Iran alleges US cruise missile attack in northern Golestan, warns of retaliation
Trump called the Iranian leaders "cuckoo" and said he’s “not happy” with the regime as conflict in West Asia resumed.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed that a US cruise missile struck the Aq Taka Khan bridge area in Aqqala, in Iran’s northern Golestan province. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, the IRGC’s Golestan branch said the attack caused no casualties and vowed a “crushing” response.
The latest strike comes as the US military confirmed it had launched fresh attacks on Iran, hours after US President Donald Trump declared that the interim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the conflict with Tehran was “over”.
The US military said the strikes were intended to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.
The attacks followed heightened tensions after Iranian officials reportedly warned they would retaliate against any renewed assault on Tehran. The warning came after Trump, speaking during a press briefing in Ankara on Wednesday, said the United States would “probably hit Iran tonight”.
Amid the escalating conflict, an Indian oil tanker was turned back from the Omani coast in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iran’s Fars news agency.
Separately, Oman and the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced a temporary shipping corridor along the Omani coast of the Strait of Hormuz to facilitate the evacuation of vessels stranded in the Gulf.
Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump said the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Iran to halt the fighting between Washington and Tehran was “over”. He also criticised the Iranian leadership, describing them as “sick people”, signalling a sharp deterioration in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
Warning sirens rang out across Bahrain for the second time on Thursday morning, as authorities issued a fresh alert amid heightened regional tensions. The Interior Ministry urged residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest safe place, advising the public to follow official instructions while emergency measures remained in effect.
The siren has been sounded.. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place .
US carried out fresh airstrikes on military and port facilities across Iran on Thursday, drawing Tehran to launch retaliatory missile and drone attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar, escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf.
The latest strikes came hours after US President Donald Trump declared that the fragile interim ceasefire with Iran was effectively over, blaming Tehran for recent attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said the operation was aimed at further weakening Iran's ability to threaten international shipping through the strategic waterway.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr, Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Konarak and Sirik, while sirens sounded across Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Kuwait's military said it intercepted incoming drones and missiles, and there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.
Trump warned that any further attacks on shipping would trigger a stronger US response, saying the situation "will get much worse" if Iran continues targeting vessels. He also reiterated threats to strike Iran's civilian infrastructure and oil facilities, including Kharg Island. (AP)
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Thursday issued a warning to the US, saying any military action against Iran would be met with a direct response. In a post on X accoubt, Ghalibaf said, "“Let me be clear: Strike, and you will be struck," adding that "bullying and breaking promises are no longer without cost." He also rejected what he described as US pressure over the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that access through the waterway would depend on "Iranian arrangements" rather than "American threats." "Do not flail around pointlessly, or you will sink deeper," he wrote.
The conflict between the US and Iran escalated early Thursday after Iran launched missiles and drones towards Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in retaliation for a fresh round of US airstrikes on Iranian military targets. Air raid sirens sounded across the three Gulf nations, with Kuwait saying it intercepted several ballistic missiles and drones. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, according to the news agency Associated Press. The US military said its strikes targeted Iranian air defence systems, radar installations and Revolutionary Guard boats to weaken Tehran's ability to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump warned that any further attacks on commercial shipping would invite an even stronger response, while Iranian leaders insisted they would not back down.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed that a US cruise missile struck the Aq Tekeh Bridge area in Aqqala, located in Iran’s northern Golestan province. According to Iran’s Fars news agency, the IRGC’s Golestan branch said the attack caused no casualties and vowed a “crushing” response to the strike.
The U.S. carried out another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump said that recent Iranian attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of the ceasefire.
Military officials said in a social media post that the strikes were intended to “further degrade” Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait.
The action comes just a day after the U.S. military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities following Iran’s targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman.
The social media post said that the U.S. “is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”
Iranian state media reported explosions, including in the port city of Bandar Abbas on the strait and in Sirik, another southern coastal city.
