The White House drew a timetable and erased it a day later — but the bombing has not stopped. U.S. forces carried out their first daytime raid, a 90-minute precision strike on Greater Tunb island's coastal defenses, as Iran called it a violation. There is still no sign of talks.
President Donald Trump said on July 15 that strikes on Iran will continue “until I decide it is enough,” declining to set any deadline. The remark walked back the ‘attack next week’ timetable he had floated only a day earlier, Korean outlets including the Chosun Ilbo and U.S. media reported.
광고 문의 · 300×250“The strikes go on until Iran comes to the table,” Trump said. By replacing a fixed date with a condition, the White House signaled it intends to keep full control over the intensity and duration of the campaign.
First daytime raid: 90 minutes over Greater Tunb
U.S. Central Command struck coastal defense systems and cruise-missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb island for roughly 90 minutes with precision-guided munitions. It was the first daytime raid in a campaign so far waged at night — a sign, analysts say, of confidence that Iran's air defenses have been degraded.
It marked the fifth consecutive day of strikes since July 11. The U.S. military says the campaign aims to erode Iran's ability to threaten civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The legal clock: a new 60-day window
The administration formally notified Congress on July 7 that hostilities with Iran had resumed, arguing that under the War Powers Resolution it now has a fresh 60-day window to conduct operations without congressional approval.
The threat against infrastructure also stands. Trump has said the U.S. would “knock out every power plant and destroy bridges” until Tehran negotiates.
Markets and the region
Five days of strikes have kept oil prices and shipping insurance premiums on edge, while Gulf states continue mediation efforts. Iran denounced the strikes as a violation but has so far limited its response, avoiding full-scale escalation.
A third perspective
At home, the legality of a prolonged campaign without congressional approval is under growing challenge; European capitals urge restraint and a return to diplomacy. China's foreign ministry repeated its opposition to “unilateral sanctions without basis in international law.” The same bombs read as ‘negotiating pressure’ in Washington, ‘aggression’ in Tehran, and ‘a threat to freedom of navigation’ to third countries.
