Iran war: Trump says cease-fire deal collapses after missile strikes kill 18

By Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

President Donald Trump declared the Iran cease-fire “on life support” Tuesday after Tehran fired 11 ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing American troops, killing 18 and wounding 47.

The deadliest single attack since the conflict erupted 3 weeks ago came hours before both sides were due to begin phased withdrawals under a Qatari-brokered truce.

The three-day-old deal now appears doomed, raising the prospect of a full U.S. ground offensive that the Pentagon has been quietly preparing for 10 days. Oil prices spiked 9 percent on the news, while Gulf airlines again suspended flights through Iranian airspace.

“They’re playing games,” Trump told reporters outside the White House. “You can’t shoot missiles at our boys and pretend you want peace. The agreement is on life support.”

The president spoke minutes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth briefed him in the Situation Room. Hegseth later told reporters the military had “multiple response options” ready and expected to present them to Trump within 24 hours.

Video released by U.S. Central Command showed bright flashes over Al-Asad airbase west of Baghdad at 4:17 a.m. local time. One missile struck a dining facility where 200 soldiers were eating breakfast. Another hit a barracks, reducing concrete walls to rubble.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility, saying the strike was retaliation for last week’s U.S. bombing of an Iranian drone base that killed 12 Guards. A statement posted on the Guard’s Telegram channel warned of “wider and more painful” attacks if American forces remain in Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned both the attack and the U.S. presence that invited it. “Our country cannot continue as a battlefield,” he said in a televised address. Baghdad summoned both the American and Iranian ambassadors for formal protests.

The breakdown sends diplomats scrambling. Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who spent 5 days shuttling between Washington and Tehran to secure the original deal, canceled a planned celebration dinner at Doha’s Sheraton hotel. “We need to assess if either side still wants off-ramps,” he told Al Jazeera.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement urging restraint. “Further escalation serves no one’s interests,” they said. Neither France nor Germany has military assets in Iraq, limiting their leverage.

Oil markets reacted instantly. Brent crude jumped to $93.40 a barrel, its highest since October. The price surge adds fresh inflation pressure on Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections. Gasoline futures rose 11 cents to $2.87 per gallon, likely pushing pump prices above $3.50 within days.

Major carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines rerouted flights away from Iranian airspace, adding up to 90 minutes to Europe-Asia routes. The detours will cost the industry an estimated $250 million monthly if sustained, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Inside the Pentagon, planners have updated target lists that include Revolutionary Guard bases, missile launch sites and naval assets along the Strait of Hormuz. “We’re beyond the symbolic stage,” a senior defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official stressed Trump has not authorized wider strikes but noted the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its strike group moved within 200 miles of Iran’s coast overnight.

Background

The current conflict traces to April 29, when a suspected Israeli airstrike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility killed 7 scientists. Tehran blamed Washington for intelligence sharing and fired dozens of drones at Israel on May 2. Israel responded with overnight raids on Iranian military sites in Syria, killing 19. Three days later, Revolutionary Guard speedboats fired on a U.S. surveillance drone over the Persian Gulf, bringing the first direct American casualties: two aviators missing at sea.

Trump initially ordered limited strikes on drone bases, but each side’s retaliation has grown deadlier. The tit-for-tat attacks killed 63 people before Tuesday’s missile barrage, including 37 Americans, 15 Iranians and 11 Iraqis caught in crossfire. The Qatari cease-fire announced Saturday had offered the first pause, calling for simultaneous U.S. and Iranian withdrawals from forward positions over 72 hours. Only 14 hours of that timeline elapsed before missiles flew.

What’s Next

Trump meets his national security team at 9 a.m. Wednesday while Secretary of State Marco Rubio holds emergency calls with Gulf allies. Pentagon officials say air strikes on Revolutionary Guard facilities could begin within 48 hours if Iran does not publicly recommit to the truce and allow international inspectors to verify missile site shutdowns, conditions Tehran has previously rejected as “humiliating.”

Congressional leaders received closed-door briefings Tuesday evening. Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker signaled support for a tougher response, telling reporters “the authorization for force is already on the books if the president needs it.” Democrats demanded consultation but stopped short of calling for a new war powers vote. Markets will watch Wednesday’s oil inventory data for signs of actual supply disruption, while European diplomats make last-minute appeals at the United Nations. The next 48 hours likely decide whether the region pulls back from open war or plunges deeper.