The United States and Iran are exchanging fire again: each accuses the other of violating the ceasefire. The bodies of the Khamenei family are buried in Iraq. 6.5 million visitors attend the funeral ceremonies.
The diplomatic flow between Iran and the US has broken down, at least that’s what Donald Trump said during the NATO summit in Ankara: “The ceasefire with Iran is over.” Overnight, the United States attacked Iran in response to the ship strikes in the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO Secretary General Rutte: “Last night’s US attack on Iran was absolutely necessary.” He also said: “5,000 aircraft from Europe participated in the fight against Iran.”
While Trump continued to say that the agreements were broken, a US government source in Ankara told Reuters: “The United States will continue negotiations with Iran in good faith to try to reach an agreement.” The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) modified the general license temporarily suspending sanctions on Iranian petrochemical products, revoking the authorization in effect until today. A 10-day transition period has been granted, allowing previously authorized transactions to be completed by 12:01 p.m. ET on July 17, 2026. The decision comes after the UKMTO reported that three oil tankers—one Saudi, one Qatari, and one UAE-owned—were hit by unidentified projectiles near the Strait of Hormuz. No group has claimed responsibility. Tehran has not commented.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi announced on the evening of the 7th: “Negotiations with the United States will not resume until the Lebanon clause is implemented!” “Negotiations with the United States will not resume until the Lebanon clause contained in the Memorandum of Understanding is implemented.” He added: “Until Israeli forces withdraw from Lebanon, no final agreement with the United States will be reached.”
Pete Hegseth canceled his trip to Israel due to these events.
French President Emmanuel Macron is calling on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese and Syrian territories and grant them full sovereignty over their lands: “We believe that Israel must leave Lebanese territory. We believe that Syria must be fully sovereign and united, and that all parties occupying parts of its territory must leave.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview with Newsmax: “Iran definitely possesses chemical weapons. I can tell you that. And this is another threat they pose.” This news is currently not supported by documents certifying Netanyahu’s words, yet the news cycle has already begun. In another statement, he said: “The Iranian threat still exists, and Tehran is still capable of rebuilding its nuclear program.” Netanyahu also reiterated: “If the United States supplies Turkey with fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, the balance of power in the Middle East will be upset. He added that he has periodic disagreements with Donald Trump, but that Israel and the United States remain true allies.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had previously stated that his prime minister had asked Trump to abandon the sale of F-35s to Turkey, as Israel fears losing its military superiority in the region.
Funeral in Iraq for the Khamenei family. Approximately 6.5 million visitors between the cities of Karbala and Najaf. A large number of Iraqi officials are present at Najaf International Airport. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, General Ismail Qaani, landed in Najaf al-Ashraf, despite the controversy in recent days over the declaration that he was persona non grata in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Kazem al-Zaidi welcomed Iranian President Pezeshkian in Najaf. Kata’ib Hezbollah forces were deployed along the route between Najaf and Karbala to ensure the safety of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession.
Following the US attacks on Iran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that “the armed forces will strike at the source of any aggression against Iran.” It then urged: “The Persian Gulf states not to support any US aggression against Iran.”
Regarding the American strikes, Iran issued a statement saying: “In the early hours of this morning (July 8), the United States violated the ceasefire and launched airstrikes against several coastal bases and civilian stations along the coasts of Hormozgan and Mahshahr provinces in Iran. One member of the Revolutionary Guards Navy was killed and several civilians were injured in American strikes in southern Iran.”
The United States justified its attacks by claiming that Iran had violated the Memorandum of Understanding MoU. The Iranians claim otherwise, stating: “The United States has violated the MoU on several occasions, including: Violation of Iranian agreements in the Strait of Hormuz. Persistent threats of further attacks. Reimposition of oil sanctions. Attacks against southern Iran. Continuation of Israeli aggression against Lebanon.”
Iran responded to the US attack by launching a joint missile and drone operation against 85 key US military installations in Bandar Salman, the US Fifth Naval Air Station in Bahrain, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Iran also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone that attempted to interfere with the operation.
