Trump Declares U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Over After U.S. Strikes on Iran and Renewed Shipping Attacks in Strait of Hormuz

MIDDLE EAST — President Trump stated on July 8 that the ceasefire with Iran is over from his perspective and that continued engagement constitutes a waste of time, following U.S. Central Command strikes launched the previous day against Iranian targets in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The three commercial vessels struck included the Marshall Islands-flagged Al Rekayyat, a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker owned and managed by Nakilat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged Wedyan owned by Bahri, and the Liberia-flagged Cyprus Prosperity.

All three were hit close to Oman while traveling on an Omani-proposed coastal transit route that Iran has opposed.

The Al Rekayyat was struck by a drone off Limah on the Musandam Peninsula, causing a fire in the engine room that was extinguished with no crew casualties reported; the vessel continued its passage. The Wedyan left a visible crude oil spillage trail in satellite imagery.

U.S. Strikes in Response to Shipping Attacks

On July 7, U.S. Central Command forces began launching strikes against Iran. CENTCOM stated the action responded to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and described the Iranian actions as a violation of the ceasefire.

The strikes targeted more than 80 sites, including Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait.

Locations included Qeshm island, Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Bandar Mahshahr. Iranian state media reported explosions in those areas and stated that one IRGC Navy member was killed during a confrontation with a US drone in Bandar Mahshahr.

The attacks on the vessels occurred after the United States revoked a temporary license authorizing Iranian oil sales that had been part of the interim agreement framework.

Iranian Retaliatory Strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait

On July 8, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps carried out missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. The IRGC stated it struck the Fifth Naval District in Bandar Salman, Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The IRGC also reported shooting down a U.S. MQ-9 drone that attempted to interfere with the operation. Bahrain and Kuwait sounded air raid sirens. Bahraini officials stated that air defenses intercepted the incoming projectiles.

The Kuwaiti army detected and responded to hostile ballistic missiles and drones launched toward Kuwaiti territory; air defenses confronted approximately 30 hostile targets, with some ballistic missiles intercepted over residential areas and material damage reported from falling fragments in certain accounts.

The IRGC announced it launched an initial retaliatory operation against a US attack, targeting 85 points of key American military facilities in the West Asia region in a joint missile-and-drone operation.

Iranian Army forces declared drone strikes against concentrations of US forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain.

Qatari Response to Vessel Attack

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador and protested the attack on the Al Rekayyat as an unacceptable violation of international maritime navigation and global energy security.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded that the accusations were perplexing and that Tehran was fulfilling its commitments under the agreement while asserting that commercial vessels faced risks for using routes not coordinated with Iran.

Bahrain Official Condemnation

The Kingdom of Bahrain condemned in the strongest terms the renewed Iranian attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait carried out at dawn on July 8, in which ballistic missiles were fired toward their territories and successfully intercepted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs commended the vigilance of the armed forces of both countries and their readiness to confront any act of aggression.

The ministry described the attack as a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of both countries, a grave breach of the Charter of the United Nations and international norms, and a further defiance of international legitimacy resolutions, foremost among them United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026).

The ministry called on Iran to cease its unjustified attacks, reopen the Strait of Hormuz fully and without restrictions, respect freedom of maritime navigation under international law, comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, disclose the locations of naval mines and cooperate in their removal, establish a safe humanitarian corridor for civilian vessels, and allow stranded seafarers to depart and return safely.

The ministry emphasized that the Kingdom of Bahrain remains committed to peace and stability in the region and that defending Bahrain’s sovereignty, security and stability remains a red line.

Presidential Statement on Ceasefire Status

President Trump made the remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. He indicated he would direct U.S. negotiators to continue engagement only on terms he sets.

The ceasefire framework referenced in the statement stems from the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18, 2026, and mediated by Pakistan.

The 14-point MoU established an immediate cessation of military operations, a 60-day period for negotiations on a final deal, US commitment to lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports, Iranian commitment to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief on an agreed schedule, and a regional economic reconstruction plan valued at least $300 billion.

The document was signed by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and witnessed by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The events of July 7 unfolded during the funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Qom, part of multi-day ceremonies that included large crowds at Jamkaran Mosque and processions through the city.

Regional Naval Posture Update

CENTCOM stated that more than 20 U.S. Navy warships are patrolling waters across the Middle East. The command added that last month U.S. naval warships and aircraft transited the Arabian Sea in close formation.

Official Statements

• U.S. Central Command, July 7, 2026: “U.S. Central Command forces have begun launching a series of powerful strikes against Iran to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway. The U.S. strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

• U.S. Central Command, July 8, 2026: “Today, more than 20 U.S. Navy warships are patrolling waters across the Middle East as CENTCOM forces continue promoting regional security and stability. Last month, U.S. naval warships and aircraft transited the Arabian Sea in close formation, demonstrating unmatched American military strength and firepower.”