AP
Iraq has agreed to new controls aimed at preventing US dollars from flowing to Iran and its militia allies in exchange for the Trump administration lifting a four-month suspension in shipments of American currency to Baghdad, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing US and Iraqi officials.
- Reuters
As the US and Iran resumed hostilities in West Asia, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "Addressing the Civilized and Courageous Nation of Iran with derogatory language does not diminish its Greatness."
"Iranians are known for their civility, culture, and strong moral values. We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valor," Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
Addressing the Civilized and Courageous Nation of Iran with derogatory language does not diminish its Greatness.
Iranians are known for their civility, culture, and strong moral values. We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valor.
US President Donald Trump defended his handling of the Iran war during a press conference in Ankara and reiterated his previous comments that he was a target of Tehran.
"They had leaders, they're gone... Now they have another set of leaders. They may be gone. And you know what, I may be gone too, because I'm their number one target," the US President said.
US President Donald Trump, during a press briefing at the NATO Summit on Wednesday, called America's Iran operation a "success" and said Iranian leaders "are gone" and it is mandatory to "denuclearise Tehran."
US President Donald Trump, responding to a reporter's question on extracting Iran's enriched nuclear material, said: "We will get enriched nuclear material when Iran is eliminated or when a deal is reached."
VIDEO | Ankara, Türkiye: "We will get enriched nuclear material when Iran is eliminated or when a deal is reached," says US President Donald Trump.
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/PCrTCTAa9i
Iranian officials on Wednesday threatened to retaliate if there is any fresh attack on Tehran after US President Donald Trump, during a press briefing in Ankara, warned that America "will probably hit Iran tonight", Al Jazeera reported.
Iranian military on Wednesday said that at least eight military personnel were killed in the latest US strikes in southern Iran.
The Iranian military, in a statement, added that personnel were serving in the air force and the navy, BBC reported.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday said India is deeply concerned over the recent attacks and escalation of tensions in West Asia, after fresh strikes against commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Our statement on recent developments in West Asia ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/rWqcGzeW2M pic.twitter.com/wqhZBuZ3Pv
US President Donald Trump, at the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday, said America has already secured the nuclear material from Iran "because it is so far underground nobody is going to be able to get it except us."
Iran has threatened to strike "enemy" targets at a ratio of two to one, a security source aware of the development told Tehran's Press TV after US President Donald Trump, during a press briefing in Turkey, warned that America “will probably hit Iran tonight”.
US President Donald Trump, during the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday, cast doubt on the durability of any future talks or agreement with Iran on the nuclear issue.
"I’m not sure it will with Iran. If we make a deal with Iran, I’m not sure that will stick, because I found them to be very dishonourable people," Trump said.
Iranian administration threatened on Wednesday to shut the Strait of Hormuz in the event of any fresh attack on Tehran after US President Donald Trump, during a press briefing in Ankara, warned that America "will probably hit Iran tonight".
Addressing a press conference at the NATO Summit in Turkey, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said America's latest strikes on Iran had “a tremendous impact”, and claimed that Washington destroyed Tehran's radar systems, which the Islamic Republic was rebuilding.
"Their electric manufacturing facilities, electric plants… if we have to, we’ll take them out. Desalination plants…we’ll take them out if we have to. I hate to do that," the US President added.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said the Iranian strikes on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and at the US bases in West Asia violated the interim Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran
US President Donald Trump, during the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday, said his administration may reimpose a naval blockade on Iran after the Islamic Republic attacked a series of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
"We may put back the blockade. And there’ll only be a blockade for Iran; anyone else can have whatever, of course," Trump said.
US President Donald Trump, while addressing a press briefing at the NATO Summit in Turkey, called the Iranians "evil, sick people" and said that "they're mentally disturbed."
.@POTUS on the Islamic Republic of Iran: "They're evil people. They're sick people. They're mentally disturbed people. It should've been done 47 years ago." https://t.co/ZVCFOxjeug pic.twitter.com/zYAINewzSQ
Addressing a press briefing at the NATO Summit in Turkey, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said America "may take over Kharg Island" and may strike Tehran "very hard tonight".
