Renewed fighting shatters fragile pause after tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz
WASHINGTON / ANKARA — President Donald Trump declared that an interim agreement aimed at ending the war with Iran was “over” on Wednesday, after a new round of U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory Iranian attacks on American military sites in the Gulf sharply escalated a conflict that had appeared, only weeks ago, to be moving toward de-escalation.
The latest fighting followed attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint. U.S. officials said the strikes targeted Iranian military and infrastructure sites in response, while Iran accused Washington of violating the interim understanding and widening the war.
The renewed hostilities quickly rippled through global markets, with oil prices jumping nearly 6 percent after Trump said the ceasefire was effectively finished. Brent crude rose above $78 a barrel, while U.S. crude climbed to $74.55, underscoring the vulnerability of energy markets to renewed fighting around Hormuz.
Iranian strikes hit U.S. sites in Bahrain and Kuwait
Iran responded to the U.S. attacks with drone and missile strikes aimed at U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, according to Reuters and other reports. Tehran framed the strikes as retaliation for the U.S. operation and warned regional states against allowing their territory to be used for American military action.
The confrontation marked a sharp turn from the fragile diplomatic framework announced last month, which had been intended to reopen maritime passage and reduce the risk of a wider regional war. Trump, speaking as he attended a NATO summit in Ankara, said further talks could continue but described the existing accord as no longer viable.
NATO backs U.S. action as allies confront new crisis
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the latest U.S. attacks as “absolutely necessary,” saying Iran had violated the ceasefire through the tanker incidents. His remarks came as NATO leaders gathered in Turkey under the shadow of renewed Middle East escalation and broader questions about allied support for Washington’s Iran policy.
The summit was already expected to focus on defense spending, alliance cohesion and U.S. pressure on European partners. But the Iran strikes placed the war back at the center of transatlantic diplomacy, with Trump criticizing allies he said had not sufficiently supported the U.S. position.
Energy security and civilian risk return to the forefront
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most important maritime corridors for oil and gas shipments. Any sustained disruption could raise costs far beyond the immediate conflict zone, with higher fuel and shipping prices likely to hit import-dependent and lower-income countries hardest.
The latest escalation also comes as Iran continues public mourning for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose death in an earlier U.S.-Israeli strike has further inflamed tensions inside the region. Al Jazeera reported that the renewed U.S. strikes came despite an earlier promise by Trump to pause attacks during the funeral period.
For now, the diplomatic path remains unclear. Trump said talks could still continue, but the exchange of strikes has shattered the immediate premise of the interim accord and returned the war to a volatile phase — one with direct consequences for global energy markets, regional stability and civilians already living under the pressure of conflict.
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