Iran ceasefire is ‘over,’ Trump says, threatening more strikes

WASHINGTON— A temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran less than a month ago all but ended Wednesday after the two sides launched new military strikes and President Trump threatened new attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The escalation marked a dramatic turn after the Trump administration spent weeks selling what had become a controversial diplomatic push across the political aisle with Tehran, lifting oil sanctions and a naval blockade of Iran, in exchange for promises to negotiate the status of the Strait of Hormuz and its decades-old nuclear program.

Now, He spoke to journalists at the NATO summit Trump said he believed the ceasefire in Türkiye, which diplomats described as a memorandum of understanding, was “over” and that it was a “waste of time” to deal with the Iranian leadership.

“They’re scum. They’re sick people,” Trump said last month of Iranian leaders, whom he described as “very rational people” and “very nice to get along with.”

The president’s pessimistic views on the fate of the ceasefire agreement were also shared by the Iranian foreign ministry; The minister said on Wednesday that American strikes, the resumption of the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s ongoing offensive in Lebanon constitute “important and fundamental” parts of the agreement.ineffective.”

Underlining the possibility of the ceasefire unraveling, Trump said on Wednesday night that the US planned to “hit them hard” and raised the possibility of seizing Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran’s economy. His words quickly caused oil prices to rise and global stock markets to fall; This was a concern that Trump acknowledged but did not appear to influence his decision-making on Iran.

“If we hit Iran, oil will go up a little bit, that’s okay,” Trump said. He later added that the United States “could do something else that would lift it a little bit, but I don’t think it would lift it very much.”

As Trump signals that the war will continue, his administration is seeking more than $67 billion in funds to cover expenses related to the Iran war; Congress has not yet approved the request, as lawmakers are divided over the president’s handling of the conflict.

“The American people are paying the price for Trump’s total failure on Iran,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) said Wednesday. “Our troops are in danger again, and high gas costs continue to punish working families.”

The president’s stance on the war marked the latest setback for a fragile ceasefire that has barely maintained since the 14-page agreement was signed on June 17 as the United States and Iran have engaged in cycles of attacks and counterattacks over the past few weeks.

Trump was noticeably angrier at Iran on Wednesday for casting doubt on the deal. Last month, Trump praised Iran’s leadership for trying to reach a peace agreement and celebrated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for the world’s oil and natural gas. However, judging by his words, it was clear that his patience was running out.

“I’m not happy with them,” Trump said. “They are cuckoos. There is something wrong with these people. They were the tyrants of the Middle East for 47 years and they are not tyrants anymore. They are not tyrants anymore.”

Trump expressed frustration with Iranian negotiators and their resistance to comply with US demands to reopen the strait. When asked if he was considering sending troops to Iran, the president rejected the idea.

“Why would I go in now?” Trump said. “When they are completely eliminated or a deal is made, I will step in.”

Still, the president kept the door open for talks, saying his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “want to negotiate.”

“They’re good people, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, but they need to come back to me,” Trump said. “In my opinion, dealing with this situation is just a waste of time. [the Iranians]. They are liars.”

The latest breakdown of the ceasefire follows the now-familiar chain reaction of tit-for-tat attacks, which began with a series of attacks on three oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, including a Qatari ship carrying natural gas. UK Merchant Marine Operations centre.

When a Qatari tanker was hit and set on fire off the coast of Oman, the maritime watchdog warned, experts said it was a move to thwart ships trying to use an alternative transit route to Iran’s stated route. Iran did not claim responsibility, but a report on Iranian state television said the Qatari tanker was attacked after ignoring warnings to turn back.

Two other ships were also damaged but were able to continue to their destinations, according to the UK group.

Qatar, which plays a vital role in facilitating negotiations between the US and Iran, condemned the attack on its tanker as “unacceptable”.

The United States responded with a wave of attacks targeting more than 80 Iranian targets.[ing] There were heavy costs to targeting and attacking commercial ships crewed by innocent civilians in an international waterway, according to a statement from US Central Command. This figure included approximately 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard small boats in the strait.

Iranian state media reported that US attacks targeted Sirik, Qeshm Island, Bushehr and Bandar Abbas, and a Revolutionary Guard member was killed in the US drone attack on the port city of Mahshahr.

Before the strikes, the White House revoked a 60-day temporary license granted to Tehran to sell and distribute oil during the ceasefire.

The Iranian military responded with its own attacks on 85 US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait; It also shot down an MQ-9 drone, according to a statement Wednesday.

Kuwait said its army seized two ballistic missiles and 13 UAVs, but none caused material damage.

Global oil prices rose 6 percent to over $78 per barrel on news that Trump had rejected the deal; down from the wartime peak but still above prewar levels.

The renewed violence appeared to have little impact on the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli attack in the opening hours of the war on February 28.

The funeral ceremony, which is a mourning period that will last for days, will end on Thursday when Khamenei’s body returns from Iraq and is buried in the city of Mashhad, where he was born. Negotiations would begin again.

Trump said Wednesday that Iranian leaders asked for a “time out” to attend the funeral and promised not to kill them.

“I said give it to them and they’ll start firing missiles,” Trump said.

It remains unclear whether these talks, which are planned to discuss the most challenging issues between the two countries, including the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program, will continue. Iran, on the other hand, displayed a defiant attitude.

“The era of tyranny and extortion is over,” wrote Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Galibaf. “It’s not going anywhere. We’re not putting up with it.”

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to the religious leader, wrote in X that Trump’s policy “has set the region on fire.”

“We have warned before that the region is not a place for small countries to engage in political gambling, and we have proven time and time again that adventures pay off immediately,” he wrote.

He added that the Axis of Resistance “will not remain silent against humiliation and adventurism” and “has its finger on the trigger”, referring to Iran’s network of allied groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

Bulos reported from Beirut And Ceballos from Washington.