The fragile US-Iran ceasefire has come to an end, as both sides traded intense strikes for the second consecutive day this week. President Trump has declared that the truce with Iran is over while wrapping up the NATO summit in Turkey on July 8.
The US military alleged that it had hit approximately 90 targets over Iran on Thursday night, following earlier roughly 80 strikes on Tuesday. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have since then retaliated by targeting US-linked sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, triggering air raid sirens across the Gulf.
Iran also fired ballistic missiles towards a US base in Jordan, though the Jordanian authority confirmed that the missiles were intercepted with no damages or casualties. Tahran claims the US strikes on the country hit its Bushehr nuclear plant’s perimeter, an allegation US officials have since denied.
Despite the war escalation, Trump insists he doesn’t want a return to full-scale war, and diplomatic backchannels through Pakistan and Qatar remain active. Still, analysts warn Iran’s government may lack real control over the Revolutionary Guard Corps, making a ceasefire difficult to enforce.
