US launches strikes on Iran for a second day after Trump says agreement to end the war is ‘over’

What Happened

The US military conducted another wave of strikes on Iran on Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump declared that an interim ceasefire agreement was 'over'. US Central Command confirmed the operations, stating they aimed to 'further degrade [Iran's] ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz' in retaliation for 'recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping'. Iranian state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Bushehr province—home to the Bushehr nuclear power plant—while Iran's Mehr news agency said the plant itself was undamaged. Additional blasts were reported on Abu Musa Island, one of three islands claimed by the UAE that underpin Iran's Strait of Hormuz control measures. Trump, posting on Truth Social alongside an unverified image of an explosion in Chabahar, warned: 'If it happens again, it will get much worse!' An unnamed US official told Reuters that the Wednesday strikes were expected to be larger than Tuesday's operations, which had targeted military sites and port facilities after Iran's targeting of merchant vessels off Oman.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The strikes mark a sharp escalation in direct US-Iran hostilities, with the collapse of a short-lived interim ceasefire deepening a cycle of retaliation centered on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit chokepoint. Targeting Iranian military and port infrastructure, and with explosions reported near the Bushehr nuclear complex, the operation risks broadening into a wider conflict that could draw in regional proxies and disrupt energy markets. Trump's rhetoric—declaring the deal 'over' and hinting at a 'finish the job' approach—signals a break from diplomatic off-ramps, while domestic criticism from figures like Senator Bernie Sanders underscores political divisions over the use of force without congressional authorization.

Watch For

Monitor whether Iran retaliates with further attacks on commercial ships or US assets, and whether the US responds with the larger strikes Trump threatened. Watch for damage assessments or IAEA statements regarding the Bushehr nuclear plant, and any Iranian repositioning on the Abu Musa islands that might provoke a UAE response. Diplomatic signals from Oman-mediated backchannels or reactions from the E3 and Gulf states will be critical, as will any US Congressional moves to restrain or authorize further military action.