NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: US President Donald Trump has declared the interim ceasefire with Iran effectively over following fresh US military strikes, saying further negotiations with Tehran would be futile.
Speaking at a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said, “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” describing Iran’s leadership as “sick people” and insisting that continued diplomatic engagement would amount to “wasting time.”
The remarks came after the United States launched what its military described as retaliatory strikes on more than 80 Iranian military targets.
According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the operation targeted air defence systems, command-and-control networks and other military infrastructure in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM said its forces remain prepared to respond to any further violations by Iran, describing Tehran’s actions against the vessels as “unwarranted aggression.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it retaliated by targeting 85 US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and said it had also shot down a US military drone in southern Iran.
Air raid sirens sounded across Kuwait, where the military said its air defence systems were intercepting hostile missiles and drones.
Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, accused Washington of violating the memorandum of understanding between both countries, citing continued threats of military action and Israeli operations in Lebanon.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold,” Qalibaf wrote on X.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul defended the latest US strikes, saying they were justified and could strengthen efforts to bring Iran back to serious negotiations.
He expressed hope that the ceasefire could still provide a basis for renewed diplomatic talks, while stressing the need to restore calm and guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, also backed the US action, calling the strikes “absolutely necessary” and accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire through attacks on commercial shipping.
Rutte said NATO allies would reaffirm that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons and would emphasise the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping.
US media reports, including Axios and CNN, said the latest wave of strikes was significantly larger than previous operations, with officials describing the campaign as a punitive response to Iran’s actions in the strategically important waterway.