Tehran, Iran. Iran and the United States intensified military exchanges on Thursday, further undermining last month’s truce, while Iran’s release of a US citizen was viewed as a possible signal for avoiding a return to full-scale war. President Donald Trump described the release as a “gesture of goodwill.”
Military escalation
For the first time since a memorandum of understanding paused fighting last month, the United States launched two major waves of air strikes in a single day on Wednesday, targeting locations mainly near Iran’s southern coast.
Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at US military bases in neighbouring countries, including a major barrage directed at a recently expanded air base in Jordan.
The latest week of attacks has tested the escalation limits observed by both sides during four months of fighting before the truce. Trump has declared the ceasefire under the memorandum “over.”
Release of US citizen
Human rights lawyer Jared Genser identified the released US citizen as Dena Karari. He said she had been “trapped in Iran since December 2024 on bogus charges” and was “now safe and traveling back to the United States.”
Iran did not comment on the case. Historically, releases of US citizens held in Iran have been handled through behind-the-scenes contacts, including during periods when formal diplomacy was suspended.
Strait of Hormuz disruption
The renewed fighting has again brought traffic through the Strait of Hormuz close to a halt. The waterway is a key global shipping route for oil and gas, and the disruption has pushed energy prices higher.
Prices remain below wartime peaks, however, indicating that traders expect the crisis could ease.
Iran triggered the renewed conflict last week by striking ships using a corridor in the strait outside its control. The attacks included a drone strike that caused a dangerous fire aboard a Qatari tanker carrying liquefied natural gas.
Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran sought to establish its authority over the strait. The sources said Iran was not seeking a broader escalation that could undermine the June memorandum of understanding, which Tehran continues to view as delivering most of its objectives.