Trump Declares End of Iran Ceasefire Following Fresh Strikes

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran effectively dead after a new wave of military exchanges, saying he no longer believes negotiations with Iran are worth pursuing.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said the truce had collapsed following overnight hostilities in the Gulf.

“I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them any more… As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” the president said.

His remarks came hours after US forces struck more than 80 Iranian targets, including Revolutionary Guard speedboats, in retaliation for attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by announcing strikes on American military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, marking the most serious breach of the June 17 memorandum that had paused weeks of fighting. Oil prices climbed by about five per cent as investors reacted to the renewed instability in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

Trump accused Tehran of repeatedly violating the understanding reached between both countries and argued that Iranian leaders could not be trusted to honour future commitments. He also alleged that Iran had misrepresented the contents of previous negotiations and warned that its leadership would use nuclear weapons if it ever acquired them.

Despite his hardline stance, Trump did not completely rule out diplomacy. He said Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner would remain free to continue contacts with Iranian officials if they believed progress was possible, although he stressed that any breakthrough would depend on Tehran changing its approach.

“It’s up to them if they want to keep talking,” Trump said, adding that he personally saw little value in continuing the discussions.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte backed the American military operation, describing the strikes as a necessary response to attacks on international shipping and reiterating the alliance’s concern over Iran’s regional activities.

The US president also used the summit to criticise several European allies, accusing countries including the United Kingdom, Germany and France of withholding support during the latest confrontation with Iran. Trump said he was particularly disappointed after the British Prime Minister allegedly indicated that London would only consider assisting Washington once the conflict had ended.

The latest escalation has cast fresh doubt over efforts to revive indirect US-Iran negotiations brokered under the June 17 memorandum, with both sides now accusing each other of violating the agreement and tensions once again rising across the Gulf.