US significantly expands attacks on Iran – negotiations stall

The background to the escalation is accusations that Iran attacked tankers in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The US government holds Tehran responsible for attacks on three commercial ships in the strait. According to Iranian state television, an LNG tanker had previously been attacked after it had ignored warnings. Qatar held Iran responsible for this attack.

Background: Tanker attacks in the strait

According to a US government official, the attacks carried out now were significantly more powerful than before: the recent US strikes had been four to five times stronger than the attacks carried out roughly one and a half weeks ago. A US official described the attacks to the broadcaster CNN as "punishment" for the Iranian side.

The US military confirmed the start of the military operation via the short-message service X. The US side also published a detailed statement there: "Die von Iran gezeigte Aggression war nicht gerechtfertigt, gefährlich und ein klarer Verstoß gegen die Waffenruhe."

Rhetoric and saber-rattling

The military further stated that Iran must bear "high costs" for the attacks on three commercial ships with civilians on board in the strait. This tied the US side to a line that the US president had previously set out. Donald Trump had threatened Iran, saying there would either be a deal or the US would "finish the job".

On the Iranian side, the Foreign Ministry reacted with outrage. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on the platform X that the US decision to reinstate sanctions on Iranian oil and the subsequent attacks constituted a "schwerwiegenden Verstoss" against the agreement. At the same time, the deputy foreign minister announced that Iran would "entschlossene Massnahmen ergreifen, um seine nationalen Interessen und seine Sicherheit zu wahren". The Foreign Ministry in Tehran also declared that the reinstatement of the previously suspended sanctions on Iranian oil exports violated the Islamabad Memorandum on the ceasefire.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that negotiations on a final agreement would not begin as long as threats continued. This makes clear: the diplomatic process is currently on ice. Only the month before, after weeks of fighting between the US, Israel, and Iran, a preliminary agreement had been reached that was intended to create space for intensive negotiations on ending the war.

Negotiations on ice

Iran had initially not officially responded to the accusations and had not accepted responsibility for the tanker attacks. However, in recent days the Iranian Foreign Ministry had repeatedly stated that only the prescribed route through the Strait of Hormuz was safe. The US military had described the latest round of US airstrikes as a response to Iranian aggression against civilian shipping.

A US Treasury Department official stated that Iran would only benefit from a relaxation of sanctions if it fulfilled its obligations. The Deputy US Secretary of State had also made clear that the attacks were to continue for some time.

The renewed escalation makes clear how fragile the preliminary agreement reached between the US and Iran weeks ago is. After weeks of fighting there had been hope for a diplomatic solution; now a return to open military confrontation threatens. The US appears to be pursuing a strategy of escalation in order to increase pressure on Tehran.

Economic and geopolitical consequences

International observers are following the situation with concern. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important sea lanes; a large share of global oil trade passes through this route. If the fighting continues to escalate, significant effects on the world economy threaten. The rise in oil prices immediately after the announcement of the sanctions underscores the volatility of the situation.

The broadcaster Deutschlandfunk aired the news on 08.07.2026. The latest escalation thus fits into a series of tensions that have strained the relationship between Washington and Tehran for months. The coming days will show whether the diplomatic channels can be revived or whether the violence will continue to increase.