• Tehran threatens to close Hormuz; US forces bomb more targets overnight after Trump says ‘deal is over’
• Iran hits targets in Kuwait, Bahrain; officials remain unbowed by threats
• China, Qatar join push for diplomatic solution
• UN chief ‘alarmed’ by renewed confrontation

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: A renewal of hostilities between Iran and the United States drew fresh calls for de-escalation on Wednesday, with Pakistan — one of the main brokers of the ceasefire between the two countries — insisting that a renewed conflict was “in no one’s interest”.

The calls followed tit-for-tat strikes, with both sides claiming they had hit dozens of targets, placing fresh strain on their interim deal to end the war.

In the early hours of Thursday, US President Donald Trump made good on his claim from earlier in the day that US forces would “hit them hard tonight”, as fresh explosions were reported in the southern cities of Chabahar, Sirik and Bandar Abbas.

US outlet Axios reported that the latest strikes were aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway,” U.S. Central Command wrote in a post on X.

Earlier, speaking at a Nato summit in Ankara, Trump had said of the Iranians: “They violate the agreement every day”, adding, “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them”.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said.

Trump, who has at times stepped back from threats he has made against Iran, later added that “anything that happens is going to be over very quickly… We’re not looking for long term”.

He was also dismissive of the potential for escalation, saying: “I don’t think it’s going to start again. I think it’s going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder”.

“We can play games but I’m not sure I want to make a deal. I’d just finish the job,” he told reporters.

Attacks on Kuwait, Bahrain

A day earlier, Iranian state media reported a wave of explosions around the strait, including the island of Qeshm, as well as Bushehr (which hosts the country’s only civilian nuclear power plant), Sirik and the port of Bandar Abbas.

State television later said US strikes resulted in the death of eight military personnel.

Tehran’s reply came quickly, with the IRGC saying they hit dozens of US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. Kuwait said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones, while the Iranian army said it had also attacked US forces at Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain.

Tehran accused Washington of violating the Islamabad MoU, with foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei saying that the US had “violated the agreement’s structure through its unilateral actions and also aggressive attacks against Iran”.

Responding to Trump’s threats, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran must respond to Trump in “his own language … apparently, he understands the language of force better”.

Calls for restraint

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office expressed its deep concern at the escalation in tensions in the region, and called on all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from any actions that may further undermine regional peace and stability.

“There is no alternative to continued engagement, dialogue and diplomacy to achieve shared goal of peace in the region,” it said, and called on all sides to “uphold their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding”.

The FO said the Islamabad MoU “remains an enduring foundation for understanding, mutual respect and shared prosperity for the region and beyond”, adding that Pakistan was ready to continue playing its role in this regard.

Qatar, another state that played a key role in mediating between the warring sides, also emphasised the need to “pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, and to build upon the progress achieved under the memorandum of understanding.”

However, the Qatari foreign ministry also condemned Iran’s strikes on neighbouring Kuwait and Bahrain, adding that the region must be spared the consequences of the “unjustified attacks”.

Following the US strikes, China condemned the sharp escalation in the Middle East. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning cautioned both nations against resuming a full-scale conflict.

“Reigniting the war is not in the interests of either side, and military means cannot solve the fundamental problems,” Mao said during a news conference.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed alarm over the renewed tensions between Iran and the US.

Saying that the fighting risked “derailing the diplomatic progress achieved between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States”, Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid any further escalatory action, and take immediate steps to de-escalate.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2026