President Donald Trump declared the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement "over" on Wednesday, unleashing a blistering attack on Tehran's leadership as "scum" and "cuckoo" after the two nations traded a new round of strikes in the Persian Gulf. Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump signaled he has lost all patience with the Islamic Republic, despite ongoing efforts to salvage a permanent peace deal.
"The ceasefire is over. I don't want to deal with them anymore," Trump told reporters. "They're scum. They're led by sick people, vicious, violent people. They go outside, talk to the press, and say, 'We never even talked about it.' There's something wrong with them. As far as I'm concerned, it's over." His remarks sent oil prices spiking, though crude remains well below the historic highs hit during the full closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year.
The collapse in diplomacy follows the worst exchange of fire since the two sides signed an interim Memorandum of Understanding on June 17. U.S. Central Command confirmed it launched "powerful" strikes Tuesday night against Iranian positions in retaliation for attacks on three oil tankers navigating the Strait. Iran retaliated Wednesday by targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. In a further escalation, the White House revoked its temporary suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, effectively slamming the door on economic relief.
Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of repeatedly violating the MoU. "The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold," he said. Tehran claims the U.S. has broken commitments on safe passage, struck targets inside southern Iran, and failed to honor terms that allowed Iran 60 days to ensure free commercial shipping without tolls.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte backed the American strikes, calling them "absolutely necessary" and accusing Iran of "basically violating the ceasefire." This is not the first breach since the interim deal: the U.S. launched strikes on June 26 and 27 after Iranian projectiles struck cargo vessels. Both sides had agreed to "stand down" later that month, but negotiations stalled during funeral rites for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the conflict.
With the ceasefire now in tatters and talks described by Trump as "a waste of time," the region faces a dangerous new chapter. Analysts warn that without a renewed diplomatic off-ramp, the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint for about 20 percent of the world's oil—could again become a flashpoint for open conflict.