The interim ceasefire between the United States and Iran collapsed on Thursday as both sides carried out a new round of military strikes, widening a conflict that has now drawn in several Gulf states. US Central Command confirmed that American forces struck approximately 90 military targets across Iran, including missile launchers, air defence systems and logistics hubs, in what it described as an operation to degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Hours later, Iranian state media reported that the armed forces had launched ballistic missiles and drones at US Patriot systems in Kuwait, an early-warning facility in Qatar, a fuel depot in Bahrain, and the Azraq airbase in Jordan, which hosts American personnel. Kuwait’s military said it intercepted three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and ten drones, with one person injured by falling debris; Jordan confirmed it shot down eight projectiles, while Bahrain and Qatar declared high alert.

Viewed from Washington, the strikes were a direct response to what US officials described as Iranian attacks on three commercial tankers attempting to transit the strait. President Donald Trump declared on social media that the ceasefire was “over” and warned of “much worse” consequences if further ship attacks occurred, while also renewing threats to target Iranian civilian infrastructure. Iranian officials, however, denied responsibility for the tanker incidents and accused the US of striking the perimeter of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a claim US Central Command did not address. The Revolutionary Guards Navy stated that the strait’s gradual reopening under Iranian supervision had reached about 50 per cent of pre-war vessel traffic, and warned that any further American intervention would draw a “crushing response”.

The renewed hostilities reverberated across energy markets and regional diplomacy. Oil prices, which had spiked on fears of supply disruption through the waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of globally traded crude, retreated on Thursday as traders assessed whether the flare-up was tactical or signalled a permanent breakdown. Qatar, which hosts the largest US base in the region and has mediated between the adversaries, condemned attacks on commercial shipping but called for a return to diplomacy. The foreign ministers of Turkey and Oman stressed the need to avoid further escalation in calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who also discussed the crisis with Pakistan’s army chief. Analysts in European capitals note that the simultaneous diplomatic activity suggests channels remain open even as military operations intensify.

The exchange of fire coincided with the burial of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, concluding a week of mass funeral processions. Khamenei was killed in a US strike on the first day of the war in February. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to appear publicly since assuming the leadership, a fact that analysts in Tehran say is fuelling speculation about the timing of his formal assumption of power and the direction of Iran’s military strategy. Despite Trump’s assertion that the ceasefire is over, he indicated that negotiations could still proceed, though he expressed scepticism about their prospects. Mediators from several regional states continue efforts to revive the truce, but no formal talks have been scheduled.