President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the Islamic Republic of Iran “will no longer exist” if the United States is forced to resume full-scale military operations, as American forces struck Iranian targets for a second consecutive day. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its aircraft had hit military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air-defence sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities in direct response to what it described as continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest exchange followed an alleged Iranian one-way drone attack on the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Kiku, which was carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil.

Viewed from Washington, the strikes are a calibrated response to repeated violations of a memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June that was meant to open a 60-day negotiation period toward a broader accord. US Vice President J.D. Vance stated that Iran could “pick up the phone” if it had disagreements over the implementation of the deal, but that “violence will be met with violence.” American officials maintain that the interim agreement requires unimpeded commercial transit through the strait, and they accuse Tehran of using drone and missile attacks to impose a de facto toll system on shipping. The US Navy-backed maritime body has expanded an alternative route along the Omani coast to keep tankers moving, a step that American planners see as essential to preventing a renewed oil-price shock.

Tehran offers a sharply different account. Iranian state television reported explosions in the southern region of Sirik, while the Revolutionary Guard said it had fired warning shots at vessels attempting to use channels not authorised by Iran. The foreign ministry in Tehran described its own strikes as “defensive” and accused Washington of failing to uphold the ceasefire, pointing in particular to what it calls an unfulfilled US commitment to halt Israeli military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian officials have long insisted that the Strait of Hormuz falls under their sovereign control and that they retain the right to charge fees for passage, a claim the United States rejects. Bahrain, which hosts a major American naval base, separately reported an Iranian drone incursion, calling it a violation of its sovereignty.

The renewed violence places the interim truce under severe strain. The 14-point memorandum, which also outlined steps toward gradual sanctions relief and a mechanism for UN oversight, had briefly allowed hundreds of stranded vessels to begin leaving the Persian Gulf, contributing to a sharp drop in crude prices. Analysts in European capitals note that the strait handles roughly one-fifth of global oil flows, and any prolonged disruption would reverberate through energy markets. The 60-day negotiation window remains formally open, but no new diplomatic track has been announced, and both sides are now exchanging military blows while accusing the other of sabotaging the path to a permanent settlement.