US President Donald Trump declared the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict effectively dead on Wednesday, saying he had no desire to engage with Tehran and branding Iran’s leaders “sick people”.
Speaking at a summit of NATO leaders in Ankara, Mr Trump also said he had ordered his Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut off trade ties with Spain, calling Madrid a “terrible partner” in NATO.
His remarks came as the United States launched new military strikes on Iran yesterday and revoked a licence allowing Iran to sell oil, a move Washington linked to attacks on three tankers.
“It’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them,” Mr Trump said when asked whether the memorandum was over.
He continued: “They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. I’ll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate… But they have to come back to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
He add: “Everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them, they’re cuckoo.”
Separately, the US has revoked a license allowing Iran to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the interim US-Iran agreement, the US Treasury issued a 22 June general license to allow the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin until 21 August. In revoking that license yesterday, it gave Iran until 17 July to wind down any transactions.
Oil prices jumped 5% after Mr Trump’s comments.
Earlier, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Iranian media also reported a series of blasts in the port city of Bushehr, which hosts the country’s only civilian nuclear power plant and lies near Kharg island, the main oil terminal through which 90% of the nation’s crude exports transit.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it carried out a joint missile and drone operation against key US military sites in Bandar Salman, Bahrain’s Fifth Naval District and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
They also said they had shot down a US MQ9 drone attempting to interfere in the operation.
Several explosions rang out across Bahrain after authorities sounded air raid sirens three different times to warn of an attack.
The Kuwaiti army said air defences were confronting “hostile” missile and drone attacks.
Kuwait also condemned what it said were “repeated Iranian attacks” on its territory and said it reserves the right to take “all necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty.
US hits more than 80 targets in latest Iran strikes, US military says
The US earlier unleashed fresh military strikes and revoked a licence allowing Iran to sell oil in response to attacks on three tankers in the strait.
The US Central Command said more than 60 small boats of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were among the targets hit, in a bid to impose a heavy cost on Iran for strikes on shipping in violation of the ceasefire.
“The unwarranted aggression by Iranian forces is a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
Iran’s top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, condemned the US strikes as a “blatant act of aggression,” threatened a “crushing response,” and warned that Tehran would not allow US interference in the management of the strait.
A top Iranian negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, accused the US of breaching the ceasefire agreement.
He cited not only the latest US military strikes, but renewed oil sanctions, violations of Iranian “adjustments” in the Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” Mr Qalibaf said in a post on X. “We don’t fold.”
