US President Donald Trump has declared the fragile ceasefire with Iran “over” after the US military conducted a series of strikes on the Islamic Republic over alleged attacks on three tankers that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
On Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it hit dozens of Iranian ground and navy targets “in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” denouncing Tehran for “aggression [that] was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Iranian media reported that one of the tankers – which was linked to Qatar – was attacked as it was sailing through the strait and “ignoring repeated warnings.” A government source told Press TV that any traffic through the chokepoint should be approved by Tehran.
As tensions escalated, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it launched strikes on dozens of US military assets in Bahrain and Kuwait, adding that it downed an American MQ-9 drone.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye, Trump lashed out at the Iranian leadership, calling them “scum,” “cuckoo,” “sick,” “vicious, [and] violent people,” and confirmed that the ceasefire is “over.”
“I don’t want to deal with them… I’ll speak to our negotiators that want to negotiate… [but] as far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars,” he said.
Under the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding signed last month, Washington and Tehran declared a permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, while committing to finalize a lasting deal within 60 days. The US agreed to lift its naval blockade in stages, while Iran agreed to make its “best efforts” to ensure free passage for commercial vessels through the strait for 60 days.
The US also committed to unfreezing restricted Iranian funds while Tehran reaffirmed that it would not pursue nuclear weapons and agreed to return its enriched uranium stockpile under IAEA supervision, though the specifics of enrichment rights were left for the final deal.