Iran live updates: US death toll rises; Trump says ceasefire is ‘over'

President Donald Trump said Wednesday after the latest round of tit-for-tat strikes between the U.S. and Iran that he considers the ceasefire between the two nations to be over and could resume his bombing campaign - throwing the status of a preliminary agreement to end the conflict and the broader peace process into uncertain territory.

"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them," Trump said from Ankara, Turkey, where he was attending a NATO summit. "They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people, and they're vicious, violent people."

Trump told reporters during a morning meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that U.S. negotiators wanted to continue to try to broker peace with Iran but he declared: "As far as I'm concerned, it's over."

"As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them," he added. "They're liars."

Trump made the comments several hours after Iran said it targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. The attacks came after the U.S. launched strikes against Iran in retaliation for attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz that American officials described as a ceasefire violation.

"We hit them hard last night," Trump said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, adding that the U.S. would "probably" be pummeling Iran again overnight.

Follow along with USA TODAY for live updates.

Trump threatens to cut off trade with Spain

President Donald Trump ordered his administration to cut off trade with Spain as he lashed out at the NATO ally for not contributing more financially to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's defense.

"Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade with Spain anymore, by the way," Trump said on July 8 at the second day of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

"I'd like you to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in NATO," the president added, directing his remarks to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "They don't participate. They don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits

Spain, a member of NATO since 1982, spends about 2% of its gross domestic product on defense, short of Trump's demand that allies spend 5%. NATO has a goal of 5% in defense spending by 2035.

The president has sweeping powers to restrict or block economic dealings involving foreign countries under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

However, to make such a move, the president must prove the country in question poses an "unusual or extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security, foreign policy or the economy, and declare the situation a national emergency.

Contributing: Reuters

--Joey Garrison

Iran asked to pause fighting to mourn supreme leader, Trump says

Trump said that Iranian leaders asked for a "time out" to attend the state funeral of Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the regime who was killed in a strike at the start of the war.

"Now, we did kill him, you know, so I guess you have to look at it that way," Trump said of the request, which came before the potential collapse of the ceasefire.

Trump said he pledged not to kill Iranian leaders during the funeral procession that's expected to end with Khamenei's burial on July 9.

"We said, ‘We're not going to kill you," Trump said. "They were worried we were going to kill them during the funeral."

--Francesca Chambers

NATO says Iran can't have nukes; declares unwavering support for Ukraine

In a joint declaration, the leaders of NATO's 32-member nations said Iran "must never have a nuclear weapon" – in an apparent attempt to appease Trump.

"The Alliance continues to respond and adapt to the strategic competition, pervasive instability, hybrid threats and recurrent shocks that define our broader security environment," the declaration said. "Allies reiterate that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Trump has been lobbing threats at various allies who declined to help the U.S. with its bombing campaign, including Spain, which he hit with another trade-related threat on Wednesday.

The statement also made reference to threats from Russia and unwavering support for Ukraine. It ended with a vague reference to the alliance's next meeting without providing a date.

– Francesca Chambers

US death toll rises to 14 after emergency helicopter landing

A U.S. Navy commander is presumed dead after a dayslong search following an emergency helicopter landing in the Arabian Sea, bringing the number of U.S. service members killed in the Iran war to 14.

Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, was reported missing after the July 1 incident. On Sunday, July 5, the Navy suspended its search-and-rescue operations.

Three of the helicopter's crew members were found and reported in stable condition, the Navy said. They were aboard a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush, one of two aircraft carriers that continues to operate in the Arabian Sea region amid the war.

What led to the emergency landing remains unclear. The U.S. Navy said an investigation is ongoing and there's "no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action."

--Chris Cann

Stocks fall on Iran ceasefire news

Stocks fell at the opening bell on July 8 after President Donald Trump signaled that Iran ceasefire might be over.

The Dow Jones was down nearly 500 points shortly after the start of trading. The S&P 500 was off roughly 0.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq, which already has endured losses in recent weeks, was down about 0.3%.

Renewed military strikes between the United States and Iran prompted Trump to declare that the ceasefire in the Iran war is likely over. That news sent oil prices rising, because conflict in the Middle East tends to constrict supply.

--Daniel Devise

NATO says Iran can't have nukes; declares unwavering support for Ukraine

In a joint declaration, the leaders of NATO's 32-member nations said Iran "must never have a nuclear weapon" – in an apparent attempt to appease Trump.

"The Alliance continues to respond and adapt to the strategic competition, pervasive instability, hybrid threats and recurrent shocks that define our broader security environment," the declaration said. "Allies reiterate that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon and call on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

Trump has been lobbing threats at various allies who declined to help the U.S. with its bombing campaign, including Spain, which he hit with another trade-related threat on Wednesday.

The statement also made reference to threats from Russia and unwavering support for Ukraine. It ended with a vague reference to the alliance's next meeting without providing a date.

– Francesca Chambers

Trump sends new presidential jet to England for a military tour

Trump said he would send the presidential jet he received from Qatar, which is called Air Force One when he is aboard, for a tour.

The new plane is being sent to Mildenhall Air Force Base in the United Kingdom. Trump plans to fly an older version of the Boeing 747 from Turkey to England for the event.

