US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington’s ceasefire with Tehran was “over” after a surge in hostilities between the two sides overnight.
During a joint press conference with NATO chief Mark Rutte at a military alliance summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump responded to a reporter’s question by stating: “I think it’s over”. He added: “I don’t want to deal with them anymore… as far as I’m concerned, it’s over.” Trump also mentioned that the Washington delegation aimed to negotiate a peace agreement but believes it is “a waste of time to deal” with the Iranian side.
Escalation of the conflict and US actions
Trump’s remarks followed accusations from both the US and Iran of violating the ceasefire established last month amid renewed strikes. The US military conducted a “series of powerful strikes” against Iran in retaliation for an attack on three commercial vessels that transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
The US Treasury Department also revoked a permit that had previously allowed Iran to sell its oil. Following Trump’s statement, oil prices surged: futures for global benchmark oil Brent for September delivery jumped 5.7%, trading at approximately $78.41 per barrel. Futures for US oil West Texas Intermediate rose 5.9%, settling at $74.60 per barrel.
In a post on platform X on Tuesday, US Central Command (Centcom) reported that US forces had struck more than 80 targets, including air defense systems, command and control networks, and anti-ship missile capabilities. More than 60 small boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were targeted to diminish Iran’s capacity to threaten international trade.
In a previous statement, Centcom indicated that the strikes were executed “to impose significant costs for targeting and attacking commercial vessels with innocent civilian crews in an international waterway.” The command added: “The US strikes are in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s aggression was unwarranted, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
Iran’s reaction to US strikes
In a statement on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the US strikes as a “blatant violation of the Memorandum of Understanding” that Washington and Iran reached last month to end their conflict. The ministry asserted: “The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, will not hesitate to defend Iran’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and national security against American military aggression.”
Source: CNBC
