US President Donald Trump has declared that the ceasefire agreement with Iran is “over”, signalling a sharp deterioration in ties following a fresh round of American military strikes and renewed fighting in the region.

Speaking at the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara alongside Mark Rutte, Trump said he no longer saw value in negotiations with Tehran. His comments came hours after the United States carried out new strikes on Iranian targets, triggering retaliation from Iran.

Speaking at the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Trump said he no longer saw value in negotiations with Tehran | X/White House
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Trump says negotiations have ended

During a press conference, Trump was asked whether the ceasefire and the 14-point memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran were effectively finished.

“For me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with the Iranians. They are scum, they are sick people. They are led by sick people and are vicious, violent people,” said Trump in the live broadcast.

Referring to the latest US military action, he added, “We attacked, very powerfully last night, the very dangerous people from Iran… There’s something wrong with them. We say, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff,’ and instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships yesterday. So we hit them very hard last night.”

Has fresh military action reignited US-Iran tensions?

The latest escalation follows fresh US strikes on Iranian targets late Tuesday. Iran later launched attacks targeting US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and other Gulf countries, raising concerns of another round of direct confrontation.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation in a statement, saying American forces had carried out a new series of offensive strikes.

“US forces struck Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities, and more than 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor,” the statement said.

According to the US, the strikes were launched in response to alleged Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz — the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan, and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.

Iran had not immediately issued an official response to Trump’s latest remarks at the time of reporting.

FAQs:

What did Donald Trump say about the Iran ceasefire?

Trump said the ceasefire was “over” and described negotiations with Iran as a “waste of time.”

Why did the US launch fresh strikes on Iran?

The US said the strikes were carried out in response to alleged Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.