Trump Orders Strikes on Iran Following Attacks on U.S. Sites

U.S. President Donald Trump declared an interim agreement to end the conflict with Iran over on July 8 and ordered fresh strikes on Iranian targets after Iran attacked U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.

The U.S. had previously bombed Iranian targets in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest round came more than three weeks after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 that outlined a 60-day negotiating window.

-Israeli airstrikes on February 28. It has killed thousands and caused heavy damage to Iran’s economy and military capabilities. Iran demonstrated during the conflict that it could choke off one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Global oil prices spiked around 7 percent on July 8. The U.S. also revoked a waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil internationally. The flare-up overshadowed a NATO summit Trump attended in Turkey the same week.

A June 23 Reuters/Ipsos poll showed Trump’s approval rating at 34 percent, the lowest level of his second term. “Trump has put himself in a box,” said Aaron David Miller. ” Jonathan Panikoff said the situation is unlikely to return to full-scale war.

“The default setting is now managed instability - recurring violence with no permanent off-ramp,” he said.