United States President Donald Trump has declared that the ceasefire with Iran is effectively over, following renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a NATO summit, Trump said he no longer believed negotiations with Iran were worthwhile.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. It’s just a waste of time dealing with them. I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it. I don’t like these people.”
The latest escalation follows Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil shipping route. Tehran has maintained that it has authority over the waterway, proposing transit fees and warning that ships departing from its designated routes could be targeted.
According to reports, Iran’s military struck at least three ships in recent days, prompting extensive U.S. strikes on Iranian military targets. Iran responded with retaliatory attacks against Gulf countries.
The renewed fighting has had immediate economic consequences, with global oil prices rising by about five percent after Trump’s comments amid concerns over possible disruptions to energy supplies.
Iranian state media reported multiple explosions around the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island, in the city of Sirik, and in the port city of Bandar Abbas. Additional explosions were also reported in Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant and located near Kharg Island, through which most of Iran’s crude oil exports are shipped.
Iranian state media also reported that a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed in the country’s southwest.
The renewed exchange of attacks has placed additional strain on efforts to end the conflict and has heightened concerns over regional stability and global energy markets.
