President Trump threatened a massive military attack on Iran over an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him. The U.S. Treasury also hit an Iranian financier with new sanctions.
Trump took to Truth Social with a stark warning. This warning follows revelations from the Wall Street Journal and additional American outlets that Israel passed along intelligence about an alleged Iranian plan to assassinate Trump.
Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei responded on X. He said, "This vengeance is what our nation is demanding, and this must definitely be done." Mojtaba is the son of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader who died in a U.S. airstrike on February 28, 2026. That strike started the war. The funeral for the former leader took place on July 9, 2026, just two days before this article's publication.
Trump made it clear the interim ceasefire is over. He said, "But the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" The deal had included a 60-day period during which Iran agreed not to charge tolls on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Now the period is gone.
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The U.S. Treasury Department placed financial sanctions on Ali Ansari, an Iranian financial facilitator who oversees a global network of assets benefiting Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the move and said the Treasury will isolate Iran's leaders from the global system. "The so-called Supreme Leader is hiding in seclusion while his regime crumbles," Bessent said.
The Treasury's sanctions came after Iran resumed targeting commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy closed the strait after it fired a warning shot at a vessel. Three weeks earlier, Iran had signed an interim deal and agreed not to charge tolls.
But since then, Iran maintained that vessels can only claim safe passage when they take a northern path through Iranian territorial waters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defended his country on X. He said, "Iran has so far kept its word, unlike the so-called U.S. Treasury Secretary who is violating Para 9 of the MoU." He added, "Reality check: There can only be mutual compliance." Araghchi traveled to Oman for talks as the situation escalates.
France and the U.K. are reviewing Omani proposals for potential charges on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which would need backing from the UN's International Maritime Organization. Even though the ceasefire has ended, the U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold "technical talks."
According to Araghchi, the U.S. Treasury action breached the terms of the June interim ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran.
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