New attacks on Iran
At 10pm on Wednesday evening, state-run Iranian media reported explosions in several coastal cities in the southern parts of the country, including Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chabahar, Konarak and Sirik.
Shortly afterwards, the US military command on X confirmed that a new wave of attacks had been launched. According to the statement, they were ordered by Donald Trump and are aimed at weakening Iran's ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz.
At the NATO summit in Turkey earlier on Wednesday, Trump said that he believes the ceasefire is over and hinted at what was to come.
- We will strike hard tonight. They are scum. They are sick people, he said.
“More extensive”
A source told Axios that Wednesday night’s bombings were more extensive than those carried out a day earlier. Among the targets were radar installations, air defenses and positions from which Iran fires missiles at boats.
Iran promised an immediate response. At 11 p.m., a military source told the semi-official Nour News agency that “a massive attack on US bases in the region is just minutes away.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to Israeli television channel N12, that the latest US attack “will not be left unanswered.”
The escalation is the most serious since the ceasefire in early June and comes after three merchant ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days. Even before Wednesday night’s new wave of attacks, oil prices had risen and stock markets had fallen.
Trump’s threat: “Much worse”
At the same time that the bombs fell on Iran, Donald Trump was on Air Force One en route from Turkey. From the plane, he posted a post with a direct threat shortly after 11:30 p.m.
“This is revenge for Iran bombing ships yesterday. If it happens again, it will be much worse!”, he wrote.
The post was illustrated with an image that purportedly depicted a sea of fire in the city of Chabahar. Trump had screenshotted it from the X account Open Source Intel. Shortly afterwards, however, the same account wrote that the image was not taken on Wednesday and apologized for publishing it.
That did not stop Trump. In a series of new posts, he posted images of explosions and fires, presumably from Iran. One of them was a zoomed-in version of the same image that Open Source Intel was forced to remove.
FACTS
This is how they agreed on the ceasefire
In early June, the US and Iran agreed on a ceasefire and a 60-day deadline during which they will negotiate a peace solution. The declaration of intent consists of 14 points.
In a first phase, both countries and their allies will cease all hostilities. Lebanon's "territorial integrity and sovereignty will be ensured".
The US will begin to lift its naval blockade of Iran and ensure that Iranian crude oil exports can resume. Frozen Iranian assets will begin to be made available.
Iran will ensure that trade through the Strait of Hormuz can resume for 60 days, including through mine clearance. The country reiterates a promise never to acquire nuclear weapons. Negotiations on Iran's nuclear material are linked to the issue of sanctions relief.
In the event of a possible peace agreement, the US will lift all sanctions against Iran and move all military forces from Iran's vicinity. The US, together with partners in the region, will develop a plan in which Iran will receive the equivalent of just over SEK 2,800 billion for "reconstruction and economic development" in the event of an agreement.
The 60-day deadline can be extended. A final agreement must be approved by the UN Security Council.
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