Donald Trump said the U.S.-Iran ceasefire is “over” at a Nato summit in Turkey after the United States and Iran exchanged strikes overnight. The declaration followed the most recent round of fire since Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding on 17 June.
Trump said, “I don't want to deal with them anymore, they're scum,” and added, “They're sick people, they're led by sick people... As far as I'm concerned, it's over.” He also said negotiators on both sides could keep talking, but added, “I think they're wasting their time.”
Nato summit in Turkey
The warning came as Mark Rutte said the US strikes were “absolutely necessary” and accused Iran of “basically violating the ceasefire.” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the US breached the truce. Those competing statements leave the ceasefire publicly rejected by Washington while Tehran argues the US moved first.
Late on Tuesday, the US said it had fired at more than 80 Iranian targets after attacks on three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not directly claimed responsibility for the tanker attacks, but Iran said it was targeting US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. Multiple strikes on Bandar Abbas overnight were captured on video, with several explosions visible and flames rising over a facility.
Strait of Hormuz strikes
The latest exchange is the worst between the US and Iran since the memorandum of understanding was signed on 17 June to extend the ceasefire and end the conflict “on all fronts.” The agreement was supposed to hold the lines after earlier fire, but the overnight strikes show both sides now treating the truce as contested rather than settled.
Qatar condemned the Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait as “unjustified” and a “blatant breach” of international law and those countries’ sovereignty. Qatar also said it wanted to “pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions, and to build upon the progress achieved under the memorandum of understanding,” leaving talks as the only active channel even as the ceasefire itself is now in dispute.
Tehran and Washington
For now, the immediate practical shift is that neither Tehran nor Washington is treating the ceasefire as secure. Trump said negotiators can still talk, but his own words suggest the talks are continuing without trust, and the overnight strikes have already moved the conflict back onto the Gulf front.
