US hits Iran with ‘powerful strikes’ after attacks on commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he considers the tentative ceasefire with Iran to be "over," telling reporters alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the alliance's annual summit in Ankara, Turkey, that the agreement had become "a waste of time."

"For me, I think it's over," Trump said. "As far as I'm concerned it's just a waste of time."

Trump said he no longer believes Tehran is negotiating in good faith, accusing Iranian leaders of agreeing to terms privately before publicly denying them.

"They're liars," Trump said. "We make a deal. ... They go outside, talk to the press. They say, 'We never even talked about it.' ... As far as I'm concerned, it's over."

He said U.S. negotiators could continue talks with Iran but predicted they would go nowhere.

"They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time. They're liars, they're cheats. They're sick people."

The comments came hours after the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian military targets and revoked a license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, saying the moves were retaliation for Tehran's attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said the U.S. struck after Iran resumed attacks on ships despite being given time to conduct funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The interim agreement between Washington and Tehran had been intended to reduce tensions and allow commercial traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil.

But Iran struck at least three commercial vessels transiting the waterway on Monday and Tuesday, prompting the U.S. military response.

U.S. Central Command said American forces struck more than 80 Iranian targets, including air defense systems, radar sites and Revolutionary Guard vessels used to threaten shipping. Iran responded with strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, fueling concerns the conflict could widen and sending oil prices sharply higher.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday said the latest U.S. strikes on Iran were "absolutely necessary."

Speaking to reporters ahead of a NATO leaders' meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Rutte said it was "crucial" for the United States to respond to what he described as Iran's ceasefire violations.

"I think it was absolutely necessary," he said. “When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react."

The remarks came hours after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday it carried out what it described as “offensive” strikes in Iran in response to Tehran's recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran during the latest wave of military operations.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard said early Wednesday that it targeted 85 U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to Tuesday's U.S. military strikes.

Iranian state media reported the strikes came after Tehran accused the United States of violating the countries' ceasefire agreement.

The reported attacks came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces targeted Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran is fully prepared for the United States to launch additional strikes, according to an advisor to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

The advisor, Mohsen Rezaei, said “Trump intends to attack again, and we [Iran] are fully prepared,” The Jerusalem Post reported.

The comments came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday it carried out what it described as “offensive” strikes in Iran in response to Tehran's recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran in its latest wave of military operations.

Millions of barrels of Iranian oil were left without a clear destination after the United States revoked a 60-day waiver allowing Tehran to sell crude, according to a Bloomberg report published Wednesday.

Bloomberg reported that about 63 million barrels of Iranian oil are currently aboard tankers either in transit or idling.

The report said the oil is being held on ships across the Persian Gulf and Asian waters, with many cargoes lacking a clear destination.

The development comes after Fox News Digital reported Tuesday that the United States was clawing back oil sanctions waivers granted to Iran as part of a framework agreement that launched a two-month negotiating period following Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) described Tuesday's military operation in Iran as "offensive," marking a notable shift from the language it has used to characterize previous U.S. strikes in the region.

During recent operations, CENTCOM typically referred to military action as "self-defense strikes" or simply "strikes," according to Fox News' Liz Friden.

The scale of the operation also marked a significant escalation.

CENTCOM said U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Friden, the operation was roughly eight times larger than the previous U.S. strikes carried out after Iran attacked commercial shipping on June 27.

“U.S. forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

Kuwait's military said early Wednesday that its air defenses were confronting what it described as "hostile" missile and drone attacks.

In neighboring Bahrain, the Interior Ministry said warning sirens had been activated and urged residents to seek shelter.

The developments came hours after the United States said it carried out dozens of strikes in Iran on Tuesday in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf on Tuesday accused the United States of violating its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran.

In a post on X, Qalibaf alleged the United States had committed multiple violations, including interfering with what he described as "Iranian adjustments" in the Strait of Hormuz and repeatedly threatening military action.

“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” he wrote. “It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”

The remarks came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM said Iran had attacked three commercial vessels transiting the strategic waterway.

Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, vowed to deliver a "crushing response" after U.S. forces launched a series of strikes in the country Tuesday.

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters described the U.S. strikes as a "blatant act of aggression" and warned that Tehran would not allow the United States to interfere with its handling of the Strait of Hormuz.

