Truce over? Trump reveals why he ended the ceasefire with Iran

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the Iran-US truce effectively over, accusing Tehran of violating the agreement by attacking commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the funeral period for Iran's Supreme Leader, prompting fresh American military strikes.

Explaining why he no longer considered the ceasefire to be in effect, Trump said Iran chose to launch attacks instead of observing a period of restraint.

Also read: Trump says interim accord with Iran to end war is "over"


"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."

Trump later said he saw little point in continuing talks with Tehran, despite indicating that Iranian negotiators remained interested in negotiations.

"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum... They're led by sick people... I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate—they're good people... but they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them."

His remarks came after a sharp escalation in hostilities that has put the fragile truce and planned negotiations between Washington and Tehran under fresh strain.

US launches retaliatory strikes after shipping attacks

The United States launched strikes on Iranian military targets early Wednesday, hours after revoking a licence that had allowed Iran to openly sell oil under the interim agreement. Washington said the move came in response to Tehran's attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The US military said it struck Iranian air defence systems, radars and more than 60 boats operated by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, describing the operation as retaliation for attacks on civilian shipping in one of the world's busiest energy corridors.

Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bandar Mahshahr and Bushehr, while the Revolutionary Guard later acknowledged launching retaliatory strikes on US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. Missile alerts were issued in both Gulf states, which host major American military bases.

The latest exchange has heightened concerns that the interim agreement to halt fighting could unravel, raising the prospect of renewed conflict across the region.

Also read: Millions of barrels of Iranian oil left in limbo after US revokes 60-day waiver

Uncertainty over negotiations

The attacks came during the funeral ceremonies for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a period that had been expected to lower tensions before negotiations resumed.

Talks on a final agreement were scheduled to begin after Khamenei's burial, focusing on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear programme. The latest military exchanges, however, have cast doubt over whether those negotiations can proceed as planned.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf defended Tehran's position, writing on X: "The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold."

The escalation also rattled global energy markets, with oil prices rising amid renewed concerns over potential disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas.