Trump said that negotiations could continue on a broader U.S.–Iran peace deal, while warning that the United States is gearing up for more strikes against Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the ceasefire with Iran is effectively over but that he will allow negotiations between Washington and Tehran to continue.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump responded when asked by reporters about the status of the ceasefire, which was extended when the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding last month to give a window for talks on a broader U.S.–Iran peace deal.
“It’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” Trump added, with his remarks coming on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, just hours after U.S. forces struck Iranian targets in what the United States described as retaliation for attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump added that American representatives can continue to talk with Iranian negotiators, but he cast doubt on the prospects of a successful outcome.
“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” Trump said.
His comments follow an announcement by U.S. Central Command late July 7 that it had launched a series of precision strikes against Iranian targets after Tehran attacked three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the key maritime chokepoint over which Iran has been asserting control and restricting vessel traffic.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted 85 key U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait on July 8, while Iran’s state-run news agency stated that Tehran would continue “maintaining restrictions on navigation” in Hormuz.
Brent crude oil prices jumped around 5 percent after Trump’s remarks to over $78 per barrel before extending gains later in the session.
Trump Suggests Diplomacy Has Little Chance
Trump’s comments marked his clearest indication yet that he sees the U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding as basically defunct, even if formal diplomatic contacts continue.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump said, adding that while special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could continue engaging Iranian negotiators, “they have to come back to me.”
“I think they’re wasting their time. They’re a bunch of lying guys,” Trump said, accusing Iranian officials of repeatedly reneging on understandings reached during negotiations.
Trump said Iran had repeatedly agreed in private discussions not to pursue nuclear weapons, only to publicly deny those commitments afterward.
“We make a deal … everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapons … they go outside, talk to the press, they say we never even talked about it,” Trump said. “They’re liars. They’re cheats. They’re sick people.”
Trump also defended Tuesday night’s military operation, saying Washington had warned Tehran to focus on funeral proceedings rather than military action before Iran launched attacks against commercial shipping.
“We attacked very powerfully last night,” Trump said, adding that the United States had responded “20 to 120 times tougher” than Iran’s attacks.
Trump said later on Wednesday that the United States is preparing for another night of strikes against Iran.
“We hit them very hard last night,” Trump told reporters when asked about a possible return to hostilities. “We’ll probably hit them hard again tonight.”
By Tom Ozimek
