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Ceasefire plunged into greater uncertainty amid fresh US strikes in Iran – as it happened
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Original article by Kate Lamb, Fran Lawther and Nadeem Badshah
Closing summary
The US has renewed strikes on Iran for a second day running, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
President Donald Trump said he believed an interim ceasefire with Iran to be “over”.
We are closing this blog for now, but here is a quick recap of the latest:
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X that the additional attacks against Iran were conducted to “further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait. The US strikes rattled several cities along Iran’s southern coast and left some areas without power.
Iran responded with a second day of attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain, both home to US military bases, with sirens sounded in both countries. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their response would extend to other US bases in the region if the US repeats its attacks.
Kuwait’s defense ministry said it was intercepting missiles and drones, while Qatar briefly issued an “elevated security threat” alert before later giving the all-clear.
Trump vowed that ‘much worse’ was to come. “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” he wrote on Truth Social, “If it happens again, it will get much worse!”.
Asked before a Nato summit in Turkey on Wednesday whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump said: “It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them.”
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, vowed that the strait of Hormuz would remain under Iranian management. “The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened only under Iranian arrangements, not through U.S. threats,” he wrote on X.
The latest exchange of strikes appeared to dim hopes of turning a memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June into a permanent deal to end the war, which began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February.
The fresh strikes come as Iranians are preparing to bury their late supreme leader Ali Khamenei in his home town of Mashhad in North-east Iran on Thursday, after he was killed in US strikes this February. The Ayotallah’s burial follows a multi-day funeral ceremony that attracted millions of mourners across various cities in both Iran and Iraq.
Updated
Control over the strait of Hormuz, and how it might be managed in the future is one of the key points of contention between the US and Iran.
Why does this narrow strait matter so much?
The strait of Hormuz is one of the most important arteries for global trade. About 20% of all oil supplies and about 20% of seaborne gas tankers pass through it.
The strait lies between Oman and Iran. It links the Gulf to the north with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is 20 miles (33km) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lanes just 2 miles (3km) wide in either direction.
This location makes it a crucial choke point for oil deliveries from Opec countries to customers in Asia. Options to bypass the strait are limited.
Iran's top negotiator says strait of Hormuz will only open under 'Iranian arrangements'
MB Ghalibaf has commented on the ongoing conflict, reiterating that Iran intends to control how the strait of Hormuz is managed.
Writing on X, he said:
America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit. Don’t flail around pointlessly, or you’ll sink even deeper: the Strait of Hormuz will only open with ‘Iranian arrangements,’ not American threats.
Kuwait says responding to 'hostile’ missile, drone attacks
Kuwait’s air defences were intercepting “hostile missile and drone attacks”, its military said on Thursday.
The General Staff of the Army notes that any explosions heard are a result of air defense systems intercepting hostile attacks,” the Kuwait military said in a post on X, without specifying their origin.
Our full report of all the latest is here:
Bahrain’s interior ministry has confirmed the air raid sirens.
The siren has been sounded,” the interior ministry said in a post on X. “Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”
Missile alerts sound in Bahrain and Qatar
Missile alerts are sounding in Bahrain and Qatar after the US launched new round of airstrikes against Iran, the Associated Press is reporting.
There was no immediate word of any damage in the two Gulf Arab states.
We’ll bring you more details as they come in.
Updated
A few more images of the funeral procession ahead of the burial of former Iranian leader, Ali Khamenei, in his home town of Mashhad in northeast Iran.
The late supreme leader’s burial follows a multi-day funeral ceremony that has attracted millions of mourners across various cities in both Iran and Iraq.
The coffin is being transported in a refrigerated vehicle, as seen above.
Interested in reading more about the mood in Iran, and the apparent lack of a circuit breaker in this conflict?
The Guardian’s Patrick Wintour has this analysis with the latest:
Updated
Trump says security concerns involving Iran weren’t a factor in flying two planes home from the Nato meeting in Turkey.
Asked if he was aware of any credible threats by Iran against Air Force One, the president brushed off the question.
I have a threat all the time. I’m number one of their list,” he said, repeating earlier comments that he’s one of Iran’s top assassination targets.
He said the newer plane was sent ahead to a military base in the United Kingdom so service members there could see it. Reporters travelling with Trump told him they were asked to keep their window blinds closed during the flight from Turkey to the UK aboard the older Air Force One.
Iran state news agency Irna has reported that a firefighter has been killed after an attack on Iranshahr Airport in South-eastern Iran.
Iran to bury Khamenei in hometown as US ramps up strikes
Iranians were preparing on Thursday to bury their slain leader Ali Khamenei in his hometown of Mashhad in northeast Iran, as new US strikes threatened to trigger a fresh escalation in the Middle East war.
The late supreme leader’s burial follows a multi-day funeral ceremony that attracted millions of mourners across various cities in both Iran and Iraq.
Here are some images of those scenes across Iran in recent days.
Khamenei was killed on 28 February, the first day of the US-Israeli strikes that started the war.
After a marathon procession through the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday, he was to reach his final place of rest in the holy city of Mashhad.
Mashhad governor Hassan Hosseini was quoted on state television as saying he “expects 15 million people” to attend Khamenei’s funeral.
According to the official IRNA news agency, Khamenei is to be buried Thursday evening in the Shrine of Imam Reza – Iran’s most revered place of worship. Imam Reza is the only one of the 12 Shia imams buried in Iran.