US President Donald Trump, while addressing a press briefing at the NATO Summit in Turkey, doubted whether Washington and Tehran can make a deal and said, "I don't know if we're going to have a deal...They lie and they cheat."
Trump further added, "They've (Iran) misbehaved for 47 years. They've killed our soldiers; they've killed our people...We have a score to settle."
.@POTUS on Iran: "I don't know if we're going to have a deal... They lie and they cheat... They've misbehaved for 47 years. They've killed our soldiers; they've killed our people... We have a score to settle." pic.twitter.com/RN9q1YV8b3
Addressing a press briefing at the NATO Summit in Turkey, US President Donald Trump called Iranian leaders "cuckoo" and said he’s “not happy” with the regime as conflict in West Asia resumed.
US President Donald Trump addressed a press briefing in Ankara amid the NATO Summit and warned Iran that America will be carrying out strikes tonight, and called the Iranian leaders "cuckoo".
US President Donald Trump, during the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday, said that Washington will "strike Iran tonight as Tehran violates ceasefire every day."
UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) chief Arsenio Dominguez has said that at least 6,000 seafarers remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz off the Persian Gulf as the US and Iran renewed their conflict in West Asia, teetering the ceasefire and negotiations.
"No seafarer should have to risk their life simply for doing their job. The safety of seafarers must remain our foremost priority," IMO's Dominguez said, BBC reported.
Oil prices jumped more than 4 per cent on Wednesday, hitting a two-week high after US President Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the conflict with Iran was "over", renewing fears of disruptions to Middle East oil supplies.
A Qatari LNG tanker was still stuck off Oman coast on Wednesday awaiting salvage operations, shipping data showed, a day after it was hit by a projectile, while the US military said two other tankers had been targeted by Iran in recent days.
- Reuters
At least four oil and gas tankers have been turned back from transiting the Strait of Hormuz since Iran launched attacks on the vessels in the strategic waterway on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
An Indian-flagged vessel, Lila Vadinar, that was carrying two million barrels of Kuwaiti crude oil, was turned back off the Oman coast in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tracking data reportedly showed.
A senior Iranian lawmaker, Ebrahim Azizi, on Wednesday said the "new Iranian order" must be recognised in the Strait of Hormuz as there was "no alternative" amid renewed conflict with the United States in the strategic waterway, BBC reported.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was scheduled to visit Israel on Wednesday, has cancelled his visit amid renewed hostilities in West Asia with Iran, Tel Aviv's Channel 12 reported.
Bahrain's army on Wednesday said that it thwarted Iranian attacks as fighting between the United States and Iran resumed, teetering the ceasefire and talks to end the conflict.
The United Nations agency, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), has urged shipping operators to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and condemned the attack on ships in the strategic waterway.
"These reckless attacks have again placed innocent seafarers in grave danger," IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said, as reported by the BBC.
Al Jazeera, citing Iran's Fars news agency, reported that an Indian oil tanker was turned back from the Omani corridor in the Strait of Hormuz.
Bahri, the Saudi crude oil carrier that was involved in an incident in the Strait of Hormuz on July 7, has been reported safe, with all crew members on board reported to be safe as well.
(Al Jazeera)
Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry condemned the Iranian attacks on neighbouring Bahrain, describing the strikes as 'heinous' and saying they represent a "flagrant violation" of Bahrain's sovereignty and a direct threat to its security.
بيان صادر عن وزارة الخارجية
الأربعاء 8 يوليو 2026
تُعرب وزارة الخارجية عن إدانة دولة الكويت واستنكارها الشديدين للاعتداءات الإيرانية الآثمة التي استهدفت مملكة البحرين الشقيقة اليوم، وما تمثله من انتهاكٍ صارخٍ لسيادتها، وتهديدٍ مباشرٍ لأمنها واستقرارها وسلامة مواطنيها والمقيمين… pic.twitter.com/LFNxwsJ0C2
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian described the US government's foreign policy as one of "bending rules, bullying rivals, creating obstacles, and cheating."
