said the memorandum depended on performance and that Iran would receive benefits only if it complied with its commitments.
Tanker incidents raise concern among Gulf states
The British maritime security agency UKMTO said an unidentified projectile hit a tanker near Hormuz on Tuesday, causing a fire. Two more vessels were later struck, with at least one reportedly hit by a drone.
CENTCOM named the ships as the Marshall Islands-flagged Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged Wedyan and the Liberia-flagged Cyprus Prosperity. The incidents occurred near Oman, which had proposed a temporary coastal transit corridor. Iran opposed the plan while pressing for a fee-based system for passage.
Qatar condemned the reported attack on the Al Rekayyat, which it identified as Qatari, and summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador. Iran rejected Doha’s allegations, calling them unacceptable.
The 14-point US-Iran memorandum requires Iran and Oman to consult other Gulf states on future administration and maritime services in the strait. Those talks now face fresh uncertainty as military action continues.