New attacks raise questions about what comes next in the Iran war

By — Will Weissert, Associated Press Will Weissert, Associated Press By — Farnoush Amiri, Associated Press Farnoush Amiri, Associated Press By — Samy Magdy, Associated Press Samy Magdy, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/new-attacks-raise-questions-about-what-comes-next-in-the-iran-war Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New attacks raise questions about what comes next in the Iran war World Jul 9, 2026 4:46 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he believes the ceasefire with Iran is over. He says he's not sure he wants a deal anymore and says the U.S. should "finish the job." But he also insists that continued attacks do not mean a return to war or long-term action. The confusion and uncertainty in Trump's mixed messaging and his approval of back-to-back military strikes leave major questions about what comes next in the conflict, just weeks after difficult diplomacy to reach even an initial deal between the longtime adversaries. WATCH: Trump says ceasefire is 'over' as U.S. launches more strikes on Iran The whipsawing rhetoric could be a strategy to increase the pressure on Tehran to stop attacking ships transporting oil and natural gas in the Strait of Hormuz and bend to U.S. demands on its nuclear program — something Trump has tried before. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Whether it is a negotiation tactic or a signal of an escalation in fighting, mediators are scrambling to save the interim deal and the actions risk further inflaming tensions — which could spell problems for Republicans in November's midterm elections if gas prices stay high. Trump warned Wednesday that a new round of U.S. attacks was coming, even as he attempted to shrug off suggestions of a return to full-scale war. Hours later, the military announced it was carrying out new attacks on Iran that were meant to "further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz." READ MORE: U.S. and Iran exchange intensifying fire across the Mideast, threatening the interim deal to end war "Anything that happens is going to happen very fast," Trump said earlier. "We're not looking for a long time." Officials rush to save the ceasefire A regional intelligence official involved in the mediation efforts said the conflict had reached a critical stage as mutual mistrust rises. But high-level communications are happening around the clock to salvage the ceasefire, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate behind-the-scenes negotiations. The foreign ministers of Pakistan and Qatar, as well as Egypt's intelligence chief, are leading the efforts, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — whose country hosted the NATO summit that wrapped Wednesday — and leaders from Saudi Arabia are also involved, the official said. The U.S. is