Video: Trump declares interim truce dead as U.S. hits Iranian
Abdullateef Fowewe
United States President Donald Trump has declared the recently brokered ceasefire “over”, after renewed Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz prompted a large-scale U.S. retaliatory strike.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, Trump delivered a blunt assessment of the situation and of Iran’s leadership.
“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore,” he said.
“They’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people. 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 remarks followed a fresh escalation earlier when Iranian forces attacked several commercial vessels, including oil tankers, in the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic chokepoint for global energy shipments.
The U.S. responded with strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets, actions U.S. officials said were aimed at degrading Iran’s attack capabilities and deterring further aggression.
Trump said he would “speak to our negotiators,” and acknowledged that intermediaries remain engaged.
“They want to negotiate. They’re good people but they have to come back to me,” he added, while reiterating his view that direct engagement with Iranian leaders was futile.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars.”
The attacks and U.S. counterstrikes violate a mid‑June Memorandum of Understanding that had established an interim pause in hostilities between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The U.S. military described the retaliatory operation as precision strikes targeting facilities and assets tied to Iran’s maritime attack capabilities.
At NATO, allies expressed concern over the rapid deterioration of the ceasefire and urged de‑escalation.
