President Donald Trump authorized retaliatory strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets and Iranian port facilities on Tuesday, just hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discussed a possible return to the June ceasefire under the memorandum of understanding (MOU). Pezeshkian met with Russian President Vladimir Putin the same day.
While Trump continues to call for peace in the Middle East, Putin has voiced solidarity with Iran. Pezeshkian thanked Russia for its support amid the conflict and U.S. sanctions, urging the two countries to stand together against American “unilateralism.” Iran is pressing for a return to the June MOU even as its proxies strike Saudi oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran’s economy is under mounting pressure as U.S. sanctions intensify and the Iranian rial plunges to record lows.
In a Truth Social post Tuesday afternoon, Trump announced that U.S. forces were striking Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz. “The strikes are large and powerful, and in retaliation for the Iranians’ failed attempt at adding sea mines to the Strait, which currently has no mines (They have been completely removed or detonated!), and the Iranians shooting eight missiles, all successfully knocked down, at our Military Base in Jordan,” he wrote.
Trump warned that any Iranian retaliation for “this very justified attack” would trigger a much harder response. “It will not be the biggest attack of them all, that is waiting in the wings and, when it is over, there will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran!” he added.
Meanwhile, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) praised the U.S. action, describing Iran’s leadership as “nutty as a fruitcake.” “You can’t take their word for anything. That’s why we took action,” Kennedy posted on X. “We have degraded their country to the point that they are being held together by duct tape and spit.”
On the economic side, prices jumped about 4% to a one-week high as the renewed fighting raised fears of Middle East supply disruptions. Brent crude futures rose $3.44, or 3.8%, to $93.93 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed $3.72, or 4.3%, to $89.48 as of 1:10 p.m. ET. Brent was on track for its highest close since Aug. 20, and WTI for its highest since July 23.
From Tehran, Iran’s IRGC warned that the United States “will regret its new attacks,” according to state news agency Fars. Trump told Fox News that any Iranian response would bring a far heavier blow, adding that a third round of exchanges would leave Iran “totally wiped out as a country.”
Tensions continue to escalate following the latest exchanges and U.S. airstrikes on Iranian military positions. Tehran has threatened military action if Washington intensifies what it calls a siege. Two oil tankers were reportedly struck near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, heightening concerns about further disruptions to global energy shipments. The Trump administration has expanded sanctions and maintained a blockade aimed at restricting Iran’s military and economic activity.
