Ceasefire Collapses as US Strikes Iran a Second Day, Tehran Retaliates Against Persian Gulf Bases

A ceasefire built around a June 2026 US-Iran memorandum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz unraveled after three commercial vessels were attacked in the strait on July 7, 2026 (16 Tir). According to Al Jazeera, on July 9 (18 Tir) US Central Command struck close to 90 military targets in Iran for a second straight night, after hitting nearly 80 targets, including more than 60 Revolutionary Guard vessels, the night before. In response, Iran's army and Revolutionary Guards fired drones and missiles at bases linked to the United States in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, and Jordan said it intercepted eight missiles fired from Iran. Hossein Kermanpour, spokesman for Iran's Health Ministry public relations office, said US strikes on five Iranian provinces on July 8 and 9 have killed 14 people and wounded 78, with 47 of the wounded still hospitalized. The escalation has been a main driver behind this week's simultaneous jump in gold, dollar and oil prices.