WASHINGTON/DUBAI(RAHNUMA): President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to “militarily complete the job” against Iran and warned that the Islamic Republic would “no longer exist” if the United States is forced to resume full-scale war, after a fresh exchange of attacks further strained a fragile ceasefire.
The warning came after US forces struck multiple Iranian military targets, saying the action was in retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“United States aircraft just struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations, and coastal radar sites, for violating the Cease Fire Agreement, AGAIN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started. If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”
A statement from the Iranian foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the US strikes on southern Iran as violations of interim deal.
“These brutal attacks … show that the US does not place the slightest value and credibility on its commitments, and breaking promises is part of its nature,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The latest clashes have cast fresh doubt on negotiations aimed at ending the conflict launched by the US and Israel in late February and underscore the continued risks facing one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.
Iran retaliates against US sites in Gulf
Hours after Trump’s warning, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Sunday that its navy and aerospace forces had launched a joint missile and drone operation targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The Guards said the attacks were carried out in response to recent US strikes against Iran and warned that further violations of the ceasefire would halt diplomatic efforts.
“Violating the ceasefire is contrary to Clause 1 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by Press TV.
Ahead of the IRGC statement, Kuwait’s army said the country was under attack from “hostile” missiles and drones, while in Bahrain air-raid sirens sounded.
“Kuwaiti air defenses are currently engaging hostile missile and drone attacks. Everyone is urged to adhere to the safety and security instructions issued by the relevant authorities,” the army wrote on X.
In Bahrain, which hosts a major US naval base, the interior ministry called on residents to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.”
Bahrain earlier came under attack on Friday by several Iranian drones and Manama accused Tehran of sabotaging peace efforts. The Bahraini Foreign Ministry described the attack as “a flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents.” No immediate reports of casualties or damage were released.
US strikes on Iran
US Central Command said American aircraft had targeted Iranian surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities at multiple locations in and near the Strait of Hormuz.
The military later said the strikes involved 10 Iranian targets.
Washington said the operation was launched after Iranian forces attacked the Panama-flagged oil tanker Kiku with a one-way drone. The vessel was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil.
Iranian media reported several explosions in the Sirik and Qeshm areas of southern Iran.
The latest military action followed another round of tit-for-tat strikes a day earlier, when the United States attacked Iranian targets after another merchant vessel, the Ever Lovely, came under attack.
US Vice President JD Vance said Iran should “pick up the phone” if there are disagreements over the ceasefire agreement, warning that “violence will be met with violence.”
Shipping lanes under pressure
The renewed violence has again highlighted tensions surrounding control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports pass during peacetime.
Iran has warned ships not to enter or leave the Gulf without its authorization and has threatened to impose transit fees. However, vessels have increasingly sought alternative routes through waters near Oman.
The Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the US Navy, said it was expanding a shipping route near Oman’s coast to accommodate both inbound and outbound traffic, a move that could create another flashpoint with Tehran.
A British maritime security agency reported that another tanker came under attack in the strait on Saturday, although no group immediately claimed responsibility.
The center warned that the threat to shipping remained “substantial” and advised mariners to expect continued naval operations and mine-clearing efforts.
Economic and diplomatic stakes
Despite the renewed attacks, oil prices have fallen sharply in recent days on hopes that shipping through Hormuz would gradually recover.
Analysts say Iran may continue limited, calibrated actions in and around the strait to maintain pressure on international shipping while avoiding a wider war.
The economic toll on Iran has continued to mount. The country’s statistics agency said annual inflation had risen to 88.6 percent in June, up from 68 percent in February.
The United States and Iran are attempting to negotiate a final agreement under an interim 60-day framework that covers freedom of navigation in the Gulf and the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
The latest exchange of strikes, however, has renewed fears that the conflict could once again spiral beyond the negotiating table and into a broader regional war.
