US launches new airstrikes on Iran, Tehran retaliates on Gulf Arab statesExBulletin

A mourner holds a portrait depicting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, top, and his late father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as mourners wait for the elder Khamenei’s funeral procession outside the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. Khalil Hamra/AP .

switch captionKhalil Hamra/AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in a crossfire that once again threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Persian Gulf.

The strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump declared that recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz marked the end of the fragile ceasefire. The United States struck several military sites and port installations on Wednesday after Iran targeted several merchant ships off the coast of Oman, also triggering Iranian fire.

But Thursday’s attacks appeared larger everywhere, with sirens sounding at least twice in Bahrain, home to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. There was no immediate news of damage in the three Gulf Arab countries. The Kuwaiti military said it was actively intercepting incoming drones and missiles. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have claimed responsibility for attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait.

US strikes hit more targets

The US military’s Central Command said it had hit some 90 targets across Iran, releasing black and white images of what appeared to be strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers.

“US forces remain vigilant, lethal and ready to execute operations directed by the Commander in Chief,” the statement added.

The United States says the strikes were aimed at “further degrading” Iran’s ability to “threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war began with US and Israeli attacks on February 28.

Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, where Iran’s nuclear complex is located, and the southern port cities of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas and Sirik.

In Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan, at least three people were killed, state media reported. In Iranshahr, authorities said a strike killed a firefighter at an airport. The deaths follow the killing of at least nine people in Wednesday’s strikes in Iran.

For the first time since April, it also appears that US strikes targeted Iranian bridges. State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Iran’s northeastern Golestan province, and the Revolutionary Guards said two bridges were attacked on the road to Mashhad, where authorities plan to bury the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday. But it was unclear whether the Golestan attack was the same as the one mentioned by the Guard.

Trump warns ‘situation will be much worse’ if shipping attacks repeat

After leaving a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump posted several videos on his social media showing what he said were explosions in Iran and issued a new warning to the Islamic Republic.

“This is in retaliation for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If this happens again, the situation will be much worse!” Trump wrote.

Trump had said earlier in the day that the latest fighting would not result in “long-term” military action.

“Whatever happens is going to happen very quickly,” Trump said, while suggesting the U.S. military could “just finish the job.”

Trump also renewed his past threats to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants and desalination plants, and to seize the oil production center of Kharg Island.

After three oil tankers were hit Tuesday, the United States launched strikes against Iran, and Iranian forces responded by targeting U.S. military sites in the Persian Gulf.

Iran said the interim ceasefire deal gave it the right to manage traffic across the strait. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in negotiations to permanently end the war, was defiant in a message on X Thursday morning: “America has still not learned that intimidation and breaking promises is no longer free.” Let me say this clearly: If you hit, you will get hit.

Strikes raise fears of a resumption of war

Trump fueled fears of a resumption of war by saying the interim deal to suspend fighting was “finished,” while adding he would allow negotiations to continue.

Children wade in the water with cargo ships at anchor in the background and a fisherman nearby, in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP .

rock legend Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP

The attacks repeatedly threatened the fragile ceasefire, but Trump’s comments added new uncertainty and oil prices soared after his speech. A renewed conflict could engulf the entire Middle East and would likely halt energy shipments across the strait again.

“To me, I think it’s over,” Trump said when asked about the status of the ceasefire. He added that US representatives could continue negotiations, but expressed doubts about the outcome. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, also one of the main negotiators, retorted on X that Trump’s remarks “are not a sign of power but an admission of failure” of US policy towards Iran.

Trump has made other threats to seize Kharg Island, including last month when he also questioned whether the United States “had the courage.” Around 90% of Iran’s oil exports pass through the island.

New attacks on ships in the strait, despite negotiations, could reflect a division within Iran’s leadership. Hardliners seek lasting control of the waterway, which is a globally important channel for fuel shipments and has become a key lever for confronting the West. Pragmatists want a permanent peace deal that lifts international sanctions and provides desperately needed economic aid.

Negotiations to reach a final agreement were to begin after the funeral of Khamenei, killed on February 28 in the first moments of the war. The funeral, which ends Thursday, was supposed to be a time of reduced tension.

The talks are expected to focus on the toughest issues, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.

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