ANKARA: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the US-Iran ceasefire effectively over, saying he no longer wanted to negotiate with Tehran after the two sides exchanged fresh military strikes that further escalated tensions across the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said he considered the ceasefire finished despite a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 that halted hostilities and established a 60-day framework for negotiating a permanent peace agreement.
“It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore,” Trump said when asked whether the ceasefire was still in effect.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. I’ll speak to our negotiators; they want to negotiate. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
BREAKING:
🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S President Trump announced that the CEASEFIRE WITH IRAN IS OVER.
“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them…They’re scum. They’re sick people.” pic.twitter.com/qvDXZY60fc
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) July 8, 2026
His remarks came hours after the US military launched fresh strikes on Iran, saying they were in response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump Defends Fresh US Strikes
Meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump defended the overnight operation, saying US forces had responded decisively.
“The US military attacked very powerfully last night,” he said.
“We said, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff’, and instead of that, they started shooting rockets and ships yesterday. So we hit them very hard last night.”
Trump claimed the latest US strikes were “20 times tougher” than Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
President Donald J. Trump provides an update on U.S. Forces retaliatory strikes against Iran. pic.twitter.com/B6d10HRdXz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 8, 2026
He also adopted an increasingly confrontational tone towards Tehran.
“I told them every time you hit, we hit,” he said.
“The US has wasted a lot of time with Iran, and I don’t think they know what the hell they’re doing.”
US and Iran Exchange Fresh Strikes
The renewed fighting followed one of the most serious escalations since the ceasefire was agreed last month.
The United States said it carried out strikes on more than 80 targets across Iran after three commercial vessels were reportedly attacked in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States Central Command said the operation targeted Iranian air defence systems, coastal surveillance facilities, surface-to-air missile batteries, anti-ship cruise missiles, drone launch sites and more than 60 boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
CENTCOM said the operation was intended to impose “heavy costs” on Iran and protect freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway.
Iran, meanwhile, said it had retaliated by launching missiles and drones at US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.
In a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB, the IRGC claimed its Navy and Aerospace Force had struck 85 US military facilities in the two Gulf states and shot down a US MQ-9 drone.
The United States had not confirmed Iran’s claims.
Explosions Reported Across Southern Iran
Iranian media reported explosions on Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export terminal, as well as on Qeshm Island and in the southern cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Iranian state television said several people were injured after what it described as an enemy projectile struck a commercial pier in Sirik, while fires were reported at fishing facilities in Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Press TV also confirmed explosions on Kharg Island but gave no details on casualties or damage.
Washington Tightens Economic Pressure
Alongside the military action, Washington revoked a temporary sanctions waiver that had allowed Iran to continue limited crude oil and petrochemical exports.
The licence, issued by the US Treasury in June and originally due to expire in August, was withdrawn on Tuesday, with Tehran given until July 17 to wind down related transactions.
Oil prices rose more than three per cent after the announcement as traders reacted to growing fears over supplies from the Middle East.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the move, accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire framework and warning it would take “any measure necessary” to protect the country’s national interests and security.
Regional Shipping Comes Under Pressure
The latest escalation followed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar accused Iran of targeting several commercial vessels, including the Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker Al Rekayyat, which reportedly caught fire after being struck by a drone.
A Saudi-flagged crude oil supertanker was also reported damaged off the coast of Oman.
Qatar summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Iran rejected the accusations, insisting it remained committed to its obligations while warning that vessels using routes not coordinated with Tehran could face security risks.
EU Warns Peace Efforts at Risk
Kaja Kallas said the renewed exchanges had further complicated efforts to end the conflict.
“Exchanges of fire between the United States and Iran further complicate already fraught talks to end the war,” she wrote on X.
Kallas also described Iran’s reported attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait as unacceptable and said EU foreign ministers would meet their Gulf counterparts next week to discuss preserving freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
The latest military exchanges have cast further doubt over the future of the June 17 ceasefire agreement, which was intended to create a two-month window for negotiating a lasting peace.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said talks on a permanent agreement would not resume while military threats continued.
