Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Strikes Near Hormuz

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire with Iran is over, hours after U.S. forces struck Iranian targets in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Turkey, where he was attending a NATO summit, Trump said, “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore,” according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

U.S. Central Command had announced on Tuesday evening a “series of powerful strikes against Iran” in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping. Qatari and Saudi officials accused Iran of striking their commercial assets, JTA reported, and the British military said three tankers were hit, one of which caught fire; the other two reported no injuries. Trump told reporters, “We hit them very hard last night,” and, “We’ll probably hit them hard again tonight.”

Iran answered the American strikes with attacks of its own. WION, an Indian news outlet, reported that Iran targeted military interests in Kuwait and Bahrain, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said one of its fighters had been killed in an enemy drone strike, citing Iranian state media. A senior Guard commander warned that any location supporting U.S. attacks would be a “legitimate target,” WION reported.

The collapse of the truce is a setback for a diplomatic track that began only weeks ago. JTA reported that the two countries had signed a memorandum of understanding last month meant to halt military operations and set a 60-day framework for talks on Iran’s nuclear program and other issues. Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of violating that memorandum, citing continued Israeli aggression in Lebanon, and wrote, “We don’t fold.”

Trump did not close the door entirely. JTA quoted him as saying Iranian negotiators “want to negotiate,” and WION reported that he allowed talks to continue if they wished. He was also quoted by WION as calling Iranian leaders “scum” and describing further dealings as a waste of time.

Markets reacted quickly. Oil prices jumped to their highest level in weeks after Trump’s remarks, JTA reported, and WION said Brent crude rose toward $79 a barrel, after having peaked above $120 earlier in the conflict before easing during the truce.

The turmoil also disrupted Pentagon plans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly canceled a planned Wednesday trip to Israel, where he was expected to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Just the News reported, citing the Times of Israel. The meetings were partly meant to address Israeli concerns about a possible sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, and JTA said Trump signaled he would likely restore Turkey’s ability to buy the aircraft, a step Netanyahu has opposed.

The administration’s stated position is that Iran acted first, with attacks on civilian shipping and crews, the point Central Command made in announcing its strikes, according to FOX 5 New York. Iran’s stated position is the reverse: that Washington violated the memorandum. What any renewed talks would look like was unclear.