NPR News: 07-08-2026 5AM EDT

Dave Mattingly· Host0:01

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Dave Mattingly. The U.S. military says American forces struck more than eighty Iranian targets yesterday in what U.S. Central Command describes as retaliatory strikes. The attacks were in response to Iran hitting three merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Turkey a short time ago, President Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran to be over. The president described the Iranian leadership as scum and sick people, adding he didn't want to engage with Tehran. The president did not rule out talks continuing to permanently end the war with Iran. NPR's Jackie Northam says the Trump administration has also reversed a decision that allowed Iran to temporarily produce, sell, and deliver crude oil.

Jackie Northam0:50

Last month, the Trump administration swept aside long-standing sanctions on Iran oil as part of an interim peace agreement. It was one of the sweeteners the U.S. offered in a bid to get Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. The waivers allowed Iran to sell crude and other petroleum products on the open market, potentially pulling in between eight and ten billion dollars in sales for the regime while the agreement was in place. The waiver was due to expire mid-August but could have been extended by mutual consent. But after Iranian attacks on ships, the U.S. canceled the sanction waivers and started launching strikes in retaliation for the attacks