Iran-US war latest: Trump resumes airstrikes after claiming ‘foolish’ Tehran broke deal ‘probably 10 times’

Iran-US war latest: Trump resumes airstrikes after claiming ‘foolish’ Tehran broke deal ‘probably 10 times’ Donald Trump has said the US will be guardians of Strait of Hormuz and impose a 20 percent toll on ships using it The U.S. is in the process of launching another volley of strikes at Iranian targets. “We’re hitting ‘em very heavy tonight,” President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. He accused Tehran of being “foolish” and repeatedly breaking the tentative peace deal brokered last month. Iran allegedly retaliated by striking two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, killing one person and injuring eight, and launching attempted attacks on Bahrain. The renewed strikes come as Trump has vowed to charge a 20 percent toll on vessels moving through the strait, a plan which Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has mocked. Trump says the U.S. will reinstate the Iranian blockade and impose the tax as part of a new role as the “Guardian of the Hormuz Strait.” But Araghchi mocked the plan and wrote on X that Iran will always be the “guardian of the strait,” joking that a 20 percent fee is too expensive and that Iran “will be fair.” Oil prices jump after US and Iran escalate strikes in the Middle East Share markets slipped in Asia on Monday as fighting intensified in the Gulf and Iran claimed to have closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices surging and rekindling inflation risks globally. Brent crude climbed 3.3 per cent in early trade to reach $78.50 a barrel, up from the recent trough of $70.14, while US crude added 3.4 per cent to $73.83 a barrel. US officials said around 20 vessels had been escorted through the strait in the previous 24 hours, though ship tracking sites showed little traffic moving. Over the weekend, Tehran extended strikes on Qatar and the United Arab Emirates while the US launched further strikes on Iran, the latest in a cycle of attacks and counter-attacks over shipping through the strait. Oil prices jump after US and Iran escalate strikes in the Middle East Iranian attacks kill oil tanker crew member and trigger missile sirens in Bahrain Early information is trickling out about alleged Iranian retaliation to recent U.S. strikes. In Bahrain, missile alerts sounded because of strikes from Tehran, the Associated Press reported early Tuesday local time. An adviser to Bahrain’s king said on social media that the kingdom’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed multiple inbound Iranian attacks. Separate Iranian strikes killed one crew member and wounded eight others on a pair of Emirati oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates said early Tuesday. The U.A.E. condemned what it called the "blatant attack" and insisted the country retained its “full right to respond to this escalation.” The strike itself occurred in waters off Oman, Reuters reports. Recap: Iran says it will not allow US to intervene Strait of Hormuz Iran will not allow the US to intervene in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, the country's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said. Any attempt by the US army to arrange transit through the strait outside the paths designated by Tehran and without coordination with Iran's armed forces will be strongly resisted, it added in a statement on social media. Trump hints at attack plans and claims a new Iran deal was nearly reached in press conference President Trump made a number of notable claims today about the Iran war while speaking with reporters at the White House. He briefly claimed that the U.S. and Iran had a renewed deal of some kind “two days ago,” which he said failed because Tehran sought to “negotiate it further.” Iran has not disclosed any such deal was near. Trump also said renewed U.S. strikes will eventually take out what’s known as Pickaxe Mountain, a buried Iranian nuclear facility. “Tell the Iranians we're coming,” the Republican said. The president has previously claimed U.S. strikes had all but destroyed Iran’s nuclear capacity. Elsewhere, the president defended the timeline of the war. “Well, we were in Vietnam for 19 years,” he said. “We're here for four months.” Trump claims Gulf nations will pay his 20 percent fee on Strait of Hormuz shipping President Donald Trump claimed on Monday that Gulf nations will shoulder the cost of his recently proposed 20 percent levy on shipping traffic through the contested Strait of Hormuz. “We're protecting a very rich portion of the world,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. “We’re spending money and so what we’ve done is we’re going to be reimbursed for protection.” The Republican named Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait as among the nations that might have to pay up. Iran has vowed to contest any attempt by the U.S. to control shipping through the strait. “Any attempt by the US army to arrange transit through the strait outside the paths designated by Tehran and without coordination with Iran’s armed forces will be strongly resisted,” the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces said on social media. More context on the fate of the Strait in our full story: Trump asks ships to pay 20% toll in Strait of Hormuz and reimposes US blockade Trump slams Iran for 'breaking' peace deal but insists truce still possible President Donald Trump continues to insist a peace deal with Iran is possible, even as he accuses Tehran of breaking the previous truce. “Yeah I think a deal is possible, sure,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday as he described a fresh wave of U.S. strikes against Iranian targets. The Republican has alternatively claimed in recent days that Iran is both hungry for a deal and has not been faithful to the previous one. “They made a deal,” Trump added on Monday. “They broke it. Probably 10 times.” US describes fresh round of strikes aimed at exacting 'heavy cost' The U.S. military is launching another round of strikes at Iran, as the conflict between the two nations continues to reignite. “These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command said on social media on Monday. “We’re hitting ‘em very heavy tonight,” President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House. The strikes, he said, are aimed at “knocking out all of their offensive capabilities.” President Trump has previously said Iran’s military was all but destroyed. Watch: US releases video of forces carrying out another wave of strikes on Iran Trump tells Congress the US and Iran are at war again clearing the way to use military without approval President Donald Trump has told congress that the US is at war with Iran once again, meaning his administration has 60 days to use military in the region without the need for approval from congress. POLITICO has reported that a letter to congress on July 10, stated that strikes which started on July 7 represent “military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States’ interests both at home and abroad.” Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks