Donald Trump Declares Ceasefire with Iran 'Over', Accuses Tehran of Cheating
US President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire agreement with Iran is ‘over’. The harsh statement was made by Trump after the two countries became involved in fierce reciprocal attacks once again.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump asserted that the US military had struck Iran very hard and opened the possibility of launching further attacks. He accused Tehran of violating the interim agreement (MoU) that was only signed on 17 June.
‘I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they are trash… they are led by sick people and they are cruel and harsh people,’ said Trump. ‘We made a deal… They [Iran] went out, spoke to the press, they said “we never even discussed it”. There is something wrong with them. They are crazy. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.’
Responding to the condemnation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered a stinging reply via his X social media account. ‘We do not respond to vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: without fear and with great courage,’ Araghchi asserted.
The latest tensions were triggered by a US Central Command (Centcom) attack on the Bandar Abbas and Bushehr areas, which killed eight Iranian soldiers. The attack was a US response to the disruption of three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Not remaining silent, Iran retaliated by targeting US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. The US then immediately cancelled the suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, triggering a surge in global oil prices.
In fact, the 14-point MoU agreed last month mandated a permanent cessation of military operations and provided 60 days for negotiations. However, escalation has continued since the end of June. The negotiation process itself was delayed due to the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli attack.
Parliament Speaker and chief Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the US of violating the agreement regarding oil sanctions and engaging in bullying. ‘The era of oppression and extortion is over. It yields no results. We will not surrender,’ Ghalibaf said.
On the other hand, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assessed that the US military action was absolutely necessary because Iran had violated the ceasefire. Although Trump described continuing negotiations as a waste of time, he still left the decision to his negotiating team, including special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called for a diplomatic path to de-escalate tensions, although Iran stressed it would not accept ultimatums in safeguarding its national interests.