At the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump said talks with Tehran are a waste of time as a preliminary accord appears on the verge of collapse, Reuters/CNN reported. He accused Iran of attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and breaching a ceasefire; the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck U.S. targets in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to U.S. strikes. Trump said he prefers direct action over diplomacy and called for removing what he described as a malign threat to U.S.

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported on the 8th that the Khatam al‑Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian armed forces said it will respond decisively to the U.S. strike and reiterated that under no circumstances will the U.S. be allowed to interfere in management of the Strait of Hormuz. The statement said Iran‑designated transit lanes are the only safe route for tankers and merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump signaled he may soon seek to overturn the US ban on Turkey purchasing F-35 fighters, saying a decision on the matter is forthcoming, ahead of a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan during the NATO summit in Ankara. The visit—Trump’s first trip to Ankara by a US president in 17 years—saw the leaders push to improve bilateral ties and discuss deeper cooperation on defense, energy, trade and regional security.