The U.S. military resumed strikes against Iran on July 8, 2026, targeting the country's ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. This action came hours after President Donald Trump threatened a "big attack" on Iran during a NATO summit.

According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, additional strikes were conducted to further degrade Iran's capacity to threaten freedom of navigation in the strait. The statement emphasized that "The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway."

President Trump told reporters, "I’ll give them a little warning: We’re going to hit them hard tonight, but we’ll see how it all works out," expressing dissatisfaction with Iran's leadership. He also indicated the possibility of reimposing a naval blockade, which had been lifted in mid-June following a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the U.S. to end the conflict. Trump declared the agreement "over" and referred to Iranian negotiators as "scum," calling dealings with them a waste of time.

The renewed strikes follow a barrage of U.S. military attacks on Iran the previous evening, which targeted more than 80 sites including air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and over 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These targets were located inside and near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage through which about 20 percent of the world's oil and gas supplies transit.

This escalation reflects ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran centered on control and security of international maritime routes in the Middle East.

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