Hours After Trump Says MOU Is Over, U.S. Launches Second Wave of Attacks on Iran

CENTCOM says new strikes are aimed at degrading Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as Israel raises readiness.

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Hours after President Donald Trump declared that the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was “over,” American forces launched a second wave of strikes against Iran, widening a fast-moving crisis that began with Tehran’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday night that American forces had begun “additional strikes” against Iranian targets at Trump’s direction, saying the operation was intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation through one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” CENTCOM said.

The new strikes came one day after the U.S. military hit more than 80 targets in Iran in response to attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Those earlier strikes reportedly 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 operating in and near the strait.

Trump framed the second round of strikes as direct punishment for Iran’s assault on shipping.

“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If it happens again, it will get much worse!”

The timing was striking. Earlier Wednesday, Trump said the interim agreement with Iran was effectively finished, sharply criticizing Tehran’s leadership and signaling that Washington no longer viewed diplomacy as a sufficient restraint on Iran’s military actions.

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said he was not seeking a long war but warned that the United States would hit Iran harder if it continued to threaten shipping and energy flows.

“They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder,” Trump said. “Anything that happens is going to be over very quickly, and we’ll only make it safer — including for oil.”

Vice President JD Vance delivered a similar message, saying the understanding with Tehran was simple: Iran must stop shooting at ships, or the United States would strike back.

“The basic deal that we cut was we’ll lift our blockade if you stop shooting at ships — but if you shoot at ships, we are going to punch back,” Vance said.

Explosions Reported Across Iran

Iranian media reported explosions in several areas, including Bandar Abbas, Chabahar, Sirik, Konarak, Bushehr, and Kharg Island. Semi-official Iranian outlets said air defenses were activated in southern Iran and that U.S. strikes targeted maritime and military infrastructure, including a traffic control tower and depot in Chabahar.

Iranian state media said eight members of Iran’s navy and air force were killed in the earlier U.S. strikes on southern parts of the country. Other reports said shrapnel from the latest attacks struck power lines and a hospital area in Chabahar, though the full extent of the damage remained unclear.

Iranian officials quickly threatened retaliation. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that the American strikes “will not go unanswered,” while Iranian military-linked outlets reported that Tehran was preparing a major response against U.S. bases in the region.

Overnight, alerts and sirens were reported in Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said its forces were confronting Iranian drones and missiles, raising immediate fears that the conflict could spread across the Gulf.

Israel Raises Readiness

Although the latest fighting has remained centered on the Gulf, Israel is watching the escalation closely.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly held a security consultation Wednesday evening as the U.S. and Iran resumed direct fire. Israeli media reported that the Israel Defense Forces raised readiness across defensive and offensive formations, with fighter jets armed and on standby, updated operational plans prepared, and target banks refreshed with new intelligence.

Israel is also maintaining close coordination with U.S. Central Command to avoid being caught off guard if Iran or its proxies attempt to broaden the war.

The United States reportedly notified Israeli officials before the latest strikes. Israeli reports also said Washington has begun returning refueling aircraft to the Middle East after moving them out during the ceasefire period — a significant signal that the Pentagon is preparing for the possibility of sustained operations.

Netanyahu also confirmed that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled a planned visit to Israel after being called back amid the crisis. The prime minister did not describe the cancellation as a setback, instead suggesting it could point to larger developments.

“Maybe it means something else?” Netanyahu said.

Diplomacy Falters as Hormuz Crisis Deepens

The escalation marks a severe blow to the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, which had been brokered through regional mediators in an effort to halt the fighting and reopen diplomatic channels.

Pakistan and Qatar, both involved in mediation efforts, urged restraint Wednesday and called for both sides to avoid a wider war. Pakistan’s foreign office called on all parties to uphold the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and “exercise restraint.”

But Tehran again threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if attacks on Iranian territory continue. The strait carries a major share of the world’s oil and gas traffic, making any disruption a direct threat to the global economy.

Trump’s message, however, was unmistakable: the United States will not allow Iran to fire on commercial vessels, threaten international shipping, or use the strait as a weapon against the West.

For Israel, the renewed U.S. pressure on Iran may be viewed as a strategic opening. Jerusalem has long warned that Tehran’s regime cannot be trusted to abandon its nuclear ambitions, missile program, or proxy war against Israel.

The immediate battlefield is the Strait of Hormuz. But the larger question now is whether Iran absorbs the punishment — or chooses to widen the war.

Either way, Trump’s declaration that the MOU is “over” has now been followed by action. The diplomatic pause has collapsed, and the Gulf is once again on the edge of a much larger conflict.

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