US pounds Iran for second day as Trump declares ceasefire dead

The fragile US-Iran ceasefire appears to have collapsed after President Donald Trump ordered a second wave of airstrikes against Iran, warning Tehran that every attack on American interests will be met with overwhelming force.

US Central Command confirmed Wednesday night that American aircraft struck around 90 military targets across southern Iran, expanding on Tuesday's operation which hit more than 80 targets after Iranian attacks on commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Military officials said the latest strikes destroyed air defence systems, coastal surveillance sites, anti-ship missile batteries, drone storage facilities, Revolutionary Guard naval assets and logistics hubs stretching from Chabahar to Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.

Trump made clear the United States has abandoned any expectation that the ceasefire agreed just weeks ago will hold.

"I don't want to deal with them anymore," he said during the NATO summit in Turkey. "They're scum. They're sick people, led by sick people."

The President later told reporters aboard Air Force One that any further Iranian aggression would trigger an even heavier response.

"We just hit them very hard," Trump said. "Every time they hit us we're going to hit 20 targets. They have very little left."

Despite the escalation, Trump insisted Iran was still seeking negotiations.

"They want to make a deal so badly," he said. "I just don't know if they're worthy of making the deal."

Critical oil facilities now in the firing line

In his strongest warning yet, Trump suggested Iran's vital economic infrastructure could become the next target if attacks continue.

He again floated the idea of taking control of Kharg Island, through which the vast majority of Iran's oil exports pass, while also warning that bridges and other strategic infrastructure could be struck.

Any attack on Kharg Island would represent a dramatic escalation, potentially crippling Iran's economy and sending global oil prices sharply higher.

Iran vows retaliation

Iran responded by launching attacks against US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait while senior officials warned Washington that further strikes would be met with an even stronger response.

Tehran also threatened once again to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway carrying roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil.

Iran insists vessels must use sea lanes approved by Tehran and has accused foreign shipping of ignoring its navigation instructions.

Ceasefire appears all but finished

The latest exchange leaves last month's 14-point memorandum of understanding hanging by a thread.

The agreement had been designed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, reduce regional tensions and create space for negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme and sanctions relief.

Instead, the United States has now launched four rounds of strikes since the deal was signed, while Iran has continued military operations against shipping and US interests.

Although Trump insists he does not expect a wider war, the rapid cycle of attacks and retaliation suggests the Middle East is once again entering one of its most dangerous periods in years, with the risk of further escalation growing by the day.

SOURCE

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2226838/iran-ayatollah-website-hacked-trump-airstrike-ceasefire/amp

student network takes down iranian sites

As the Iran/US ceasefire broke down last night brave Iranian students humiliated the dictatorship in Tehran by taking over more than 600 government-controlled university websites. The regime of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei - who has made no appearance at week-long funeral rallies for his father Ali Khamenei, backing claims he has been seriously injured in a US air strike - came under fire from American missiles which rained down on 80 strategic sites last early this morning.