The 60-day ceasefire signed by the US and Iran three weeks ago fell apart on July 8. Iran targeted vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz without its say-so, prompting the US to respond with strikes against a range of military targets in the Islamic Republic.
President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire “over”, saying further talks would be a “waste of time”, and the two sides have subsequently exchanged further rounds of attacks. We asked Scott Lucas, an expert in Middle East and US politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin, to explain why the conflict appears to have restarted and what might happen next.
