Trump Threatens to Annihilate Iran After New Exchange of Attacks

Trump Warns of Possible Resumption of US Military Operations Against Iran Following Reported Strikes

Tehran stated on Sunday that it had conducted a third consecutive day of strikes in response to US operations on Iranian territory. Both sides accused each other of breaching a ceasefire agreement, which has complicated efforts to conclude negotiations on the regional conflict.

The reported strikes followed statements by President Donald Trump on Saturday indicating that Iran would cease to exist as an Islamic Republic if the United States were compelled to resume military operations. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that US aircraft had struck Iranian missile and drone storage sites and coastal radar installations for repeated violations of the ceasefire. He added that a point might be reached where further restraint would no longer be possible and that military action to complete earlier operations could result in the end of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The exchanges highlighted ongoing difficulties in a Pakistan-mediated process intended to conclude a conflict that began in February involving the United States and Israel. That conflict had affected shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and influenced global energy markets.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on Sunday that it was implementing measures to regulate traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and that vessels failing to comply would face stricter enforcement. The only authorized transit corridor identified by Tehran runs along the Iranian coastline. The Guard Corps also stated that it had conducted strikes on facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, claiming the destruction of eight US military installations at Ali al-Salem Air Base and at the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The statement warned that any aggression, regardless of stated justification, would elicit a strong response.

Bahrain’s interior ministry reported that air raid sirens sounded twice in the country on Sunday. A memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June under Pakistani mediation set out commitments by the United States and Iran, along with their respective allies, to refrain from initiating war or military operations and to avoid the threat or use of force against one another.

US Central Command stated that Saturday’s operations responded to an Iranian drone attack on the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku, which was transporting approximately two million barrels of crude oil. The targets included surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelaying capabilities. Iranian media reported explosions in the Sirik and Qeshm regions of southern Iran. Similar US operations had taken place on Friday following an earlier reported attack on the vessel Ever Lovely.

Separately, Israel conducted strikes in Lebanon after Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected a proposed agreement to end fighting there. Iran described the Israeli operations as violations of the interim truce. Tehran had previously agreed under the memorandum to permit safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz for a 60-day period without charge. Despite Iranian warnings against unauthorized transit, vessels continued to transit the strait, some using routes not designated by Tehran.

H.A. Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute observed that Iran could maintain limited coercive measures around the strait to sustain pressure on shipping while avoiding broader escalation. He noted that the November US midterm elections create incentives for Washington to reach an agreement more rapidly, whereas Iran might benefit from extended talks accompanied by controlled restrictions on transit.

Lebanon became involved in the wider conflict in early March when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in support of Iran, prompting an Israeli ground operation. Israel and Lebanon reached an agreement on Friday, with US support, intended to establish longer-term stability. Qassem rejected the accord the following day, describing it as unacceptable and calling instead for full implementation of the US-Iran memorandum, including an end to operations in Lebanon. Hezbollah has continued to demand complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, a step not included in the current US-Iran text.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Lebanon agreement as historic and damaging to Iran and Hezbollah. Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the agreement as an error and maintained that only Israeli forces could disarm Hezbollah. Israeli policy continues to require that troops remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon and that civilians not return until Hezbollah is disarmed.