Iran war back on after Tehran attacks in Hormuz trigger Trump to declare ceasefire ‘over’
Trump says tentative Iran ceasefire is ‘over,’ calls deal ‘a waste of time’
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he considers the tentative ceasefire with Iran to be “over,” telling reporters alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara, Turkey, that the agreement had become “a waste of time.”
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump said. “As far as I’m concerned it’s just a waste of time.”
Trump said he no longer believes Tehran is negotiating in good faith, accusing Iranian leaders of agreeing to terms privately before publicly denying them.
“They’re liars,” Trump said. “We make a deal. … They go outside, talk to the press. They say, ‘We never even talked about it.’ … As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
He said U.S. negotiators could continue talks with Iran but predicted they would go nowhere.
“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time. They’re liars, they’re cheats. They’re sick people.”
The comments came hours after the U.S. launched strikes on Iranian military targets and revoked a license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil, saying the moves were retaliation for Tehran’s attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the U.S. struck after Iran resumed attacks on ships despite being given time to conduct funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The interim agreement between Washington and Tehran had been intended to reduce tensions and allow commercial traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil. But Iran struck at least three commercial vessels transiting the waterway on Monday and Tuesday, prompting the U.S. military response.
U.S. Central Command said American forces struck more than 80 Iranian targets, including air defense systems, radar sites and Revolutionary Guard vessels used to threaten shipping. Iran responded with strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, fueling concerns the conflict could widen and sending oil prices sharply higher.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
