The recent breakdown of the ceasefire between the US and Iran has sent shockwaves through the international community, highlighting the fragility of the diplomatic efforts that had been underway to resolve their longstanding conflict. The US and Iran had agreed to stand down hostilities in June, following a series of tit-for-tat strikes that had escalated tensions in the region. However, the situation has taken a dramatic turn in the last 24 hours, with the US launching powerful strikes on Iran in response to three commercial vessels being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US has also revoked licenses that would have allowed the sale of Iranian oil, a move that is likely to further exacerbate the situation. Iran, in turn, has accused the US of violating the ceasefire, and has called on the international community to hold the US accountable for its actions. The situation is further complicated by the fact that Iran is currently holding a state funeral for its supreme leader, who was killed in the US-Iran war.
The US, meanwhile, is at the NATO summit, where it has been repeating its criticism of NATO allies for not joining the US in its war with Iran. Just yesterday, Donald Trump said that the US and Iran would make a deal or the US would finish the job, a statement that has been interpreted as a sign of the US's willingness to take a hardline approach to the conflict. What's not clear, however, is whether these strikes represent the US deciding that diplomacy has run its course, or if both sides will pull back from the brink once more, as they did at the end of June.
