Trump Declares Ceasefire Over, Calls Iranian Government 'Garbage'
United States President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire agreement with Iran is “over”, while denouncing the Iranian government as “garbage” and “crazy” after the two nations exchanged fresh attacks. Speaking ahead of the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump said US negotiators could continue talks “if they want”, but he considered it a “waste of time”. “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They are garbage… they are led by sick people and they are cruel, violent people,” Trump said. “We made a deal. They [Iran] walked out, spoke to the press, then said, ‘we never even discussed it’. Something is wrong with them. They are crazy. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
The latest wave of attacks began after three oil tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday (07/07) that it had struck more than 80 targets, including over 60 fast boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The strikes hit several areas, including Bandar Abbas and Sirik, and caused several injuries from shrapnel, according to Iranian state media. On Wednesday (08/07), Iran stated it had targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for the American strikes. Oil prices spiked following Trump’s comments, though they remain far below the peak levels seen when the Strait of Hormuz was completely closed.
Meanwhile, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf asserted that it was the US that violated the memorandum of understanding (MoU) by “disrupting adjustments made by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz”. Last month, Tehran and Washington signed a 14-page MoU aimed at extending the ceasefire and ending the conflict “on all fronts”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of a “blatant violation” of the MoU signed by the two countries. In a statement, Araghchi said the US strikes, the reimposition of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon had rendered “important and fundamental parts of the understanding to end the war ineffective”. He stressed that Iran “will not hesitate” to defend its “territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and national security”. Araghchi also issued a warning to Gulf states hosting US military bases, stating Iran would “target the source and point of origin” of any attack directed against his country.
Iranian media confirmed new strikes in the southwestern coastal region on Wednesday morning, with reports of explosions heard in the port city of Bushehr and surrounding areas. A senior security official in Bushehr said “enemy projectiles” hit two military bases, one in Dashti County and another near the city of Choghadak, according to the Fars news agency. The official added that no casualties were reported. Reports of an alleged attack on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal located offshore, were denied by the Mehr news agency.
Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, rose more than 3% to US$76 per barrel. Market participants fear the escalation could disrupt energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supply. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called Iran’s “repeated and heinous aggression”, describing the action as a “blatant aggression” undermining efforts to de-escalate tensions. The ministry affirmed Kuwait’s right to “take all necessary measures” to protect its national security and interests. A spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, Majed Al Ansari, said Doha holds Iran “fully responsible” for the alleged attack targeting the vessel Al-Rekayyat as it transited near the strait on Tuesday.