The US has completed a third wave of strikes on Iran, which in turn has retaliated with attacks on Gulf countries. This comes days after US President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire with Iran “over”, following weeks of cautious calm and a diplomatic push to cement the initial peace deal.
So how did we get here?
Monday, July 6:
– Mr Trump says the US will either reach a deal with Iran or “finish the job,” renewing threats of military action during the scheduled 60-day period to negotiate a final settlement.
– On the night of July 6, the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency receives the first report that a tanker has been hit by a projectile east of Limah, in Oman. The vessel is Qatari liquefied natural gas carrier Al Rekayyat, which catches fire.
– Iran's state broadcaster says an oil tanker has been attacked after it tried to sail “through the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz, with US Navy support”. It says the vessel ignored warnings.
– Another vessel is hit off Oman's coast, according to UKMTO. It is later identified as the Wedyan, a Saudi-flagged supertanker.
Tuesday, July 7:
– Qatar blames Iran for the attack on its LNG tanker. It summons Iran's deputy ambassador to protest against an “act of aggression”.
– UKMTO issues an alert for a third tanker attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. It reports no material damage.
– Later that day, the US revokes a waiver allowing Iran to sell oil despite sanctions, in the wake of the three tanker attacks.
– The US then launches a series of strikes on Iran, after accusing Tehran of attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command says the “powerful strikes” aim to “impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping”.
Wednesday morning, July 8:
– Centcom announces it has hit more than 80 targets in Iran, including air-defence systems and boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
– Air-raid sirens are activated in Bahrain and Kuwait, as Iran retaliates. Iranian state media says US forces in the Middle East were the target of the drone attacks.
– Iran's top negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accuses the US of breaching the interim deal. “The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold,” he writes on X.
– Mr Trump says he thinks the ceasefire is “over”, while addressing a journalist's question at the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey. “To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them any more. They're scum. They're led by sick people … as far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them,” he says of the Iranian regime.
Wednesday afternoon, July 8:
– Mr Trump threatens to launch more military action against Iran in “the coming hours”, saying key infrastructure could be attacked.
– He later plays down the prospect of the fighting returning to full-scale war. “I don't think it is going to start again. I think it's going to go very quickly,” Mr Trump says when asked about his earlier comments.
Wednesday night, July 8:
– The US launches renewed strikes on Iran to “further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”, Centcom says.
– “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” Mr Trump writes on Truth Social. “If it happens again, it will get much worse.”
– Mr Trump says Iran “called”, seeking to “make a deal”.
Thursday morning, July 9:
– Centcom says it has completed its second round of air strikes against Iran, attacking about 90 military targets.
– Kuwait says its air defences are responding to missile and drone threats, with at least one person injured in the attacks. Bahrain's Ministry of Interior says sirens were activated, while Qatar's Interior Ministry issues an alert saying the “security level is high” and urging residents to stay home. The IRGC says the strikes were the first phase of a “punitive response” to US military action.
– Mr Ghalibaf warns of retaliation against US attacks. “America has still not learnt that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. To be clear: if you strike, you'll get hit,” he writes on X. The Strait of Hormuz “will only be open under Iranian arrangements, not American threats”, he adds.
– Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz comes to a near-standstill as the US and Iran exchange fire.
– Iran's Foreign Ministry accuses Washington of committing a “gross war crime” and breaching the ceasefire agreement. At least 14 people died and 78 were wounded in the US strikes on Iran, the Health Ministry says.
Thursday afternoon, July 9:
– Jordan says it “intercepted and dealt” with a missile attack launched by Iran. The IRGC confirms targeting Jordan's Al Azraq Airbase as part of the second phase of retaliation against US attacks.
Friday, July 10:
– The US launches another wave of strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, after Tehran is accused of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
– Iran condemns the attacks as a violation of the June ceasefire. “Iran has so far kept its word … there can only be mutual compliance,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posts on X.
– UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urges “all parties to honour the ceasefire and redouble efforts to reach a lasting agreement”, and warns that renewed fighting could destabilise the wider Middle East.
Saturday, July 11:
– Centcom strikes Iranian coastal-defence systems, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone sites across regions including Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Jask and Qeshm Island.
– The IRGC strikes the GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship, transiting the strait in the evening.
– Iran also retaliates by launching missiles and drones at several countries, targeting US and allied facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman, causing damage to oil infrastructure and injuring personnel.
– Iran says it has closed the Strait of Hormuz, which the US denies.
Sunday, July 12:
– The US military says it hit more than 100 Iranian military targets on a second night of attacks on air-defence systems, coastal radar sites, and missile and drone capabilities.
– Iran launches drone and missile attacks on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, triggering air-raid sirens in Bahrain, while strikes were reported in Qatar, Oman and Jordan.
– Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, says avenging the assassination of his father and predecessor was “the demand of the nation”. Mr Trump responds on Truth Social that “1,000 missiles are locked and loaded” if Iran acts on threats against him.
Monday, July 13:
– The US strikes Iran for a third consecutive night. Mr Trump notifies Congress that “limited” military action has resumed in Iran.
– US Central Command says it will resume its naval blockade going to and from Iranian ports at midnight.
– Jordan says its air defences intercepted and shot down four missiles fired from Iran.
– Two UAE tankers hit by Iranian missiles in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz. One person is killed and eight others injured.
Tuesday, July 14:
– Explosions reported in Iran in the regions of Bushehr, west of Bandar Abbas, and Jaghadak.
– IRGC strikes Bahrain and Kuwait again, with missiles and drones, after what it alleged were US air strikes on military and coastal sites in southern Iran.
– Mr Trump proposes charging a 20 per cent fee on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, angering Iran and transport companies.