The U.S. government's conduct as World Cup host follows its familiar foreign policy: bending rules, bullying rivals, creating obstacles, and cheating. This is their MAGA playbook. Iran rejects such games. We stand firmly for our rights.
Iran's Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned that any source of support for the US military in its actions against Iranian sovereignty would be considered a legitimate target for the country's armed forces.
Al Jazeera, quoting Iranian Tasnim news agency, said: “Any support for the aggressive US Army in its aggression against the sovereignty and territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be a legitimate target for the Armed Forces.”
(Al Jazeera)
Following the US attacks on Tuesday night, airport authorities in Iran's Hormozgan province said no damage had been caused to the infrastructure or equipment at Bandar Abbas International Airport.
(Al Jazeera)
The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, condemned the Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait, calling them "Iran's continued approach aimed at undermining international and regional efforts to consolidate security, peace, and resolve the crisis."
معالي الأمين العام لمجلس التعاون @jasemalbudaiwi : الهجمات الإيرانية الغادرة على مملكة البحرين ودولة الكويت، هي استمرار لنهج إيران الرامي لتقويض مساعي الجهود الدولية والإقليمية لترسيخ الأمن والسلام وحل الأزمة.
https://t.co/PPoXCzrBQQ#_ #_… pic.twitter.com/XMkelBl4WX
Oman's Foreign Ministry condemned the Iranian strikes targeting the neighbouring territories of Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as the incidents involving two commercial ships from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
| تعرب وزارة الخارجية عن إدانة سلطنة عمان للاستهدافات العسكرية التي طالت أراضي مملكة البحرين ودولة الكويت الشقيقتين، وما تعرّضت له سفينتان تجاريتان سعودية وقطرية من حوادث استهداف في مضيق هرمز، مؤكدةً تضامنها مع الدول الشقيقة في كل ما من شأنه صون أمنها واستقرارها وسلامة… pic.twitter.com/mQxhm6ByaJ
Iran said that the US attacks on Tuesday killed one person and injured two others in affected areas of Khuzestan province.
Quoting Iran's Tasnim news agency, Al Jazeera reported that the strikes hit the cities of Mahshahr, Imam Khomeini Port, and Hamidieh in the southwestern province.
Amid the latest escalation between Iran and the US, CNN, citing two Israeli sources, reported that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has cancelled his planned visit to Israel on Wednesday.
Earlier reports had said that Hegseth was set to make his first visit to Israel as Defence Secretary, where he was scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz.
(CNN)
Kuwaiti Electricity Ministry said that some power transmission lines have gone out of service following the Iranian attacks.
(Reuters)
Oil prices soared more than 5% after US President Donald Trump said that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran was "over" following the latest exchange of strikes in the Middle East.
Brent Crude jumped 5.3 per cent to $78.09 a barrel, while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, advanced 5.4 per cent to $74.23 a barrel.
Sensex down 1700 points, Nifty 500 as US President Donald Trump announced that an MoU signed with Iran, aimed at ending the war between Washington and Tehran, was “over".
US President Donald Trump, on Wednesday (Jul 8), said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with Iran, aimed at ending the war between Washington and Tehran was "over", slamming the Iranian leadership as "sick people".
Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, Trump said, "To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them. They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people."
"As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them. They're liars. We make a deal ... We make a deal, everyone's agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal, they go outside, talk to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There's something wrong with them. They're cuckoo. As far as I'm concerned, it's over," he added.
He said that the negotiations can continue, adding that Tehran was "wasting" its time.
Kuwait's foreign ministry expressed its “strongest condemnation and denunciation of the repeated, illicit Iranian attacks,”, stating that the "continuation of these brazen attacks — at a time when regional and international efforts toward de-escalation are underway — systematically undermines efforts to lower tensions.”
Funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in Iraq's Najaf, with thousands of mourners present.
The slain Iranian leader's body arrived yesterday in the Iraqi city alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and other senior officials.
Khamenei's body has been kept in a casket, draped in the Islamic Republic’s flag, encased in glass.
UAE adviser Dr Anwar Gargash said that Iran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and its repeated aggression against Bahrain and Kuwait show Tehran is not committed to de-escalation.
In a post on X, Gargash said that the repeated attacks by Iran were "a clear indication that Tehran is incapable of adhering to the requirements of de-escalation and turning the page on war".
"The Gulf Arab states cannot continue to be the target of Iran's oscillation between the logic of escalation and the path of rationality, stability and peace," he said.
Sirens sounded for a third time in Bahrain, said the interior ministry, after Iran targeted the island kingdom following the US strikes. "The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the interior ministry said.
The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place .
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the latest US strikes on Iran were "absolutely necessary".
"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react," he told reporters before the summit began, according to news agency Reuters.
He further said that he expects that the alliance, on Wednesday, will reconfirm that Tehran should completely reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that it carried out a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Bandar Salman, Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The IRGC further said that it also downed a US MQ9 drone attempting to interfere with the operation.
Bahrain sounded its missile alert for the second time after Iran targeted the island kingdom over the US strikes. "The siren has been sounded .Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the interior ministry said.
The siren has been sounded .Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that they targeted 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, describing the operation as a response to what they called a US violation of the ceasefire.
The Kuwaiti army said that it was responding to missile and drone attacks after Iran threatened retaliation for a wave of US strikes.
"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks. The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they are the result of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks," the Kuwaiti army said in a post on X.
"Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities," it added.
تتصدى حالياً الدفاعات الجوية الكويتية لهجمات صاروخية وطائرات مسيرة معادية.
تنوه رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش أن أصوات الانفجارات إن سمعت فهي نتيجة اعتراض منظومات الدفاع الجوي للهجمات المعادية.
يرجى من الجميع التقيد بتعليمات الأمن والسلامة الصادرة عن الجهات المختصة.… pic.twitter.com/nhXrpThL4T
Air sirens are activated in Bahrain, said the interior ministry, after the United States hit 80 targets in Iran following Tehran's strikes on commercial ships in the Hormuz.
"The siren has been sounded ..Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the interior ministry said.
The siren has been sounded ..Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.
"The alarm siren has been activated. Citizens and residents are requested to remain calm, head to the nearest safe location, and follow updates through official channels," it said.
A White House official said Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun has been invited to visit the United States on July 21, according to news agency Reuters.
This comes after Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington in June following days of US-mediated talks aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States of committing “major” violations of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), citing Washington's strikes on Iran, renewed oil sanctions, Threats of further strikes, violations of Iranian “adjustments” in Hormuz and continued Israeli attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X. “We don’t fold.”
Major MOU Violations by the US:
Violating Iranian adjustments in the Strait
Persistent threats of further strikes
Reinstating oil sanctions
Attacks on southern Iran
Continued Zionist aggression on🇱🇧
The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.
Oil prices climbed nearly 2 per cent on Wednesday (Jul 8), after the United States launched airstrikes against Iran and reimposed crude sales sanctions.
Brent crude futures gained $1.38, or 1.9%, to $75.54 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed to $71.81 a barrel, up $1.37, or 1.9% at 0128 GMT.
Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, early on Wednesday (Jul 8), said that the United States committed a "blatant act of aggression" by targeting parts of southern Iran, further vowing a "crushing response". It further warned that Tehran will not tolerate US interference in managing the Hormuz.
The US Central Command said that it hit over 80 targets in Iran, calling the attacks an "immediate response” to the latest strikes by Tehran on commercial ships. The strikes, according to CENTCOM, targeted Iranian air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near Hormuz.
"U.S. forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait (of Hormuz) to degrade Iran's ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor," it said in a statement.
"The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation," CENTCOM added.
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