US Launches Massive Strikes on Iran as Hormuz Truce Collapses

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has launched a major wave of retaliatory strikes against Iranian military targets along the southern coast of Iran, hitting more than 80 targets with precision munitions on July 7–8. The operation — the most significant escalation since the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on June 17 — came in direct response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump, attending the NATO summit in Ankara, declared the ceasefire “over” and warned that further consequences would be “much more severe.”

What Triggered the Strikes?

The immediate catalyst was Iran’s attack on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz: the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity. According to Xinhua News, the attacks involved drone strikes against these vessels, which were likely following the U.S.-designated southern route through the strait near Oman.

CENTCOM responded by striking Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) small fast attack craft in and near the strait. The stated purpose, according to CENTCOM’s official statement, was to degrade Iran’s ability to attack international shipping moving through the critical waterway.

The Ceasefire Collapses

The June 17 MoU had provided a fragile framework for de-escalation. Its key provision — Article 5 — required Iran to “make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels” through the strait for 60 days. In exchange, the U.S. granted a temporary waiver (General License X) allowing Iranian oil exports. But the agreement was built on fundamentally different interpretations: Washington saw it as a commitment by Iran not to impede transit, while Tehran insisted it retained authority to manage and inspect vessels passing through.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump made clear his view that the diplomatic track had failed. “For me, I think it is over,” he said, according to Al Jazeera. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time.” The U.S. Treasury simultaneously revoked General License X, issuing a replacement license with a 10-day wind-down period, as confirmed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded by declaring the MoU “no longer valid,” citing U.S. violations of the agreement’s provisions on cessation of military operations and respect for sovereignty.

Iranian Retaliation

The IRGC retaliated swiftly, launching a combined missile and drone operation against 85 U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Targets included Salman Port — home to the U.S. 5th Fleet Headquarters — and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence reported that its air defenses intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles and 13 drones. Iran also claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, according to SOF News.

Explosions were reported in the Iranian coastal cities of Sirik, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, and on Qeshm Island, though no large-scale military casualties have been confirmed from either side.

Regional and Global Fallout

The escalation has sent shockwaves through the region and global energy markets. The EU aviation safety agency has warned airlines to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until August 31, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) raised the threat level in the Strait of Hormuz to “severe.”

With approximately 20% of globally traded crude oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the renewed hostilities are expected to drive oil prices significantly higher. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is reportedly considering releasing strategic oil reserves to stabilize markets.

Differing Interpretations at the Core

At the heart of the dispute remains a fundamental disagreement over who controls the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials insist that Article 5 of the MoU gives Tehran authority over managing traffic through the waterway. “This is the only way,” Ebrahim Azizi, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary commission on national security, wrote on X. “Recognise the new and Iranian order in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Majid Shakeri, an adviser to Iran’s chief negotiator, put it more starkly on state television: “Either we hold on to this strait, or we go and become martyrs for it one by one.”

What Comes Next?

The collapse of the MoU leaves the region at a critical juncture. Key questions remain unanswered: Will Iran resume attacks on commercial vessels? Will the U.S. reimpose a naval blockade on Iranian oil ports — a step Trump threatened at the NATO summit? Will Israel escalate its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, now that the constraints of the MoU have been removed?

President Masoud Pezeshkian, who faced domestic criticism from hardliners for backing the deal, accused Washington of following a “MAGA playbook” of bullying and rule-bending. On X, he wrote: “Iran rejects such games. We stand firmly for our rights.”

For now, both sides appear to be calibrating their responses to avoid a full-scale regional war. But with the diplomatic framework in ruins and the Strait of Hormuz once again a theater of active hostilities, the margin for miscalculation is narrowing by the hour.