According to a report from Al Jazeera on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran has collapsed entirely, following a dispute over a proposed maritime evacuation corridor that ended with three oil tankers, including Qatari and Saudi-flagged vessels, struck by unknown projectiles in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Washington responded almost immediately, revoking the temporary waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil under the June memorandum of understanding.
It also launched a large-scale military operation targeting roughly 80 Iranian air defence, naval, and coastal surveillance sites across Qeshm Island, Sirik, and Bandar Abbas.
Iran claimed its air defence systems successfully shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Bushehr province, though the assertion remains independently unverified.
Tehran further alleged it struck approximately 85 US military installations in retaliation, triggering air raid sirens and missile interceptions across both Kuwait and Bahrain as regional tensions soared.
US officials described the strikes as targeting Iranian surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise weapons, and drone launch infrastructure, while Iranian state media reported explosions and shrapnel injuries near commercial piers in Sirik.
President Donald Trump, speaking from the NATO summit in Ankara, declared the ceasefire arrangement finished, dismissing further engagement with Tehran as pointless.
Gulf officials, including senior UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash, criticised Iran’s continued oscillation between escalation and stability, warning regional states cannot remain perpetual targets amid the deepening crisis….See More