By Anietie anii-bassey
Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply on Wednesday after the United States launched a series of military strikes against Iranian targets, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile attacks on U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The latest exchange of fire has cast serious doubt over the future of the fragile interim agreement between Washington and Tehran, while sending global oil prices sharply higher and renewing fears of a wider regional conflict.
The U.S. military carried out the strikes just hours after Washington revoked a license that had allowed Iran to openly sell its oil under a temporary agreement reached following weeks of negotiations. American officials said the decision was made in response to recent Iranian attacks on commercial vessels navigating the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking later on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the interim agreement with Iran had effectively collapsed, although he stopped short of officially ending diplomatic efforts.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump told reporters when asked about the status of the ceasefire arrangement between the two countries. While acknowledging that American negotiators would continue talks with Iranian representatives, he expressed little optimism that meaningful progress could still be achieved.
“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” the president said.
Trump’s remarks immediately fueled concerns that months of diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing another prolonged conflict in the Middle East may be unraveling. Financial markets reacted quickly, with Brent crude oil prices surging more than five percent as investors feared further disruptions to global energy supplies.
The latest confrontation comes during the multi-day funeral ceremonies for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during the opening stages of the recent war between Iran and Israel.
Iranian authorities had hoped the mourning period, which concludes on Thursday, would provide an opportunity for tensions to ease before negotiations resumed. Instead, violence has intensified, overshadowing the ceremonies.
Crowds attending funeral processions have repeatedly chanted slogans calling for revenge against both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reflecting the deep anger inside Iran following Khamenei’s death.
Negotiators from both countries had planned to resume discussions after Khamenei’s burial to address several of the most contentious issues remaining under the interim agreement.
Those negotiations were expected to focus on permanently reopening the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted international shipping and placing further limits on Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
Wednesday’s military exchanges have now placed those plans in serious jeopardy, although neither Washington nor Tehran has formally withdrawn from negotiations.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf responded defiantly, declaring that pressure from the United States would not force Iran to retreat.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” he wrote on social media. “It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”
The U.S. Central Command confirmed that American forces launched precision strikes targeting multiple Iranian military facilities, describing the operation as a direct response to attacks against commercial shipping in international waters.
According to the military, the operation targeted Iranian air defense systems, radar installations, and more than 60 fast attack boats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. American officials said the vessels had played a central role in threatening commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow waterway remains one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes, carrying roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil and natural gas before the recent conflict erupted.
During the war, Iran demonstrated its ability to severely disrupt shipping through the strait, placing enormous pressure on global energy markets and increasing prices for oil, fertilizer and food around the world.
Military officials said the operation was intended to impose significant costs on Iran for targeting commercial vessels crewed by civilian mariners.
The Central Command added that U.S. forces remain prepared to respond again if Iran violates the terms of the agreement or continues attacking international shipping.
Iranian state media reported multiple explosions across the country following the strikes. Among the locations reportedly hit were Bandar Mahshahr, where one member of the Revolutionary Guard was said to have been killed, and Bushehr Province, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant complex.
Shortly afterward, Bahrain and Kuwait activated missile warning systems after Iranian forces launched retaliatory strikes aimed at American military facilities in both Gulf nations.
Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, while Kuwait is home to major U.S. Army installations supporting American operations throughout the region.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard later issued a statement confirming that it had targeted U.S. military positions in both countries.
The latest exchange closely mirrors a similar cycle of attacks that unfolded last month, when Iranian assaults on commercial shipping were followed by U.S. military retaliation and subsequent Iranian missile attacks against American bases in the Gulf.
The renewed violence unfolded while President Trump was attending a NATO summit in Turkey, where security concerns surrounding the Middle East dominated discussions among allied leaders.
Senior United Arab Emirates diplomat Anwar Gargash condemned Iran’s missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait, saying they demonstrated that Tehran remained unwilling to pursue genuine de-escalation after the recent war.
Before launching the strikes, the United States revoked a special license that had temporarily suspended sanctions on Iranian oil exports. The arrangement had allowed Tehran to openly sell crude oil in exchange for U.S. dollars for the first time in years as part of the interim diplomatic agreement.
The suspension followed attacks earlier this week on commercial vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
One oil tanker caught fire after being struck while sailing off the coast of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. Iranian state television reported that the vessel had ignored warnings before coming under attack but stopped short of claiming responsibility.
Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said the damaged tanker was carrying Qatari natural gas. He condemned the incident as an unacceptable attack on international navigation and global energy security, adding that Qatar holds Iran legally responsible for the assault.
The two other vessels targeted during the incident sustained only minor damage and were able to continue their voyages without injuries to their crews, British maritime authorities said.
As part of the interim agreement, Iran and the United States had agreed to permit commercial vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely for 60 days without imposing transit charges.
However, Tehran has maintained that it should control shipping routes through the waterway and has indicated it eventually intends to collect passage fees, a proposal strongly opposed by Washington and Gulf Arab states.
The ships attacked earlier this week were reportedly using navigation routes closer to Oman’s coastline rather than lanes designated by Iranian authorities.
Meanwhile, funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, attended by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian alongside senior Iranian and Iraqi officials, including Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falah al-Zaidi.
Additional funeral prayers were scheduled to take place later at the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala before Khamenei’s body is returned to Iran.
His remains are expected to be buried on Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared publicly during any of the funeral ceremonies that began in Tehran over the weekend. Reports indicate he remains in a secure location after reportedly suffering injuries during the airstrike that killed his father.
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