• President Donald Trump, July 8, 2026 (remarks at NATO summit in Ankara): “To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum... They’re led by sick people... I’ll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate—they’re good people... but they have to come back to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”

• Iranian Foreign Ministry, July 8, 2026: “The responsibility for the dangerous consequences of this escalation rests with the treaty-breaking US regime.” The ministry described the U.S. strikes as a flagrant violation of the memorandum of understanding and stated that Iran’s armed forces would not hesitate to defend the country’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and security under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, July 8, 2026: The Guard stated it carried out a joint missile and drone operation against key U.S. military sites in Bandar Salman, Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone attempting to interfere in the operation. The IRGC announced it launched an initial retaliatory operation against a US attack, targeting 85 points of key American military facilities in the West Asia region.

• Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters (Iran), July 8, 2026: The command condemned the U.S. strikes as a “blatant act of aggression,” threatened a “crushing response,” and warned that Tehran would not allow U.S. interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. The headquarters declared that the origin of any support provided to the aggressor US military in attacks against Iran’s sovereignty and territory would be regarded as a legitimate target for the Iranian Armed Forces.

• Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf (Iran), July 8, 2026: “The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”

• Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari, July 7, 2026: The spokesperson confirmed the Al Rekayyat is Qatari-owned and described the attack on the tanker as an “unacceptable attack” on international maritime navigation and global energy security. Qatar summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador and handed over a protest note.

• Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs, July 8, 2026: The Kingdom of Bahrain condemned in the strongest terms the renewed attacks by Iran against the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait, carried out against both countries at dawn today, in which seven ballistic missiles were fired toward their territories and successfully intercepted. The ministry commended the vigilance of the armed forces of both countries and their readiness to confront any act of aggression. The ministry said the attack constituted a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of both countries, a grave breach of the Charter of the United Nations and international norms, and a further defiance of international legitimacy resolutions, foremost among them United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817 (2026). The ministry called on Iran to cease its unjustified attacks, reopen the Strait of Hormuz fully and without restrictions, respect freedom of maritime navigation under international law, comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, disclose the locations of naval mines and cooperate in their removal, establish a safe humanitarian corridor for civilian vessels, and allow the more than twenty thousand stranded seafarers to depart and return safely to their families. The ministry emphasized that the Kingdom of Bahrain remains committed to peace and stability in the region, and that its patience must not be mistaken for complacency. It stressed that defending Bahrain’s sovereignty, security and stability, and protecting its people, remains a red line on which the Kingdom will not compromise.

• Iranian Army, July 8, 2026: The Islamic Republic of Iran Army declared that it had launched drone strikes against concentrations of US forces at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, in response to recent US attacks on military and civilian areas in southern Iran. The Army said the operation began early Wednesday after Washington’s violation of a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which was signed between Iran and the US on June 18, 2026. It warned that the strikes were a consequence of repeated breaches of the ceasefire and declared that all US military bases across the region would be considered legitimate targets for Iranian Army drones.

• Iranian Foreign Ministry (oil sanctions waiver), July 8, 2026: Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the United States’ revocation of its waiver for Iranian oil sanctions as a violation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two sides, saying Washington bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from the breach. The ministry issued a statement early Wednesday, hours after the US Treasury Department revoked the temporary waiver issued under the MoU that had allowed Iran to sell oil. “Less than 20 days after the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was signed, the announcement revoking the general license issued on June 21 is yet another indication of the US administration’s bad faith, inconsistency, and unreliability,” the ministry said in the statement. It added that the revocation came after the United States had already committed both major and minor violations of the MoU over the past 20 days, either directly or through Israel’s actions in Lebanon. The ministry emphasized that Iran has made every effort to fulfill its commitments under the MoU, “with good faith and using all its capacities,” while Washington, acting in line with its longstanding practice, has sought to justify its own violations under various pretexts. The ministry warned of the consequences of the US violations, emphasizing that Iran will take any measures it deems necessary to safeguard its national security and interests.

• Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, July 8, 2026: Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says any attempt by foreign forces to land on Iran’s shores would be met with overwhelming resistance, warning that the country’s coastline would become “a hell” for any invading force. Speaking in a televised interview on Wednesday, Sayyari described any attempt to land foreign troops on Iranian territory as a red line for the Iranian nation, adding that the United States had planned such an operation but failed to carry it out. He said the Iranian Army, together with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), law enforcement forces, the Basij, and the Iranian people, stand fully prepared to defend the country, adding that no amount of rhetoric would give Washington the courage to undertake such an operation. “The enemy knows that if it commits such a folly and lands forces on Iran’s coast, it will enter a hell from which there will be no escape,” the commander said. He dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claims that Iran’s naval forces had been destroyed, saying the remarks were intended to suggest that Washington could deploy troops along the Makran coast or near the Strait of Hormuz. Washington’s statements were aimed at portraying Iran’s coastline as vulnerable to military intervention, he said, adding that the United States is waging psychological warfare through repeated public statements intended to intimidate the Iranian people. Sayyari assured the public that Iran’s Armed Forces remain fully prepared to defend the country, saying the nation’s borders are secure and that no threat to Iran’s territorial integrity would be tolerated.