Trump declares U.S. ceasefire with Iran is over after strikes and shipping attacks

The declaration came only hours after U.S. Central Command confirmed that U.S. forces had struck Iranian military sites overnight. According to U.S. officials, the strikes were carried out in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit corridors.

Sharp language toward Tehran

Trump did not rule out continued contact with Tehran, however. He suggested that lower-level talks could still continue, telling reporters: "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time." In a separate remark he added: "They can talk," signaling that U.S. representatives might remain engaged in some form of negotiation.

The president's language toward Iran was unusually blunt. He called the Iranians "liars" and described dealing with Tehran as fruitless, saying: "It's just a waste of time dealing with them." In another exchange with reporters he added: "I don't want to deal with them any more."

Asked for a broader characterization, Trump went further, telling reporters: "I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum." The remarks underscored the depth of the breakdown between Washington and Tehran, coming at a moment when both governments had been engaged in on-again, off-again talks aimed at defusing the crisis.

Strain inside the NATO summit

Iran had attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the U.S. retaliation, according to U.S. military accounts. Iranian officials said the targets of their strikes included Bahrain and Kuwait, expanding the geographic scope of the confrontation beyond the two principal adversaries.

Trump also used his appearance in Ankara to criticize NATO members in Europe, accusing them of failing to provide more support to the United States in its conflict with Iran. The criticism landed as alliance leaders gathered for a summit already dominated by questions about the transatlantic burden-sharing.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte struck a more conciliatory tone. Rutte praised Trump for his actions against Iran, aligning the alliance publicly with Washington's position even as European allies faced fresh questions about the limits of their involvement in the Middle East confrontation.

The president's intervention in Turkey was not limited to Iran. Trump repeated his desire for the United States to take over Greenland, a long-running irritant in U.S.-European relations that he has raised repeatedly. The remark added another layer of friction to a summit already dominated by security disputes.

Sequence of escalation

The diplomatic and military sequence moved quickly. U.S. forces struck Iranian military sites overnight, hours before Trump's Wednesday comments. By the time the president took the lectern alongside Rutte, the strikes had already been carried out, and the rhetorical tone in Washington had hardened accordingly.

U.S. Central Command framed the overnight operation as a direct response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The command's statement described the strikes as retaliation, and it was the catalyst for Trump's broader declaration that the ceasefire was effectively finished.

Iran's own statements pointed to a widening of the conflict. Iranian officials said they had targeted Bahrain and Kuwait, suggesting a more expansive retaliation doctrine. The claim could not be independently verified, but it highlighted the risk that the confrontation could broaden beyond the U.S.-Iran bilateral track.

The atmosphere in Ankara reflected the strain. Trump used his press appearance to question the value of the diplomatic track with Iran, telling reporters that the Iranians were "wasting their time" if they believed talks would produce a new agreement. The framing left little apparent room for a near-term reset.

What comes next

The ceasefire itself had been fragile from the outset. Trump's Wednesday remarks were the clearest public signal yet that he no longer believed the framework was viable. His statement that "to me, I think it's over" suggested that, in his view, the diplomatic effort had run its course.

Allied governments were left to gauge the implications. The combination of fresh U.S. strikes, Iranian attacks on shipping, and a public declaration that the ceasefire was dead raised the prospect of a more sustained military confrontation in the Gulf region and a new round of pressure on European allies to define their role.

Trump's own characterization left the door slightly ajar. His reference to continued talks at the working level — "They can talk" — implied that some channel of communication could persist even as the political relationship frays. The mixed message underscored the uncertainty surrounding the next phase.

The events in Ankara capped a week of escalation that began with Iranian strikes on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and culminated in U.S. retaliation and a presidential declaration. Each step narrowed the space for a return to the diplomatic process Trump now says is finished.

For now, the White House is signaling that it considers the ceasefire defunct, while leaving open the possibility of limited contact. Iran's posture, including its claim of strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, suggested that Tehran, too, was preparing for a more extended confrontation rather than a quick de-escalation.