Fresh airstrikes targeting Iran and retaliatory missile attacks on US allies threaten to derail fragile Middle East peace deal as Supreme Leader Khamenei is laid to rest.
By Adam Makins · 
The Middle East is teetering on the edge of renewed full-scale conflict as the United States and Iran engaged in an explosive back-and-forth Thursday that threatens to obliterate an already fragile ceasefire agreement.
U.S. forces struck 90 targets across Iran early Thursday morning, followed by Iranian retaliation targeting Kuwait, Qatar, and other U.S.-allied nations. Sirens wailed at least three times in Bahrain, home to America’s 5th Fleet, while missiles also threatened Jordan, where U.S. troops are stationed. The tit-for-tat escalation marks the most significant exchange since an interim deal meant to stabilize the region was reached last month.
Iran’s Health Ministry reported at least 14 dead and 78 wounded from the American strikes, mostly armed forces personnel. Kuwait’s military confirmed it shot down three ballistic missiles, one cruise missile, and 10 drones, with falling debris wounding one person. Bahrain intercepted incoming fire without releasing details, while Jordanian officials claimed all Iranian projectiles were neutralized.
The U.S. military justified its strikes as intended to “further degrade” Iran’s ability to threaten maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas flows. That waterway became a flashpoint after the war began on February 28, following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
Iranian state media reported explosions near Bushehr, home to Iran’s sole nuclear power plant, though the U.S. Central Command stopped short of confirming strikes on nuclear infrastructure. The accusation raised international alarm bells about potential nuclear catastrophe. For the first time since April, American strikes also targeted Iranian bridges, including a railway crossing in the northeast and routes leading to Mashhad, where tens of thousands of mourners were gathering.
Thursday’s violence unfolded against the backdrop of Iran’s public mourning for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening salvos of this war. Early Friday, he was laid to rest in Mashhad after days of elaborate funeral processions. The timing could hardly be worse: a nation grieving its longtime leader while under intense military pressure from its adversaries.
Khamenei had ruled Iran for nearly 37 years with an iron fist, and his death created immediate succession questions that now complicate diplomatic efforts. Negotiations for a permanent peace deal were scheduled to begin after the funeral, but the escalating violence suggests both sides may be hardening positions rather than seeking compromise.
President Donald Trump posted videos of what he claimed were explosions in Iran and threatened far worse if attacks continued. “This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran,” he wrote. “If it happens again, it will get much worse!” He specifically threatened Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power and desalination plants, and floated seizing Kharg Island, through which 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports flow.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key peace negotiator, responded defiantly: “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free. If you strike, you’ll get hit.”
Trump declared the interim ceasefire “over” Wednesday, though he said he’d permit news negotiations to proceed. He suggested negotiators were “wasting their time,” a signal that diplomatic efforts face an uphill battle.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reached out to counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Oman, and Pakistan’s military leadership, suggesting potential backchannels remain open. Maritime traffic through the strait has picked up modestly since the interim deal opened the waterway: 576 ships passed through in June compared with 233 in May, though that’s still far below pre-war levels of over 3,100 monthly transits.
The real test comes in the coming weeks. Negotiations are supposed to tackle the thorniest issues: fully reopening the strait and convincing Iran to roll back its nuclear program. With both sides trading blows and rhetoric, whether news of serious progress will emerge remains deeply uncertain.
Will cooler heads prevail, or has this escalation set the region on an irreversible path toward total war?
Source: AP via Infeeds.com
