TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The United States (US) launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump declared that the interim ceasefire between the two countries was "over," marking another sharp escalation in the conflict despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
According to DW, the latest US operation targeted Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, following Washington's accusations that Tehran had attacked three commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes were intended to degrade Iran's capacity to disrupt freedom of navigation in one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.
"The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
The latest military action came hours after Trump, speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, declared that the interim agreement to halt hostilities with Iran was finished.
"We hit them very hard last night," Trump said. "We'll probably hit them hard again tonight."
The US president also threatened to target additional Iranian civilian infrastructure, including power plants, desalination facilities, and Kharg Island, a major hub for Iran's oil exports. Trump accused Tehran of behaving "very badly" and blamed Iran for missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
As reported by DW, Iranian authorities responded with renewed warnings, saying they would close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States followed through on further military action. State-affiliated PressTV, citing unnamed officials, also reported that Tehran vowed to retaliate against any future attacks at a ratio of "two to one."
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf also rejected what he described as US intimidation.
"The era of bullying and extortion is over," Qalibaf wrote on X. "It leads nowhere. We don't fold."
The latest escalation followed reports that Iran had launched missile attacks against US facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain earlier in the day, further raising tensions across the Middle East.
Meanwhile, international mediators urged both sides to avoid further escalation.
Pakistan, which helped broker the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding that established the temporary ceasefire, called on both countries to honor their commitments.
"Pakistan urges all sides to uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)," the Pakistani Foreign Office said in a statement.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also appealed for restraint and renewed diplomatic engagement.
"The secretary-general calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid any further escalatory action, and take immediate steps to de-escalate," his spokesperson said.
Despite increasingly confrontational rhetoric and continued military exchanges, diplomatic contacts between Washington and Tehran were reportedly still ongoing, leaving uncertainty over whether negotiations could prevent the conflict from widening further.
Read: Trump Says Deal to End Iran War Is 'Over'
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