US Strikes Iran for Second Day as Assassination Plot Alleged, Trump Agrees to Fresh Talks Despite Declaring Ceasefire 'Over'

The US-Iran ceasefire is unravelling after American forces struck Iran two days running and Trump declared the truce 'over.'

Three commercial tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering the most intense US-Iran military exchange since an interim ceasefire memorandum was signed in June. The United States responded with strikes on three locations across Iran, followed by a second round of attacks the following day — the largest US military action against Iran since the truce was established. President Trump declared the agreement 'over,' called Iran's leaders 'scum' and 'vicious, violent people,' and threatened further strikes, framing the attacks as retribution for the tanker incidents. In a significant new development, Israel shared intelligence with the United States indicating that Iran had hatched a fresh plot to assassinate Trump. Former FBI officials noted that Iran's desire to kill the president is longstanding. Trump told the New York Post he has 'left instructions' should Iran succeed — warning of retaliation at levels 'never seen before.' Despite the assassination plot allegations and the declared end of the ceasefire, Trump confirmed on Friday that Iran had asked to continue diplomatic talks and that the US had agreed to negotiate, introducing a contradictory peace-and-escalation dynamic. Reports remain conflicted over whether a momentary pause reflects genuine diplomacy or a strategic pause before a larger Iranian strike. The economic fallout has been immediate: oil prices surged sharply following the tanker attacks, with Brent crude rising above $80 a barrel — its steepest increase since the ceasefire began — though prices have since stabilized even as Strait of Hormuz shipping traffic has plunged. Marine insurers are facing renewed pressure as the waterway becomes increasingly dangerous for commercial shipping. Iran launched its own strikes in response, with Jordan reporting that it intercepted missiles originating from Tehran. Israel's defence minister warned the country was prepared to resume a military campaign against Iran 'with even greater force.' Iran's foreign ministry said the combined US and Israeli attacks had rendered the interim accord 'ineffective.' Residents in Bandar Abbas and the Sirik region — port cities that bore the brunt of the US strikes — described experiencing continuous explosions over a 48-hour period, with community members telling reporters they felt frightened and 'abandoned.' The strikes and Iran's retaliation occurred against the backdrop of the six-day state funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, whose burial concluded during the escalation. The succession question remains unresolved, leaving Iran's internal political future uncertain at one of its most turbulent external moments. Energy pressures are also intensifying, with Russia halting diesel exports and Qatar pulling back on LNG shipments, compounding the economic stress generated by the Hormuz disruption. Mexico, separately, announced an investigation into whether US officials — specifically the FBI — lied about their involvement in the 2024 capture of drug lord Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada García from Mexican territory, adding further diplomatic friction between Washington and another government.

Why it matters

The collapse of the June ceasefire between the US and Iran threatens to reignite a broader regional war at a moment when Iran's leadership transition is unresolved and the Strait of Hormuz — through which a significant share of global oil passes — has already seen commercial shipping targeted. Jordan's interception of Iranian missiles signals the conflict is already drawing in neighbouring states.

What's next

Watch for whether Trump follows through on his threat of further strikes 'tonight' and whether Iran's response, combined with Israeli military readiness, pulls additional regional actors into the fighting.

Key facts

• Three commercial tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, triggering the US retaliatory strikes
• The US carried out strikes on three locations in Iran across two consecutive days — the largest attacks since the June interim ceasefire
• Trump declared the ceasefire 'over' and publicly threatened additional strikes the same night
• Jordan intercepted missiles launched from Iran during the exchange
• Residents of Bandar Abbas and Sirik described 48 hours of back-to-back explosions in their port communities
• Supreme Leader Khamenei was buried during the escalation, with his son Mojtaba not yet publicly confirmed as successor

Bias & framing notes

All ten sources come from a single outlet, The Guardian, which limits independent corroboration and raises the trust score ceiling. The reporting blends live blog updates, newsletter commentary, and on-the-ground testimonies — formats that carry different levels of editorial rigour. The framing leans toward emphasising Iranian civilian suffering and uncertainty, with headlines like 'back-to-back explosions' and '48 hours of terror' giving more emotional weight to the Iranian civilian experience than to, for example, the tanker attacks that triggered the US response. The inclusion of the unrelated Mexico/El Mayo story in the source set suggests the search swept broadly, though that story was treated as a separate thread.

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