New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the ceasefire with Iran was “over”, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched strikes on American military targets in Bahrain and Kuwait in response to a wave of American attacks.
Late on Tuesday, the US said it had struck more than 80 Iranian targets after attacks on three oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran has not directly claimed responsibility for the tanker attacks.
The US also reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil sales as “punishment” for the attacks near Hormuz, according to an American official. Oil prices surged after the strikes and renewed sanctions, reflecting fears of wider disruption in one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is a critical passage for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The waterway, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes, had remained effectively closed since the conflict began on 28 February—until the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on 17 June to reopen it and further negotiate a final peace agreement.
Iran responded on Wednesday, with the IRGC saying it had launched strikes on US military targets across Bahrain and Kuwait. The IRGC said it had targeted 85 US military sites in the two Gulf states, also noting that it targeted an airbase in Bahrain that hosts US forces.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran’s central military command, on Wednesday described the US strikes in southern Iran as an “overt act of aggression” and warned that Tehran would “deliver a crushing response.” Iran has framed its strikes as retaliation for the latest wave of US attacks and renewed sanctions on its oil sales.
Speaking as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders gathered in Turkey, Trump said he believed the ceasefire was no longer in effect. He blamed Iran for violating the truce and said Washington’s response was tied to the attacks on shipping near Hormuz.
“I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum,” the US president said at the NATO summit. “They’re sick people, they’re led by sick people… As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” he added.
Trump also said negotiators from both sides could continue talks, but dismissed chances of progress. “I think they’re wasting their time,” he said. “To me, I think it’s over.”
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed three weeks ago, Washington and Tehran were aiming to reach a broader agreement within 60 days, including on Iran’s nuclear programme—a prospect that now appears unlikely. The escalation has already raised fears of further attacks on military bases, commercial shipping, and energy infrastructure across the Gulf.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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