Donald Trump Ends Iran Ceasefire and Launches Airstrikes

President Donald Trump announced the end of a three-week interim ceasefire with Iran on July 8, 2026, during a NATO summit in Ankara. The collapse of the agreement followed Iranian attacks on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. military targets in the Persian Gulf. In response, the U.S. Central Command executed two rounds of retaliatory airstrikes on July 9 and 10, hitting approximately 170 targets across Iran, including missile launchers, air defense systems, railway bridges, and sites near the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Iran retaliated with barrages of drones and missiles targeting U.S. military infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Iraq, including a strike on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. These hostilities coincided with the burial of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February. While Trump characterized the Iranian regime as a "cancer" and suggested a doctrine of regime change, he later stated he did not expect a full-scale war, claiming the U.S. hit Iran "20 to 1."

The conflict caused significant global economic volatility. Brent crude prices surged toward $79 per barrel before retreating, and the International Monetary Fund lowered its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.0 percent. Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near-standstill, with daily oil flows dropping from 20 million to 14 million barrels. Despite the escalation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other regional mediators sought a return to diplomacy to prevent further instability.