U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States would likely strike Iran again on Wednesday night, declaring that an interim ceasefire understanding with Tehran was “over” after a fresh exchange of attacks pushed the two sides back toward open conflict.
“I’ll give a little warning: We’re going to hit them hard tonight,” Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara before meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump said a memorandum of understanding that had served as an initial ceasefire deal with Iran was no longer in effect, though he did not make clear whether Washington would fully abandon diplomatic efforts to turn the truce into a permanent agreement.
“I don’t know if we’re going to have a deal. We may just do it without a deal,” Trump said.
The latest escalation followed U.S. strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets, including air defence systems, command centres, radar sites, anti-ship missile facilities and dozens of Revolutionary Guards boats in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command.
Washington said the strikes were launched after three tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes. The United States also revoked a license that had allowed Iran to sell oil under the ceasefire framework.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they responded by targeting U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. Tehran accused Washington of violating the agreement first and warned that further attacks would bring a stronger response.
The renewed fighting immediately hit energy and financial markets. Oil prices jumped as traders priced in the risk of further disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, while Gulf stock markets slipped amid fears the conflict could again spread across the region.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the latest U.S. strikes as “absolutely necessary,” saying Iran had violated the ceasefire through attacks on commercial shipping.
The Iran crisis overshadowed the NATO summit in Ankara, where leaders had hoped to focus on Ukraine and alliance defence spending. Instead, Trump’s warning raised the prospect of another major U.S. military operation in the Gulf within hours.