US forces have launched new strikes on Iranian targets after accusing Tehran of attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, putting a fragile ceasefire under intense strain and sending oil markets sharply higher.
US Central Command said the latest operation was designed to punish Iran for hitting vessels transiting one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints and to deter further assaults on commercial shipping.
According to the statement, “The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz” and will “impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping.”
The command accused Tehran of violating the truce, saying, “Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
A ceasefire agreed on June 17 and in force since April 8 had already been fraying, with sporadic incidents involving Iranian forces and earlier US strikes, but Tuesday’s operation marked the first major US attack on Iran since a wave of air raids late last month.
Trump Says Ceasefire ‘Over’ As Oil Prices Jump
US President Donald Trump, speaking on Wednesday after major exchanges of fire between US forces and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard units in the Gulf, declared that the truce was finished.
He told reporters that, “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them any more, they’re scum,” during a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, when asked about the status of the agreement.
Trump went further, saying, “They’re scum, they’re sick people, they’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” he added, accusing Iranian officials of repeatedly misrepresenting what had been agreed in the ceasefire Washington and Tehran signed on June 17.
He complained that, “Everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them, they’re cuckoo.”
Trump said he would speak with businessman-turned-negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner about next steps, but insisted that “as far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars.”
Oil markets reacted immediately, with Brent crude jumping about 5.3% to around 78.09 dollars a barrel and US benchmark West Texas Intermediate gaining 5.4% to 74.23 dollars as traders priced in fresh risk to supplies through the Gulf.
Escalation In The Strait Of Hormuz
US and Iranian forces reported striking dozens of targets, further straining an interim arrangement meant to dial down the wider Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to more predictable traffic.
Washington revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Iranian oil and said the latest strikes were retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on three commercial vessels near Oman, which had proposed a temporary corridor hugging its coastline.
Iran opposed the plan as it pushes to impose fees on ships using the waterway and, according to state media, responded with a “wave of explosions” around the strait.
The Revolutionary Guards said they had hit multiple US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, as both sides traded blows and warnings.
Tehran’s foreign ministry accused Washington of repeatedly violating a memorandum of understanding on maritime conduct, while officials doubled down on plans to charge for passage, a stance security expert Andreas Krieg described as Iran sending “a clear signal that no alternative will be accepted.”
With both main crude benchmarks climbing more than 2% for two straight sessions and fears rising over shipping safety, the stand-off is now testing not just the ceasefire, but the entire framework of Gulf security and energy flows.
