K-Points

U.S. Resumes War with Iran as Europe Gears Up for Conflict with Russia

The United States has intensified its military campaign against Iran, conducting airstrikes for a second consecutive day. President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric, telling reporters that the U.S. military would hit Iranian targets "20 times harder" than any Iranian attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Iranian state media, explosions were reported at multiple locations along the southern coast, including Bushehr—home to Iran’s nuclear power plant—and the port cities of Chabahar, Konarak, Bandar Abbas, and Sirik. An airbase in Iranshahr also came under U.S. fire. In retaliation, Iran launched strikes targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan, escalating a crossfire that threatens an interim agreement aimed at ending the war gripping the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent end to the conflict, struck a defiant tone on X. He stated that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened only under “Iranian arrangements,” following the exchange of strikes between Tehran and Washington. “The United States still has not learned that bullying and breaking its promises no longer come without consequences,” Qalibaf wrote. “Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck.”

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, also dismissed Trump’s latest threats, calling them a sign of weakness rather than strength. “Trump's statements today, from insulting the Iranian nation to threatening further attacks, are not a sign of strength, but rather an admission of the failure of a policy built on brute force, sanctions, and threats for years,” he wrote on X. “With the criminal and murderous Trump, one must speak in his own language; apparently, he understands the language of force better.”

Meanwhile, as the U.S. continues its conflict with Iran, European nations are openly preparing for armed confrontation with Russia, according to Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). “Europe is swiftly militarizing to establish the military-industrial capacity necessary for its plans to wage war with Russia,” Polyansky said during an OSCE session in Vienna. “Our European neighbors are openly preparing for conflict—expanding their military capabilities and reorienting their economies toward a war footing.” He while European officials often speak of peace, significant financial investments are being made behind the scenes to bolster military infrastructure, calling it “a quintessential form of hybrid warfare, executed in the most cynical manner.”