The ceasefire held for one month. That was it. Then everything spun back into the familiar spiral: attack, casualties, revenge, fresh escalation. This time the US struck Iran, after an Iranian attack killed two American soldiers in Jordan.

The US Central Command, Centcom, said the air operations began at 6 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, on the orders of President Donald Trump. The goal, according to the military command, was twofold - to „further reduce Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping“ through the Strait of Hormuz, and to swiftly punish the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for the attack in Jordan.

The Strait of Hormuz is not mentioned by accident. A significant share of the world's oil passes through that narrow crossing, and every escalation there is felt immediately on global markets. When the big players clash there, the consequences travel far - much farther than the Persian Gulf.

Iranian state media reported that US forces struck near Sirik, in southern Iran, so far with no reported casualties or damage. Supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei declared that „the noble Iranian people and the Front of Resistance have prepared unforgettable lessons“ for the American adversary now trying a new round of escalation.

The violence comes after the collapse of the one-month ceasefire agreement last week. Since the start of the conflict in late February, the number of American soldiers killed has climbed to 16, with more than 420 wounded. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has claimed responsibility for attacks on American positions across the region, including Kuwait and Bahrain.

Each side counts its dead, each side vows revenge, and the ceasefire turned out to be nothing more than a pause to catch a breath. The Balkans know this logic all too well - the one where every strike is a „response“ to the last, and nobody remembers who hit first. The question is whether anyone is still looking for a way out, or whether everyone is just waiting to see who strikes next.