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Trump warns of retaliatory US strikes after Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait
The attacks further undermine a shaky ceasefire agreement and dent hopes of turning the MOU signed on June 17 into a permanent peace deal
- PUBLISHED: Wed 8 Jul 2026, 7:16 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog after the signing of the MoU between the US and Iran.]
US President Donald Trump said that the United States was likely to launch new strikes on Wednesday night following Iranian attacks on US bases in the Gulf.
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In a flare-up of hostilities that pushed up oil prices, Iran said on Wednesday it had targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after US forces struck Iranian targets in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
The attacks further undermined a shaky ceasefire agreement and dented hopes of turning the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 into a permanent peace deal to end the war, which began with US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28.
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Asked before a Nato summit in Turkey whether the memorandum of understanding was over, Trump said: "It's a very interesting question. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them."
"They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people," he told reporters in Ankara.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them," he said, before adding: "Now, I'll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don't see it. I don't like these people, you know that."
A source familiar with the Ankara talks said Trump did not repeat his comments about the interim deal being over when Nato leaders met at the summit, but he later warned of new strikes before a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"I'll give a little warning: We're going to hit them hard tonight," Trump told reporters.
The latest attacks have heightened safety and security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz, with shipping data showing at least four oil and gas tankers had turned back rather than try to transit the waterway, a vital supply route.
Trump has at times stepped back from threats he has made against Iran, but oil prices jumped and global bond markets tumbled. Brent crude futures leapt more than 5 per cent, the most in a day since late May, to $78.48 a barrel.
While that was far below the peaks above $120 seen during the height of the fighting, it was enough to inject some fresh inflation risk into the bond market, particularly since months of conflict have drawn down global oil inventories.