The US has continued carrying out airstrikes against Iran after President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the ceasefire between the nations is “over” in the wake of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
The president wrote on social media on Wednesday that the strikes were “retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” warning that attacks could “get much worse” if hostilities continue
The Republican told reporters on Air Force One that Iran had reached out recently, claiming Tehran still wants to make a deal “so badly,” though Iran has not confirmed any such overtures
Explosions have been reported in coastal areas across southern Iran, and missile sirens have sounded across Gulf nations warning of potential strikes from Tehran
The resumption of attacks comes as the president said he was “not sure” if he wanted to make a deal with Tehran going forward
Asked why he now viewed Iran’s leadership as “scum”, the US leader told the Nato summit that he “got to know ‘em”
US says latest strikes intended to ‘degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation’ in Strait of Hormuz
The US military said its latest strikes were aimed at protecting commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after recent attacks on vessels
US Central Command said the operation was intended to “further degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation” and “further degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation” in the vital waterway
In a statement, it said: “The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Maroosha Muzaffar9 July 2026 06:10
Iran dismisses Trump’s ‘scum’ remark and says they will answer with ‘action’ and not ‘vulgarity’
Donald Trump claimed that Iran had reached out seeking a deal but questioned whether Tehran could be trusted to uphold any agreement
He told reporters: “I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people.”
Later, he said: “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal – I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal, that’s the problem.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, hit back and dismissed further negotiations. “We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valour,” Araghchi wrote on X
Maroosha Muzaffar9 July 2026 05:50
Trump says Iran wants a deal ‘so badly’ after US military action
Iran’s parliamentary speaker says Strait of Hormuz will not operate under ‘American threats’
Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned Washington that any further attacks would draw a response after the US launched fresh strikes overnight
“Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit,” he wrote on X, adding that the Strait of Hormuz would only operate under Iranian arrangements and not “American threats”
Maroosha Muzaffar9 July 2026 05:10
Trump says Washington would request even more forcefully if Iran targeted shipping again
Donald Trump has warned that Washington would respond even more forcefully if Iran targeted shipping again, while US Central Command said the operation was aimed at protecting freedom of navigation through one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes
The renewed conflict has raised fears of a wider regional crisis and sent shockwaves through global markets
Brent crude climbed more than 5 per cent to nearly $80 a barrel as investors worried about disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, while US stock markets fell
The fresh strikes have also dealt a blow to hopes that last month’s interim truce between Washington and Tehran could be turned into a lasting peace agreement
Maroosha Muzaffar9 July 2026 04:50
US launches second wave of strikes on Iran
The US launched a second wave of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, hours after president Donald Trump declared that an interim agreement to end the conflict was “over”
Iranian state media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the coastal city of Sirik and Bushehr province, while the US military said the attacks were intended to weaken Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz
The latest escalation came after three commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz were attacked, prompting the US to carry out what it described as retaliatory strikes
Maroosha Muzaffar9 July 2026 04:18
Reignited Iran fight rattles Wall Street
With the US and Iran once again trading strikes, traders across Wall Street are racing to factor in more potential disruptions to the global economy
“We always expected it to be a rocky road to resolution, but this is a pretty big rock,” Tyler Rosenlicht, head of natural ret’s really tough to be confident in anything.”
On Wednesday, Brent crude oil futures rose 5.2 per cent and US oil futures were up 4.4 per cent
Josh Marcus9 July 2026 04:01
PHOTOS: Mourners arrive at Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad for funeral of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei
Josh Marcus9 July 2026 03:30
ICYMI: Tenuous state of a US-Iran ceasefire renews anxiety over high fuel prices
The potential unraveling of a fragile truce between Iran and the United States renewed anxiety Wednesday over whether fuel prices would go back up if sustained fighting kept oil tankers from traveling through the Persian Gulf
Oil prices rose to their highest point in weeks after President Donald Trump declared the U.S. ceasefire with Iran over, responding to Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and on American military sites in other Gulf nations. Costlier crude oil could lead to costlier gas station fill-ups as drivers in many countries were getting a break from elevated prices brought on by the war
“Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially stopped, which tells you more about risk perception right now than any statement from Washington or Tehran,” said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy, in an email. “Oil markets reacted quickly to the renewed geopolitical risk.”
U.S. gasoline prices increased slightly Wednesday to an average of $3.80 for a gallon of regular, up from $3.79 the day before, but still well below the month-ago average of $4.16, according to motor club federation AAA
Crude oil makes up the bulk of the price of gasoline, so when oil prices rise, gasoline eventually follows. But it can take weeks for consumers to feel the full impacts. That’s because refiners make gasoline with oil purchased in advance. The finished product then has to travel through a system of pipelines and trucks to reach gas station pumps
More details in the full story
The tenuous state of a US-Iran ceasefire renews anxiety over high fuel prices
The potential unraveling of a fragile truce between Iran and the United States has renewed anxiety over fuel prices
Cathy Bussewitz and Mae Anderson9 July 2026 03:00
Trump still insisting Iran conflict isn’t a war
President Trump continues to argue the US-Israeli conflict with Iran is not a war, even as American forces have struck targets across Iran on Wednesday
“It’s really not a war so much”, he told reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday. “It’s a de-nuking of Iran. De-nuclearisation of Iran”
“So this is all about taking nuclear weapons, not allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons”, he added. “And everybody should like that”
Josh Marcus9 July 2026 02:30
