The United States and Iran launched a second day of retaliatory attacks, escalating hostilities after President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire was "over." US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed strikes on approximately 90 Iranian military sites, including drone and missile storage facilities and logistics hubs along the coastline. The Pentagon stated the operation targeted Iran's capacity to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it attacked US-linked facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, naming Arifjan and Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, and Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain. Iranian forces also targeted a Patriot missile system in Kuwait, a satellite antenna in Qatar and fuel depots in Bahrain. Kuwait's Ministry of Defence reported intercepting missiles and drones, while Qatar raised its security threat level. Iranian state media reported US strikes on a railway bridge in the northeast, disrupting the Tehran-Mashhad line, and attacks on a military base in Bushehr, near the country's only civilian nuclear plant. Air raids were reported over Kish Island, and explosions hit Bandar Abbas, Konarak and Chabahar, with some areas losing power. At least three people died near Ahvaz, and one firefighter was killed in Iranshahr, according to IRNA. Iran's Health Ministry confirmed 14 deaths and 78 injuries over the past two days. The renewed violence threatens the memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June with mediation from Pakistan and Qatar, intended to sustain a ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani urged Iran and the US to uphold the agreement during a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Trump, returning from the NATO summit in Turkiye, said Iran had reached out seeking a deal, while warning of harsher consequences if attacks continue.
Trump declared the ceasefire over while simultaneously claiming Iran reached out begging for a deal, exposing a contradictory stance that undermines diplomatic stability. The strikes on Iran's railway and military infrastructure have caused civilian casualties and disrupted essential services, yet the US frames the campaign as targeted and limited. Iran's retaliation against US facilities in allied Gulf states risks dragging regional powers into the conflict despite their mediation efforts. The breakdown of the MoU, brokered by Qatar and Pakistan, now hangs on unpredictable messaging from Washington.
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