Trump Says Interim Iran Deal Is Over, Warns of Possible Naval Blockade
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that an interim peace deal between the United States and Iran is "over," warning that his administration might reimpose a naval blockade of the Islamic Republic, according to Yonhap News.
Speaking during his attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump made the remarks after the U.S. military struck over 80 Iranian targets on Tuesday in response to what it calls Iran's latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The tit-for-tat exchange injected fresh uncertainties into negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at fully reopening the strait, ending Iran's nuclear program and bringing their monthslong war to a close. It also renewed concerns over a potential return to full-scale war, as reported by Yonhap.
"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with anybody (from Iran)," Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, according to Yonhap. He lambasted Iranian leaders as "scum," "sick people" and "liars," adding, "As far as I am concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them. They are liars."
Trump was responding to a reporter's question about whether the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran—a preliminary peace deal—was over, Yonhap reported.
The U.S. and Iran signed an MOU last month to extend their ceasefire, allowing vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely for 60 days and initiate negotiations for a final agreement to end the war, according to Yonhap.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department revoked a general license that authorized the sale of Iranian oil, casting a cloud over the fate of the MOU, the news agency reported. The revocation came after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre, a British entity, announced reports of three tankers struck by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
During a press conference later in the day, Trump downplayed concerns about a potential return to full-scale war with Iran, which escalated after his remarks that the MOU was over. "I don't think it's going to start again," he said of the war, as quoted by Yonhap. "I think it's going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder."
The developments come amid ongoing tensions in the region, with the U.S. military carrying out strikes and Iran responding with attacks on commercial shipping, according to Yonhap.