Amid fear the war in Iran could be reignited, on Wednesday UN chief Antonio Guterres called “on all parties to exercise maximum restraint” – as did Pakistan, a key mediator in the US-Iran talks.
Iran said foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Qatar’s prime minister had spoken over the phone on Wednesday and “underscored the importance of using diplomatic means to resolve regional issues”.
US strikes today targeted a maritime traffic control tower and a depot in Iran’s South-eastern port of Chabahar, a local official told Fars news agency.
Separately, Iran’s Mehr news agency said that explosions were also heard in Iran’s South-eastern city of Iranshahr.
Mohsen Rezaei, a military advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, wrote on X “the aggressor enemy and its accomplices will be severely punished”.
US senator Bernie Sanders condemns strikes
The US senator Bernie Sanders said “restarting his reckless war with Iran won’t make America stronger. It will cost more lives and waste more taxpayer dollars”.
In a post on X, he added that “after getting the United States into a war based on lies, Trump has now declared the ceasefire with Iran ‘over’ after less than a month”.
Updated
Donald Trump says latest strikes are 'retribution' for Iran bombing ships
Alongside a picture purporting to be an explosion in Chabahar, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social this evening: This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran. If it happens again, it will get much worse!”
Updated
Iran’s ISNA news agency reported two out of three power lines that were cut off by US air strikes on Chabahar have now been restored. And the third power line will soon be operational again.
Iran’s Mehr news agency reported the U.S air strikes targeted two marine piers and a maritime traffic control tower in the Iranian port city of Chabahar, adding the separate attacks on Bushehr province in southern Iran did not cause damage to the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Fatemeh Aman, an Iran expert and a former non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute and a former senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told The Guardian: “The latest attacks raise the risk of renewed escalation, but whether they develop into a broader conflict will depend on the responses of all parties.
“No major actor seems to benefit from an open-ended regional war. However, repeated military exchanges increase the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation. At the same time, channels for de-escalation remain open, making the situation highly fluid.
“The economic impact is already visible. Even limited attacks can push up oil prices, increase shipping and insurance costs, and undermine investor confidence, particularly if tensions affect the Strait of Hormuz. If the conflict remains contained, the economic damage may be temporary.
“However, a sustained cycle of attacks or disruption to maritime traffic would have much broader consequences for regional stability and the global economy.”
State media also reported explosions were heard in Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex.
US strikes Iran after Trump threats - what we know so far
Iran’s Mehr agency said explosions were heard near Konarak and Chabahr. Iranian reports also said air defenses were engaging “hostile targets” near Bandar Abbas. Iranian state TV reported further explosions are heard in Abu Musa Island, one of three small islands that are claimed by the United Arab Emirates and provide the backbone of Iran’s hold over the strait of Hormuz.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X: “At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Wednesday’s strikes against Iran expected to be bigger than those carried out on Tuesday, an unnamed U.S. official told Reuters.
Iran’s Nournews cites military source as saying that Iranian armed forces to launch a “massive” attack on U.S army bases in the region shortly.
Updated
Wednesday’s strikes against Iran expected to be greater in number than those carried out on Tuesday, an unnamed U.S. official told Reuters.
Updated
Sahar, a 34-year-old teacher in Tehran who uses only one name to protect her identity, said the latest attacks have left families worried about new strikes on the residential areas. “Every night we remain alert, in fear, and charge our phones, keep our packed bags near the doors, and sleep lightly because we do not know when we will have to rush and leave the house,” she said. “People here are tired and fed up; we want peace, dignity, and a normal life, not another unending war decided over our heads.”
Meena, a 29-year-old graphic designer, said the fresh strikes have deepened a sense of uncertainty among young Iranians already struggling with economic crisis and limited freedoms. “My generation has grown up with sanctions, protests, internet shutdowns, and now missiles,” she said. “We are not statistics. We are people trying to work, study, love, and plan a future, but every crisis pushes that future further away.”
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB is reporting that shrapnel from US projectiles have struck the Imam Ali hospital in Chabahar.
Iranian state TV reports further explosions are heard in Abu Musa Island.
The island is one of three small islands that are claimed by the United Arab Emirates and provide the backbone of Iran’s hold over the strait of Hormuz.
Here is an earlier explainer from Saeed Shah:
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB is reporting eight explosions were heard in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas with air defence systems activated as a result.
Iran threatens 'massive' retaliation against US bases, state media report
Iran’s Nournews cites military source as saying that Iranian armed forces plan to launch a “massive” attack on U.S army bases in the region shortly.
Updated
Iran’s IRNA is reporting power cuts in Chabahar after reports of explosions from the area.
Tonight’s strikes come 24 hours after the US had launched strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets around the strait of Hormuz and revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Tehran to export oil after Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Nato summit in Ankara, Donald Trump had earlier declared the ceasefire with Iran is over.
US confirms new strikes on Iran
U.S. Central Command has confirmed the strikes, posting on X: “At the direction of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Updated
The US military says it’s carrying out another round of strikes after Iran attacked ships in Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.
The latest strikes came as Iran’s Mehr agency said explosions were heard near Konarak and Chabahr. Iranian reports also said air defenses were engaging ‘hostile targets’ near Bandar Abbas.
The new attacks came hours after Donald Trump declared that an interim agreement to end the war with Iran was “over”.