And now let’s take a closer look at the military scenarios in the Middle East and Western Asia, updated as of 3:30 PM on July 8. The United States Central Command announced the beginning of a “series of powerful strikes” against Iran.
At approximately 9:20 AM Italian time, a statement from CENTCOM read: “Strikes against southern Iran have ended / We have targeted 60 Revolutionary Guard ships. We have targeted Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, and anti-ship missile capabilities.”
Concurrently with the strikes against Iran, the Israeli Air Force conducted strikes in Lebanon.
Kuwaiti authorities declared that their armed forces shot down two ballistic missiles and 13 drones in Kuwaiti airspace at dawn on July 8. The Ministry of Defense added that the interceptions did not cause any material damage or casualties. Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity announced that several power transmission lines were out of service, causing power outages in several areas.
Bahraini sources also reported a sudden power outage in several parts of the country. From 3:00 AM until approximately 5:00 AM on July 8, sirens were inactive in Bahrain. Numerous interceptions were reported.
The recent US attacks against southern Iran have been supported by the United Arab Emirates.
The three gas and oil vessels targeted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy: LPG tanker, owned by Qatar: AL REKAYYAT; Crude oil tanker, owned by Saudi Arabia: WEDYAN, LPG tanker, owned by the United Arab Emirates: AL MARYAH. Another targeted vessel has not yet been identified. Another incident was reported on the night of July 5-6.
Iran reported explosions near the coastal city of Sirik, with several reported injuries from shrapnel, near the Strait of Hormuz. US strikes in southern Iran and on Qeshm Island. The Iranian news agency reported hearing several explosions in the past few minutes near Qeshm Island and the port of Bandar Abbas. Two military installations in Bushehr were attacked. Bushehr Deputy Governor for Security: “This morning, a military installation near the city of Deshti and another near the city of Chagadak, both in the Bushehr district, were attacked.”
Around 6:40 a.m. on July 8, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it had launched large-scale strikes against U.S. military targets in the Middle East. The operation was a response to U.S. attacks on coastal bases and civilian infrastructure in Iran’s Hormozgan province and the city of Mahshahr, according to Tasnim. The IRGC’s three main naval bases are located in Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, and Mashahr.
“Iranian forces struck 85 targets at key U.S. military bases in the region,” the IRGC said. Among the targets hit were Port Salman, the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet area of responsibility in Bahrain, and Ali al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Additionally, a US MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and attack drone attempting to intercept Iranian weapons was shot down over the operation’s Khormoy area, the IRGC said. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described the US military’s actions as an attempt to disrupt commemorative processions honoring former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. They emphasized that the attack was a “first response” to the US aggression.
In a statement by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the explicit violation of Clause 10 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding by the United States: “Less than 20 days after the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the announcement of the revocation of the general authorization issued on June 21 is a further demonstration of the bad faith, instability, and unreliability of the ruling establishment in the United States. This is despite the fact that, over the past 20 days, the United States – directly or through the Israeli regime’s actions against Lebanon – has repeatedly committed violations, both minor and major, of various provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding. The United States government, in line with its established practice, has sought to justify its violations of its commitments under various pretexts, while simultaneously violating those commitments. The Islamic Republic of Iran will adopt all measures it deems necessary to safeguard its national interests and national security.”
Suspicious crash of a Pakistani plane in the Gulf of Oman. “The Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan has announced the crash of a cargo plane with five people on board in the Gulf of Oman.” “According to the report, the plane was en route from Sharjah to Karachi at 9:18 PM Pacific Time when it reported a navigational problem. The aircraft experienced a communication system problem and was immediately directed to the Karachi air traffic control center.” “At 9:21 PM, radar observed the plane descending rapidly and continuously changing direction, and after a while, approximately 155 miles west of Karachi in the Gulf of Oman, radar contact and communications were lost.”
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings – Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS – Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