The remarks came after U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran on Tuesday in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

A U.S. official told Fox News the strikes were a "direct result" of what the official described as "acts of international terrorism" against "innocent ships" traveling through the strategic waterway.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that U.S. forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“U.S. forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

CENTCOM said the strikes followed Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the international waterway.

“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,”CENTCOM said.

“CENTCOM forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable when the agreement is not adhered to or obeyed,” it added.

President Donald Trump approved the strike plan on Iran and ordered it while attending this week’s NATO summit in Turkey, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The president convened top officials in Ankara, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, the official said.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Former U.S. Middle East envoy Dennis Ross said Tuesday that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) undercut President Donald Trump’s efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“The Iranians never know when to say when,” Ross wrote on X, adding that Trump “did not want to resume the war.”

Ross added, "The IRGC made a mockery of what the president thought he achieved: the opening of the Straits. Iran will hit back, we will react and then mediators will act, leaving no war no peace."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi accused the U.S. on Tuesday of violating its memorandum of understanding with Iran after Washington revoked a waiver that allowed Iranian oil sales.

Gharibabadi said the decision was a “blatant violation” of Article 10 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

"In the past three weeks, America has also repeatedly violated Articles 1 and 2 of the Memorandum of Understanding due to the actions of the Zionist regime in Lebanon and threatening statements against Iran," Gharibabadi wrote on X.

He warned that Iran would take “decisive actions” to protect its national interests and security in response to what he called America’s breach of the agreement.

Britain on Tuesday summoned Iran’s top diplomat in London after two Romanian nationals were sentenced over the 2024 stabbing of a British-Iranian journalist who worked for Persian-language outlet Iran International.

British prosecutors said the two men acted as proxies for the Iranian government. A judge concluded the attack was carried out “in the interests of, and on behalf of, the Iranian state,” the British Foreign Office said.

Pouria Zeraati was stabbed three times near his southwest London home in March 2024.

British lawmakers warned last year that Iran posed a wide-ranging threat to the U.K. Iran’s embassy in London has rejected the allegations, calling them “unfounded, politically motivated and hostile.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

A U.S. official told Fox News the strikes against Iran are a “direct result” of what they described as “acts of international terrorism” against "innocent ships" transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

"This response is a direct result of the acts of international terrorism that have been perpetrated by Iran on innocent ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz," the official said. "The Iranians know the consequences to their ridiculous actions, yet they still chose to carry out these attacks."

Fox News' Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.

A U.S. official said strikes inside Iran remain ongoing, with targets including air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, surface-to-air missile sites, anti-ship cruise missile sites, drone launch sites and port facilities.

The strikes are “significantly larger” than those carried out last month and are intended to “send a signal” that attacks on commercial shipping are unacceptable, a senior U.S. official told Fox News.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

A cargo plane carrying five crew members went missing off Pakistan’s coast late Tuesday after rapidly descending and losing contact during a flight from the United Arab Emirates, officials said.

The Boeing 737, operated by Karachi-based K2 Airways, was flying from Sharjah to Karachi when it reported a navigation system problem, according to Pakistan’s airport authority.

Radar data showed the plane descending quickly and making a sharp turn before radar and radio contact were lost about 155 nautical miles west of Karachi.

Search and rescue operations are underway in the Arabian Sea. The cause remains unclear.

K2 Airways could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Explosions were heard in southern Iran early Wednesday, according to Iran International, as the U.S. announced strikes in response to attacks on commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military action came after three merchant ships were struck in waters off Oman near the key waterway.

U.S. Central Command said the strikes were meant to impose “heavy costs” on Iran for targeting commercial ships crewed by civilians, calling Tehran’s actions “unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”

The latest exchange threatens to further strain last month’s interim deal and complicate talks aimed at fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, addressing Iran’s nuclear program and ending the war that began Feb. 28.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bahrain condemned Iran’s “terrorist attack” on a Saudi tanker and a Qatari tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an "unacceptable" threat to international navigation, global energy supplies and regional security.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said the attack on the Saudi tanker and Qatari tanker endangered the crews of both vessels and violated international law, a United Nations Security Council resolution and the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

"The Ministry affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s full solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the sisterly State of Qatar, and its support for the measures taken by the two countries to preserve their security and vital interests," Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said.

Bahrain also called on the international community, particularly the U.N. Security Council, to take a "firm stance" to prevent further "heinous" Iranian attacks and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz without restrictions, illegal fees or economic blackmail.