On Wednesday, President Donald Trump indicated that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran had effectively come to an end.
A memorandum signed by the president on June 17 had committed both parties and their allies to cease military operations everywhere, including Lebanon, avoid any future conflicts, and refrain from threats or use of force against one another.
In a noteworthy statement, Trump described the situation as “a cuckoo.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. would halt all sanctions against Iran, while Iran would pledge not to pursue or develop nuclear weapons. They also committed to respecting each other’s sovereignty and working towards a final peace agreement, with particular emphasis on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for safe navigation of merchant vessels.
However, tensions escalated earlier this week when a tanker navigating through the strait and another near Oman were reportedly hit by projectiles. A third tanker was targeted by a drone while in the strait on Tuesday. British maritime trade business UKMTO noted that no casualties occurred on these vessels.
According to U.S. Central Command, the vessels involved were registered under the flags of the Marshall Islands, Saudi Arabia, and Liberia. CENTCOM accused Tehran of orchestrating the attacks, although Iran did not claim responsibility, labeling the incident a “clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire” and an infringement on freedom of navigation.
Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia placed blame for the incident squarely on Iran.
CENTCOM conducted a series of retaliatory strikes on over 80 locations across Iran as a direct response to these recent attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. also targeted various Iranian military assets, including air defense systems and anti-ship missile capabilities, and engaged more than 60 small boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the area, according to reports.
On Tuesday, the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil. In retaliation, Iran initiated strikes on U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for hitting 85 major U.S. military targets during their operations, which included taking down a drone they alleged was trying to disrupt their maneuvers. However, U.S. officials stated that all missiles and drones launched by Iran were intercepted or failed to do significant damage, with one official declaring that Iran’s response amounted to a “defeat.”
During a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump met with Secretary General Mark Rutte and was questioned about the ceasefire. Trump expressed his disillusionment, saying, “For me, I think it’s over. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore. They’re scum…,” continuing on to describe the Iranian leadership as “sick people.”
He further characterized dealing with Iran as a waste of time, stating, “There’s something wrong with them. They’re not cool.” Later, amidst the discussions at the summit, he mentioned that the U.S. would continue military actions against Iran that evening.
