Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- Trump says interim truce accord with Iran ‘over’
- US military says targeted dozens of Iranian military sites overnight
- The US strikes come after Iran reportedly fired at 3 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
- Iran responded by striking US sites in Kuwait and Bahrain
Read below for the latest developments on the US-Iran conflict on Wednesday, July 8:
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Skip next section Trump says memorandum of understanding with Iran ‘over’07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Trump says memorandum of understanding with Iran ‘over’
US President Donald Trump says the interim accord to end the conflict with Iran is “over.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump said at the NATO summit in Ankara when questioned as to whether the truce with Iran was now finished.
“It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” Trump said, referring to the Iranian government and calling the leadership in Tehran “sick people.”
He added that US representatives can continue negotiations, but said they would be “wasting their time.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5Gk36Skip next section Iran must understand ‘serious negotiations’ are needed: Germany07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Iran must understand ‘serious negotiations’ are needed: Germany
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul says the latest US attacks on Iran were warranted.
“Iran must now truly understand that serious negotiations are necessary and that further military strikes are warranted,” Wadephul told German broadcaster NDR Info.
Wadephul said he did not believe the latest escalation in hostilities had undermined the ceasefire as the foundation for further talks between the US and Iran.
“I believe there is still a chance that these negotiations will actually take place,” he said.
“This may be a show of force before the actual negotiations begin, and that is, of course, regrettable, because we finally need calm in the Strait of Hormuz,” Wadephul said.
The strait must be “free” and “accessible” to international shipping, the German foreign minister stressed, adding that: “Iran is largely preventing that.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjyRSkip next section Khamenei’s funeral procession crosses into Iraq07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Khamenei’s funeral procession crosses into Iraq
The funeral procession of slain Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has moved into Iraq’s holy city Najaf.
Thousands of people have been accompanying Khamenei’s coffin on his six-day funeral procession.
Najaf holds particular significance for Shiite Muslims because it is the burial site of Imam Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad.
The procession is expected to continue to the shrine city of Karbala before returning to Iran, where Khamenei is set to be buried Thursday at the Shiite imam tombs in Mashhad.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjwlSkip next section Iranian media report explosions in Bushehr07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Iranian media report explosions in Bushehr
Iran’s state-linked Mehr news agency reported there have been blasts in the port city of Bushehr, following the latest spike in hostilities between the US and Iran.
“Explosions have been heard in Bushehr and the surrounding area,” the Mehr news agency reported without providing any further details.
Bushehr is situated in southwestern Iran and is home to the country’s only civilian power plant near Kharg island, the main terminal through which 90% of the nation’s crude oil exports transit.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjqaSkip next section Sirens in Bahrain sound for a third time, reports of explosions07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Sirens in Bahrain sound for a third time, reports of explosions
More warning sirens have sounded in Bahrain amid the latest exchange of hostilities between the US and Iran.
“The siren has been sounded. Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place ,” Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior said in a post on X.
An AFP news agency correspondent reported that explosions were heard in Bahrain after the latest air-raid sirens sounded.
Iran said it struck Bahrain in retaliation for the United States bombing of Iranian targets overnight.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjkoSkip next section US strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary,’ says NATO chief07/08/2026July 8, 2026
US strikes on Iran ‘absolutely necessary,’ says NATO chief
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has backed the latest US strikes on Iran, calling them “absolutely necessary.”
“When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, we see what happened yesterday with ships being attacked, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully reacts,” Rutte told reporters before a summit of NATO allies in Ankara.
The NATO chief also indicated that Iran would be on the agenda at Wednesday’s talks.
“I expect allies today to reconfirm that Iran should never ever get its hands on a nuclear capability and secondly that the principle of the freedom of navigation, so the Strait of Hormuz completely opening up again,” is essential, he added.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjiNSkip next section WATCH: What is Khamenei’s funeral revealing about Iran?07/08/2026July 8, 2026
WATCH: What is Khamenei’s funeral revealing about Iran?
