U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in a statement said it launched "approximately 90 strikes" against Iranian military targets Wednesday night into early morning Thursday(UTC), marking a second day of intensified conflict after President Donald Trump declared the existing ceasefire "over." The operation targeted air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets, missile and drone storage sites, and over 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast attack crafts to degrade Tehran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation was triggered by Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on July 7, which U.S. officials described as "unwarranted" violations of a June interim agreement. In retaliation to earlier US strikes, the IRGC claimed to have struck 85 U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, including Camp Arifjan and the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

Explosions were reported early Thursday, in multiple Iranian port cities, including Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, and Chabahar, while a railway bridge in Aqqala, northeast of Tehran, was also damaged.

Speakig to reporters aboard Air Force One on the way back home, from NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump claimed that the Iranians called "a little while ago" and sought a new deal "badly" but expressed doubt about their reliability.

Iranian officials reportedly denied they made such call to Trump or any US official, and expressed frustration for having to correct Trump's blatant lies.

Iran has since conducted strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to the latest US attack

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the United States would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air defense missiles, saying, "We're going to give a license to you to make Patriots... This way, you can't complain that we're not giving 'em enough."

Trump admitted the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, had not yet been informed of the decision but expressed confidence they would be "thrilled." This move addresses Ukraine's critical need for interceptors to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks, though Trump noted the U.S. currently has limited stockpiles to donate directly.

Regarding the conflict in the Middle East, Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran "over" and labeled the Iranian leadership as "scum" and "sick people," warning of imminent and hard U.S. military strikes.

Trump expressed frustration that NATO allies, with the exception of the United Kingdom, had refused to allow the U.S. to use their airbases for bombing missions against Iran. He also renewed his demand for the U.S. to acquire Greenland from Denmark, calling it "very important for the United States," a claim Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen firmly rejected, saying the territory is "not for sale."

Tensions flared over defense spending and alliance unity, with Trump initially threatening to cut off all trade with Spain for failing to meet the 3.5% GDP defense spending target and refusing to support operations against Iran.

However, his tone shifted later in the summit, where he praised Spain for being "very generous" and described a private meeting of NATO leaders as filled with "tremendous love" and unity. The summit concluded with a declaration reaffirming an "ironclad commitment" to Article 5.

Trump sparked security questions by opting not to fly home on the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, citing a desire to let U.S. troops tour the aircraft instead.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) completed a series of powerful strikes early Wednesday (UTC), hitting over 80 Iranian targets in immediate retaliation for attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired missiles and drones at three commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with reports of damage to vessels including a Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat and a Saudi crude tanker, but no casualties. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and U.S. officials confirmed the incidents.

In response, CENTCOM said it utilized precision munitions to degrade Iran's military capabilities, specifically targeting air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small boats.

"The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation. CENTCOM forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable." CENTCOM said in a post on X.

In response, Iran's top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has vowed a "crushing response," while state media reported explosions and injuries in the port cities of Sirik, Bandar Abbas, and on Qeshm Island.

Hours later, IRGC says in their "initial response" to the new US strikes they "destroyed 85 important US military installations in Port Salman, Bahrain, Bahrain's Fifth Naval Region, and Kuwait's Ali Salem Air Base, and shot down an enemy MQ9 drone that attempted to interfere in the operation." Sirens and air defenses were reported in Bahrain and Kuwait responding to Iranian missiles and drones.

The US earlier Tuesday, revoked a 60-day license that had authorized the sale of Iranian oil, a key component of the interim Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) signed in June between President Donald Trump and Tehran.

Iranian officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, condemned the actions as major violations of the agreement, asserting that "the era of bullying and extortion is over."

Latest escalation threatens to collapse ongoing peace negotiations aimed at permanently ending the war that began on February 28, 2026, following U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This comes amid a NATO summit in Ankara where Trump expressed disappointment in allied lack of support for the war.

Iran has accused the US of breaking the MOU by directing ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz via the Omani corridor instead of Iran-approved route.

The Joint Maritime Information Center has raised the threat level in the strategic waterway to "severe," warning mariners of continued hostile actions as diplomatic efforts to reopen the strait and address Iran's nuclear program face significant strain.