US-Iran Ceasefire Collapses, Triggering Fresh Round of Strikes Across Gulf Region
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN — July 9, 2026 — A fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed this week, plunging the region back into open conflict as the two sides traded dozens of strikes across the Gulf, just weeks after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was meant to end the war .
President Donald Trump declared the interim ceasefire “over” on Wednesday, July 8, while attending a NATO summit in Ankara, stating that continued negotiations were “a waste of time” . The collapse came after Iran was accused of attacking three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which triggered massive US retaliatory strikes .
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US Strikes Target Iranian Military Infrastructure
The US military launched its largest operation against Iranian assets since the April ceasefire took effect, striking over 80 targets, including air defense systems, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) near the strait . A US official told The New York Times that the strikes were intended to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor” .
CENTCOM later confirmed an additional round of strikes targeting approximately 90 Iranian military sites along the coastline, including missile and drone storage facilities and military logistics infrastructure .
Trump issued stark warnings to Tehran, stating that if ships were attacked again, the US response would “get much worse” . He also threatened to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants, and suggested the US could “take over Kharg Island,” Iran’s primary oil export hub .
Iran Retaliates with Attacks on US Bases in Gulf States
Iran responded swiftly and forcefully to the US strikes. The IRGC announced it had hit 85 US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, including Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, as well as facilities in Juffair and Sheikh Isa in Bahrain . The attacks triggered air raid sirens across both countries, though no major casualties were reported .
“We will not allow US interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz,” Iran’s top joint military command said in a statement, warning of a “crushing response” to further US attacks .
Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused the United States of “major violations” of the MoU, including threatening further strikes, reinstating oil sanctions, and supporting continued Israeli aggression in Lebanon . “The era of bullying and extortion is over,” Qalibaf wrote on social media. “It leads nowhere. We don’t fold” .
Diplomatic Efforts Continue Despite Open Conflict
Despite the renewed fighting, both sides appear to have left the door open to continued diplomacy. Trump said US negotiators could “keep talking if they want,” but he expressed deep skepticism about reaching a lasting deal with Tehran .
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Indirect technical talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan had been underway in Doha as recently as the start of the week, focused on managing the strait’s shipping and unfreezing Iranian assets . Those negotiations have been suspended amid the latest escalation.
The United Nations, China, and the European Union have all called for restraint and a return to diplomacy. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm that the renewed hostilities “risk derailing the diplomatic progress achieved between Iran and the United States” .
Economic Impact and Global Concerns
The resurgence in fighting sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Brent crude jumped nearly 6%, climbing above $78 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose more than 4% to settle at $73.52 . Though some shipping has resumed through the strait, traffic remains significantly below pre-conflict levels, with only 36 ships recorded transiting on Monday, down from over 100 daily before the war .
The new phase of the conflict could threaten the future of the fragile MoU signed in June, which had provided for a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent peace deal . That agreement required Iran to dilute its enriched uranium stockpile in exchange for US sanctions relief and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
SOURCES / INPUTS
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