US-Iran ceasefire crumbles as fresh strikes rock Middle East
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated as Iranian forces attacked US military infrastructure following US strikes, effectively ending a fragile ceasefire. The conflict continues to disrupt global energy supplies and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters
The ongoing conflict poses a significant threat to global energy security and international geopolitical stability.
Iranian armed forces launched attacks on US military infrastructure in Gulf states on Thursday (all times local) following US strikes on Iran's southern coastal and eastern provinces, putting further strain on a three-week-old ceasefire agreement.
Iranian media later reported multiple explosions across southern Iran, including Bushehr, where one of Iran's nuclear plants is located, along with Konarak, Choghadak and Bandar Abbas.
A US official said there had been no American strikes in recent hours.
The developments came on the day that Iran buried its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at a shrine in Mashhad, the culmination of a week of mass funeral processions and rallies.
Mourners surround the convoy carrying the coffins of Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a funeral procession, before he is buried at the Shrine of Imam Reza, Iran's most revered place of worship, in Mashhad on July 9, 2026.
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