As Iran holds six days of mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, massive crowds fill the streets. But the absence of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is raising questions about Iran’s future leadership.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GjcuSkip next section Iran says it targeted US military sites in Kuwait, Bahrain07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Iran says it targeted US military sites in Kuwait, Bahrain
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they had targeted 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to the US strikes in southern Iran.
The IRGC also said they downed a drone belonging to the US army in the country’s south, according to Iranian media reports.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjWVSkip next section Sirens sound in Kuwait07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Sirens sound in Kuwait
Sirens warning of incoming attacks have sounded in Kuwait, the country’s state news agency reported.
The Kuwaiti army said its air defenses are confronting “hostile” missile and drone attacks.
This comes after the US carried out strikes on Iran overnight.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjVUSkip next section Rocket sirens sound in Bahrain07/08/2026July 8, 2026
Rocket sirens sound in Bahrain
Sirens warning of incoming attacks have been sounded in Bahrain.
“Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” the country’s Interior Ministry posted on its official X account.
Bahrain was often targeted during the joint US-Israeli war with Iran, with Iran launching rockets and drones at the nearby country.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjVNSkip next section ‘Era of bullying over,’ Iran’s top negotiator says07/08/2026July 8, 2026
‘Era of bullying over,’ Iran’s top negotiator says
Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf reacted to the US strikes on Iran by listing what he labeled as “major” violations of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
Among the issues listed by Qalibaf were the “persistent threats” of further strikes, as well as the Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold,” Qalibaf posted on his X account.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjVMSkip next section US army completes round of ‘retaliatory’ attacks in Iran: statement07/08/2026July 8, 2026
US army completes round of ‘retaliatory’ attacks in Iran: statement
The US military completed a “round of retaliatory strikes” against Iran, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
Over 80 targets were hit as part of the strikes, with Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks and other military infrastructure being hit, CENTCOM said, adding its forces remain “postured and prepared” to hold Iran accountable for any violation of the memorandum of understanding with the US.
CENTCOM listed the Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz as the reason for the strikes, labeling them an “unwarranted aggression” by Iran.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjVCSkip next section US military strikes on Iran up to five times more intense: report07/08/2026July 8, 2026
US military strikes on Iran up to five times more intense: report
The US army’s strikes on Iran that took place overnight were four to five times more intense than the attacks launched by the US about a week and a half ago, Axios reported, citing a US official.
CNN reported the attacks were seen as a “punishment,” adding they would continue for a certain period of time.
The US blamed Iran for targeting several vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5GjU4Skip next section Iran threatens to retaliate after US strikesPublished 07/08/2026Published July 8, 2026last updated 07/08/2026last updated July 8, 2026
Iran threatens to retaliate after US strikes
Iran’s Foreign Ministry reacted to the US strikes in Iran, blaming Washington for repeatedly violating their memorandum of understanding.
“Iran is issuing a serious warning about the consequences of America’s breach of the treaty, and will take decisive measures to protect its interests and national security,” the ministry said in a statement quoted by the state-run IRIB news outlet.
The strikes targeted a list of military sites, including air defense systems, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sites, Reuters reported, citing a US official.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjOCSkip next section US military launches fresh strikes against Iran 07/07/2026July 7, 2026
US military launches fresh strikes against Iran
The US military has announced it is launching fresh strikes against Iran.
The military said the strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes were intended “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway.”
“Iran’s demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire,” CENTCOM said on its X account.
It was unclear what exactly was targeted by the US military, but explosions were heard in Iran’s south according to Iranian media.
According to reports in Iran, explosions were heard on the island of Qeshm, with seven blasts being heard in the city of Sirik.
Blasts were also reported to have been heard in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.
The strikes took place amid the 60-day ceasefire as laid out in the US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed by both countries last month.
This comes as US President Donald Trump is in Turkey for the NATO summit, where he met Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GjNIShow more posts
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