"Everybody is so excited, and we thought that they should be the first," Trump said on social media. "For old time's sake, we'll be taking the former Air Force One, from Turkey to Mildenhall, a short trip that is totally worth doing in order to give our Great Military Heroes a chance to appreciate our beautiful new addition to the Air Force Fleet!"

--Bart Jansen

US targets in Iran are ‘anything' that harasses shipping in Strait of Hormuz: Hegseth

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the targets in the strikes against Iran were "anything used to harass shipping in the Strait of Hormuz" and the attacks would go "even deeper" if needed.

Hegseth listed as targets the small boats that harass shipping, underground storage facilities for drones and missiles, coastal defense sites and radar locations.

Small craft. They were trying to harass shipping with.

"Anything they thought they had rebuilt or capability they were using was a target last night," Hegseth told reporters at the NATO conference in Ankara, Turkey. "Tonight, if we need to, on your order Mr. President, we will hit even more and even deeper because that's the consequence."

--Bart Jansen

Trump predicts more strikes on Iran ‘tonight'

Trump indicated the U.S. is not done completing strikes on Iran and will "probably hit them hard again tonight."He made the comment to reporters during the NATO Summit in Ankara, where he is holding a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I'll give them a little warning," Trump said of Iran.

"We're going to hit them hard tonight." Trump declined to say in response to another question whether the collapse of the ceasefire means that he plans to resume full-scale attacks on Iran.

They violate the agreement every day. They lie. They cheat. They kill people," Trump responded.

--Erin Mansfield

Stock futures drop on Iran ceasefire news

Stock futures dipped in the morning of July 8 after President Donald Trump signaled that the ceasefire in the Iran war might be over.

Dow Jones futures were down more than 400 points before the opening bell. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq were both down more than half a percentage point. Stock futures are agreements to buy or sell stock shares in the future. When they're down, the market tends to head the same way.

Renewed military strikes between the United States and Iran prompted Trump to declare that the ceasefire is likely over. That sent oil prices rising, because conflict in the Middle East often constricts supply.

European Union leader condemns Iran's actions

Kaja Kallas, the head of foreign affairs for the European Union condemned Iran's recent attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, saying their actions violate the ceasefire and "threaten to disrupt the resumption of energy supplies." "Freedom of navigation must be unimpeded," Kallas wrote in a social media post. She said top diplomats for European Union countries will meet with officials in the Gulf next week to discuss working together and preserving freedom of navigation.

--Erin Mansfield

Oil prices climb back up

Oil prices spiked Wednesday after President Donald Trump said the ceasefire between the United States and Iran was "over," renewing concerns that U.S. consumers could face higher gas prices just as they had begun to expect relief.

The jump also appears to be a response to the Treasury Department's decision to revoke a temporary U.S. waiver allowing Iran to sell oil on the open market – a decision that will constrain the global oil supply.

Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, jumped 6% to $74.50 per barrel. While gas prices often lag oil prices, they also ticked slightly higher on Wednesday. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to $3.80, according to AAA. It's up from $3.85 last week, but still down from $4.16 last month.

--Rachel Barber

NATO leader says U.S. strikes on Iran were ‘crucial'

Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, said the U.S. attacks on Iran were justified because Iran was violating the ceasefire.

"I think it is totally crucial that the U.S. forcefully react," Rutte said in a news conference.

He said members of NATO would discuss Iran on Wednesday. He said he expected them to confirm that "Iran should never, ever get its hands on a nuclear capability," and that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open to free navigation.

-- Erin Mansfield

Why did the U.S. attack Iran again?

U.S. Central Command said it launched strikes against Iran to "impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway."

"Iran's demonstrated aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire," CENTCOM said.

Iran has periodically asserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S. attacked in February, blockading and attacking ships, driving up oil prices worldwide. The U.S. and Iran had another dust up on June 26 related to the Strait of Hormuz, but it was not clear at the time if that would be the end of the fighting.

The United States also revoked a license for Iran to sell oil in response to a series of attacks on the commercial vessels that the regime has not taken responsibility for.

The ongoing conflict around the strait and escalating U.S. response underscored the tenuous status of peace negotiations. U.S. and Iranian officials signed a preliminary peace agreement in June to end a war that began on Feb. 28. The memorandum of understanding called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and launched further negotiations on Iran's nuclear program and U.S. sanctions.

-- Erin Mansfield

Why did Iran strike the U.S. back?

Iranian state media wrote on social media on Wednesday that its attacks were "in response to U.S. military aggression."

"We will not allow U.S. interference in the Strait of Hormuz," state media wrote. "Transit through the (strait) is only permitted via the routes designated by Iran."

Meanwhile, Iran has been in a period of public mourning for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike in February.

-- Erin Mansfield

Do the U.S. and Iran have a ceasefire?

The two countries most recently reached a temporary, 60-day ceasefire agreement on June 19. But the U.S. struck Iran again June 26 in response to what it said were Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Fighting appeared to die down until Tuesday, and on Wednesday, Trump said he considered the ceasefire over. The ceasefire lasted 18 days.

-- Erin Mansfield

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iran live updates: US death toll rises; Trump says ceasefire is ‘over'

Reporting by Francesca Chambers, Erin Mansfield, Rachel Barber, Bart Jansen and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 11:39 AM.