The US military has attacked over 80 targets in the region.Image: www.imago-images.de
After the attacks on several tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the US military has again attacked targets in Iran. Tehran responds with attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait. This is known for the renewed escalation in the Middle East.
Jul 7, 2026, 11:54 p.mJul 8, 2026, 7:58 am
What happened?
The US military’s regional command (Centcom) responsible for the Middle East announced on Wednesday night that a series of violent attacks had been launched against Iran. The attacks were four or five times stronger than attacks around a week and a half ago.
Iranian media reported explosions in the port city of Sirik on the Strait of Hormuz and on the island of Qeshm during the night. There were also Iranian reports of explosions in the area of the large city of Bandar Abbas. According to the Iranian broadcaster Press TV, several people were injured.
At 4 a.m. on Wednesday night, the US military declared the attacks over. Over 80 targets were attacked. The armed forces hit, among other things, air defense systems, anti-ship missiles and more than 60 Revolutionary Guard boats in or near the Strait of Hormuz, said the responsible regional command Centcom. This has impaired Iran’s ability to disrupt shipping traffic in the strait.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defends the US attacks. The reaction was “absolutely necessary,” Rutte said at the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara on Wednesday morning. If Iran violates the ceasefire, as has been seen with attacks on ships, “a decisive response from the USA is essential,” added the NATO chief.
NATO chief Mark Rutte.Image: keystone
How does Iran react?
Iran has condemned the renewed US attacks as a violation of the framework agreement. The US action to reinstate sanctions on Iranian oil and the subsequent attacks constituted a “serious violation” of the agreement, wrote Deputy Foreign Minister Kasem Gharibabadi on Platform X.
Like a reporter from Axios Reported on Wednesday morning, Iran has launched drone strikes on Bahrain as a result of the escalation. He is referring to statements made by a US official. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry writes on X that the alarm sirens have been activated. It is said that residents should remain calm and go to the nearest safe place.
According to the army, Kuwait also came under fire after the US attacks. The air defenses are repelling enemy missile and drone attacks, the army of the country allied with Washington said on X early this morning. There was initially no further information.
Bahrain and Kuwait, like other Gulf states, have come under Iranian fire several times. They all house US military bases located just a few hundred kilometers from Iran.
Why are the attacks coming now?
According to the US military, the attacks were in retaliation for attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Several tankers have been hit in the region in recent days. According to the British merchant shipping safety authority UKMTO, a tanker was hit by a drone and was slightly damaged. Almost at the same time, the authorities reported another incident in which a tanker was hit by a projectile.
Particularly severe damage was reported by the Qatari liquid gas tanker “al-Rekajat,” which, according to the ship’s crew, was hit by an “unknown projectile.” Qatar blamed Iran for the attack and spoke of a threat to the security of international shipping and global energy supplies.
It initially remained unclear whether individual reports referred to the same incident and who was behind the attacks. Washington blames Tehran for attacks on three merchant ships. Iranian state television said a liquid natural gas tanker was attacked after ignoring warnings, according to media reports. Tehran initially did not officially comment on the allegations or claim responsibility. However, Iran has repeatedly stated in recent days that only the route it has specified through the Strait of Hormuz is safe.
In addition, the USA reinstated the previously relaxed sanctions on Iranian oil. The US Treasury Department announced that an exemption granted a good two weeks ago will be revoked. New transactions with crude oil, petrochemicals and petroleum products of Iranian origin are once again prohibited.
Oil prices rose sharply after the attack. A barrel (159 liters) of the reference Brent variety for delivery in August rose 2.6 percent to $76.09 in early trading. The Brent price had already risen three percent on Tuesday due to the attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
What does that mean for the negotiations?
The new US attack increases the risk of an even greater military escalation in the region. After weeks of fighting between the USA, Israel and Iran, a preliminary agreement was reached last month that should create space for deeper negotiations. These discussions are currently stalled.
Trump recently threatened Iran again and said that there would either be an agreement or the USA would “finish the job”. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then said that negotiations on a final agreement would not begin as long as threats continued.
Is the war now flaring up again?
However, according to Thomas Juneau, a professor at Canada’s University of Ottawa, both Iran and the USA currently want to avoid a resumption of war.
-The terms of the ceasefire are excessively vague, it is clear that the US and Iran interpret them differently, it is clear that neither the US or Iran is in the mood for compromise, and their many differences remain fully unresolved.
-Breaches in the ceasefire are therefore… https://t.co/OgLJnvlGQu
— Thomas Juneau (@thomasjuneau) July 7, 2026
The conditions for the ceasefire are extremely vague, both sides obviously interpret them differently and are not willing to compromise, the expert explained on X. Their many differences remain unresolved, so violations of the ceasefire are unavoidable. Both are likely to de-escalate again soon – possibly after a few mutual retaliatory actions – it was said. However, the longer the outbreaks of violence last, the more difficult de-escalation becomes, said Juneau.
(ome/sda/dpa)