United States President Donald Trump has declared that the ceasefire between Washington and Iran is effectively over, following a fresh round of military exchanges between American forces and the Islamic Republic.
Speaking on Wednesday during a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump launched a scathing attack on Iran’s leadership after the United States carried out overnight strikes on Iranian targets. The latest escalation came as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had targeted US military bases in the Gulf.
The renewed tensions sent shockwaves through global energy markets, with oil prices climbing by about five per cent amid fears of further instability in the Middle East.
“I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them any more, they’re scum,” Trump said when asked whether the ceasefire with Iran had collapsed.
“They’re scum, they’re sick people, they’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
The US president disclosed that he would hold discussions with businessman-turned-negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom have been involved in diplomatic engagements with Iranian officials. However, Trump insisted that the responsibility now lies with Tehran if it wishes to revive negotiations.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars.”
Trump also accused Iran of backtracking on commitments made during the ceasefire agreement signed with Washington on June 17, alleging that Iranian officials had publicly denied discussions over their nuclear programme.
“Everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them, they’re cuckoo,” Trump added.
The latest developments have heightened concerns over the future of US-Iran relations and raised fears of prolonged instability in the region, with global markets closely watching the impact on oil supplies and geopolitical tensions.