Donald Trump Ends Iran Ceasefire After Maritime Attacks

President Donald Trump declared an interim ceasefire with Iran terminated on July 10, 2026, following a cycle of military escalation and attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The collapse follows a series of strikes on July 7, where U.S. forces hit approximately 80 to 90 targets across Iran, killing 17 people and injuring 115. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated by targeting 85 American military positions in Bahrain and Kuwait.

The conflict, which began in February 2026 with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has now shifted to a dispute over nuclear materials and maritime access. The United States is demanding the surrender of highly enriched uranium, which Trump termed nuclear dust, as a non-negotiable condition for any new deal. U.S. officials stated that if this material is not handed over, the military may employ low-cost options to make it permanently inaccessible.

Diplomatic tensions have risen as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. Treasury Department of violating a June 17 memorandum of understanding by revoking oil sanctions waivers. While Trump stated that the ceasefire is over, he indicated the U.S. would continue negotiations for a permanent peace. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan are attempting to salvage diplomacy, with Araghchi traveling to Oman to discuss the status of the Strait of Hormuz.