A UK Socialist's blog

Vice president says US will respond if Iran attacks shipping in Strait of Hormuz

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance speaks during a press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., United States, on June 18, 2026. [Mehmet Eser – Anadolu Agency]

Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that the US would continue military strikes against Iran if it resumes attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran had violated an agreement to halt the actions, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Vance said the US agreed to lift its naval blockade after Iran pledged to stop targeting ships in the strategic waterway.

“The basic deal that we cut was we’ll lift our blockade if you stop shooting at ships, but if you shoot at ships, we’re going to punch back, and we’re going to punch back harder than ever before,” he said.

Iran resumed attacks on ships about a week after the agreement was reached, according to Vance.

“If they shoot at ships, we’re going to knock the hell out of them. It’s that simple,” he said, adding that President Donald Trump “maintains a lot of options” for responding.

Vance said Trump has made clear that the Strait of Hormuz “is going to be open,” adding, “If they try to close it down, there’s going to be a response from the American military.”

READ: Trump says US will ‘probably’ hit Iran ‘hard’ again Wednesday night

His remarks came hours after Trump said the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the war was “over,” and that the US will “probably” hit Iran again Wednesday night.

The US military US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted strikes on Tuesday night “in immediate response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”

Meanwhile, Iran accused the US of violating a framework agreement between the two countries, saying Washington’s “unilateral” actions and attacks undermine the memorandum of understanding.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on the US social media company X that the memorandum “was, from the very first step, based not on trust but on a clear mechanism of ‘commitment in return for commitment.’”

He said despite the explicit wording of Article Five of the memorandum, which entrusts Iran with determining arrangements for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, “the US has challenged the provision and, through its unilateral actions as well as its aggressive attacks against Iran, has effectively violated the framework of the agreement.”

READ: Iran threatens to completely close Hormuz strait in response to renewed attacks

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingVice president says US will respond if Iran attacks shipping in Strait of Hormuz

US returns refueling aircraft to Middle East amid escalation with Iran

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refuels a P-8 Poseidon aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026. [CENTCOM – Anadolu Agency]

The US has begun returning aerial refueling aircraft to its bases in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran, as Israeli officials believe Washington would give a green light for Tel Aviv to resume attacks against Tehran, according to Israeli media on Wednesday.

“It is estimated that the Americans will give the green light to an Israeli response in Iran,” the public broadcaster KAN said.

Channel 12 said Israel’s defense establishment is closely monitoring the situation following an exchange of attacks between Washington and Tehran on Wednesday.

According to the outlet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a security consultation this evening with Defense Minister Israel Katz to discuss developments related to Iran.

READ: Trump says US will ‘probably’ hit Iran ‘hard’ again Wednesday night

Early Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said the US will “probably” hit Iran again on Wednesday night, following overnight US strikes in retaliation for attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also said that the memorandum of understanding signed last month with Iran to end the conflict was “over.”

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said early Wednesday that it had launched missile and drone strikes targeting 85 US military sites in the region, including Salman Port and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The attacks came after the US military’s Central Command said it had carried out a new round of strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

READ: Iran threatens to completely close Hormuz strait in response to renewed attacks

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingUS returns refueling aircraft to Middle East amid escalation with Iran

Iran threatens to completely close Hormuz strait in response to renewed attacks

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A general view of the giant banner hung Enghelab Square that reads, “The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed; the entire Persian Gulf is our hunting ground.” as daily life continues in Tehran, Iran on April 05, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency]

“The Strait of Hormuz will be completely closed to all maritime traffic” following any strike against Iran, an informed security source told Press TV.

The source added that Iran will also strike “enemy targets at a ratio of at least two to one, meaning that for every Iranian target hit, at least two enemy targets will be struck in return.”

US President Donald Trump earlier said that the US will “probably” hit Iran again on Wednesday night, following overnight US strikes in retaliation for attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump also said that the memorandum of understanding signed last month with Iran to end the conflict was “over.”

“Any threat will receive a powerful response,” the Iranian source said. “Iran does not distinguish between the United States and its partners in the region.”

READ: Trump says US will ‘probably’ hit Iran ‘hard’ again Wednesday night

The source said Tehran will not back down from its management of the Strait of Hormuz and “is prepared to fight to maintain control over the strategic waterway.”

“The memorandum of understanding signed on this matter clearly states that Iran will reopen the Strait in accordance with its own arrangements. Therefore, Iran will not permit the establishment of any new route outside the framework of its own arrangements,” the source said.

Early Wednesday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it had launched missile and drone strikes targeting 85 US military sites in the region, including Salman Port and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait.

The attacks came after the US military’s Central Command said it had carried out a new round of strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

READ: Iran claims retaliatory strikes on 85 US facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait following US attacks

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingIran threatens to completely close Hormuz strait in response to renewed attacks

9 Gazans killed by Israeli fire in latest ceasefire violation

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Palestinians inspect a vehicle destroyed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, Gaza, Palestine, on July 8, 2026. [Abdalhkem Abu Riash – Anadolu Agency]

At least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, in the latest violation of an ongoing ceasefire agreement, medical sources said, Anadolu reports.

A Palestinian was killed and two others were injured when an Israeli drone struck a civilian vehicle west of Gaza City, a medical source told Anadolu Agency.

One Palestinian was killed and another injured in an Israeli drone strike targeting a gathering of civilians on Al-Oyoun Street in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City.

A six-year-old child also died of wounds he sustained from Israeli gunfire in the Zeitoun neighborhood south of Gaza City.

In southern Gaza, four Palestinians, including a father, his son, and a child, were killed and 10 others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a tent sheltering displaced civilians in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis.

Another medical source said an aid truck driver was shot in the head by Israeli forces in Rafah, southern Gaza, and his body was transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

READ: Director of Egyptian Committee in Gaza killed in Israeli airstrike

Local sources said the victim, Ahmad Nasser Isleem, was shot while waiting inside his truck to load aid.

An 8-year-old child also died of wounds he sustained in an Israeli strike that targeted a civilian vehicle in the Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City on Tuesday evening, the medical source said.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Civil Defense said a woman was injured by fire from Israeli gunboats west of Gaza City. It did not provide details on the nature of her injury.

In central Gaza, the Israeli army fired several artillery shells toward eastern and southern areas of the Bureij refugee camp, local sources and eyewitnesses said.

Israeli vehicles also opened fire toward displacement tents in Al-Mawasi, northwest of Rafah. No injuries were reported.

Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,084 Palestinians and injured 3,491 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The Israeli army has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured over 173,000 others since October 2023 in a deadly offensive that has also caused widespread destruction affecting about 90% of civilian infrastructure.

WATCH: Concentration Camps Inside a Concentration Camp: Israel’s New Plan for Gaza | Palestine This Week

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue Reading9 Gazans killed by Israeli fire in latest ceasefire violation