Trump says US may strike Iran again after Strait of Hormuz ship attacks

Dubai,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2026 21:28 IST

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States was preparing for another night of strikes on Iran, hours after saying the ceasefire was over because of Iranian attacks. He said the latest US action was retaliation for attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh fears that the conflict could flare up again.

Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump also said negotiations could continue, but he was doubtful about the outcome. His comments came a day after attacks on shipping widened into exchanges of fire involving Iranian targets and US military sites in the Gulf, while oil prices rose sharply amid concerns over energy supplies.

Trump renewed earlier threats to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalination plants, and to seize Kharg Island, Iran's main oil-production hub. "We hit them very hard last night," he said when asked about a possible return to hostilities. "We'll probably hit them hard again tonight." He accused Iran of launching drones and a missile at ships, saying, "They are behaving very badly." After three tankers were hit on Tuesday, the US carried out strikes on Iran, and Iranian forces responded by attacking American military sites in the Gulf.

Trump said the interim pause in fighting was effectively finished, even though he would still allow talks to go on. "For me, I think it's over," he said when asked about the ceasefire. "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he added. His remarks added to uncertainty around a truce that had already come under strain. Oil prices jumped after he spoke, with Brent crude rising more than 5 per cent. Trump has also threatened to seize Kharg Island at earlier stages of the war, including last month. About 90 per cent of Iran's oil exports pass through the island.

The latest attacks on ships, despite ongoing negotiations, may point to divisions within Iran's leadership. Hard-liners want lasting control over the waterway, while pragmatists want a permanent peace deal that could ease sanctions and bring economic relief. Negotiations on a final deal were due to begin after the funeral period for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in the opening moments of the war. The funeral, which ends on Thursday, had been expected to bring lower tensions. The talks are meant to address key issues, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X, "The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold."

The US military's Central Command said American forces launched strikes "to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway". It said the strikes hit Iranian air-defence systems, radars and more than 60 small boats used by the Revolutionary Guard. Those boats have been central to threatening shipping in the strait, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas passed before the war. Iran's ability to nearly halt shipping there during the war became its main strategic advantage. Iranian state media reported explosions in several places, including Bandar Mahshahr, where a Revolutionary Guard member was killed. It also reported attacks on Bushehr, where Iran's nuclear power plant complex is located.

On Wednesday morning, Bahrain and Kuwait sounded missile alerts. The Revolutionary Guard said it had targeted US military installations in both countries. Kuwait said it intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones launched by Iran. Kuwait's Electricity Ministry said some lines went out of service after shrapnel fell on them. A similar round of Iranian attacks on shipping and US retaliatory strikes took place late last month, followed by Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait. Anwar Gargash, a senior diplomat in the United Arab Emirates, called Iran's attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait "a clear indicator that Tehran remains incapable of committing to the requirements of de-escalation and turning the page on war."

After the attacks on shipping, the US revoked a licence that had, for the first time in years, allowed Iran to sell oil openly in US dollars under the interim deal. Iran had long been suspected of selling sanctioned crude to China at below-market prices. Under the interim arrangement, Iran and the US had agreed to let ships pass through the strait without charges for 60 days. But Tehran said it had to control the vessels' routes and later planned to charge fees for passage. The three ships attacked on Tuesday appeared to be using a route close to Oman's coast rather than one ordered by Tehran. The US and many Gulf Arab states have said they will not accept Iran charging for passage through the strait.

Separately, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falah al-Zaidi and other Iranian and Iraqi officials attended funeral ceremonies for Khamenei on Wednesday in Najaf. Funeral prayers were later planned at the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala. Khamenei's body will then be taken back to Iran for burial on Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace. Overall, the latest US and Iranian strikes, the pressure on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and the uncertain status of talks have again pushed the conflict and its wider economic impact into focus.

With PTI Inputs

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