Trump says not sure he wants Iran deal amid Hormuz Strait strife
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he may no longer even be interested in even trying to reach a deal with Iran, hours after declaring the latest ceasefire agreement “over” in light of renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz.
“I’m not sure I want to make a deal with them,” Trump said about Tehran at a press conference in Ankara, where he went to attend the summit of the NATO military alliance.
“We can play games, but I’m not sure I want to make a deal,” said Trump, adding, “Let’s get the job done.”
The president was asked why he had so quickly cooled off from Iran’s rulers, recently praising them as “scum” and “sick people” when just a month ago he had praised them as “smart”, “very rational” and “easy to deal with”.
“I need to know them,” Trump replied.
He added that he still believes they are more rational than previous leaders the United States killed in the war that began on February 28.
“But judging by their actions over the last week or two, they’re not serving the public, and I think I’ve gotten to know them more than anything else,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said the US ceasefire with Iran was “over” following the latest violence in the Middle East.
Tehran attacked three commercial ships in or near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. US Central Command And Joint Maritime Information CenterA US-led naval group.
Following these attacks, the United States canceled the sanctions exemption for Iran’s oil sales, which was part of the temporary ceasefire agreement signed by the two countries last month.
The US later said it had launched dozens of missiles. retaliatory attacks Iran’s military infrastructure and small boats.
The strait, an important transit point for world oil trade, was a major flashpoint for tensions during the war. Iran’s ability to block the waterway and its intention to begin charging ships that wish to pass through it has given it a tremendous advantage in resisting the larger US military. Trump retaliated by ordering a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the region.
As part of the agreement, the United States agreed to lift the blockade, while Iran agreed to “make its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial ships” in the Gulf region.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei accused the United States of violating this article of the agreement in an
Baqaei wrote that the United States “objects to this article and in practice violates the structure of the agreement with its unilateral actions, as well as its aggressive attacks on Iran.” “The Islamic Republic of Iran will resolutely continue to protect its national interests and exercise its sovereignty.”
“I don’t want to deal with them anymore,” Trump said of Iran on Wednesday. He added that trying to deal with the Islamic republic was a “waste of time.”
Regarding the ceasefire, Trump said, “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
He later promised that the US would take further military action “tonight”. However, he later pardoned his threat at the press conference, saying that he could have ordered these attacks.
