President Donald Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that the United States was preparing for another night of strikes, hours after declaring the ceasefire over amid attacks on American military sites in the Gulf. Trump made the remarks in Ankara, Turkey, on the sidelines of a NATO summit.
He said the U.S. had hit Iranian targets, including air-defense systems, radars, and more than 60 small boats used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The strikes were retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, accusing Iran of launching drones and missiles at ships. The latest exchanges have raised fears of a renewed conflict in the region.
Trump stated that the ceasefire was effectively over, though he said negotiations could continue. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said. The U.S. military’s Central Command said the strikes aimed to impose heavy costs for targeting civilian shipping in an international waterway critical to global energy supplies.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bandar Mahshahr, where a Revolutionary Guard member was killed, and in Bushehr, home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex. Bahrain and Kuwait also reported missile alerts and intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones. Kuwait said it intercepted two missiles and 13 drones launched by Iran.
Earlier, the U.S. revoked a license allowing Iran to conduct oil sales in U.S. dollars, following recent attacks on shipping. A tanker near Oman was hit and caught fire, with Iran’s state media claiming it ignored warnings. Qatar called the attack an unacceptable threat to international navigation and energy security.
Funeral services for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were held Wednesday in Najaf, Iraq, with Iranian and Iraqi officials in attendance. His body will be returned to Iran for burial Thursday in Mashhad, his birthplace. The escalating violence has intensified fears of broader conflict in the Middle East.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
