U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran officially “over” on Wednesday, following a sharp escalation of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz that has sent global oil prices surging by five percent.
Speaking at a NATO summit in Turkey, President Trump dismissed the possibility of further diplomatic cooling after Iranian forces targeted international shipping vessels in the strategic waterway.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump told reporters when asked if the interim truce remained intact. “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 collapse of the agreement follows a series of massive military exchanges. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it struck over 80 targets on Tuesday, including Iranian air defense systems, coastal radar sites, and 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels.
CENTCOM stated the strikes were intended to “degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking international commerce.”
Tehran responded swiftly, with the IRGC claiming responsibility for strikes on U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. While air defense systems in both Gulf nations were activated on Wednesday morning, officials have yet to confirm the extent of the damage.
In Iran, state media reported a wave of explosions in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bushehr—the latter of which houses the country’s sole civilian nuclear power plant. Reports also indicated the death of at least one IRGC member in the country’s southwest.
The current conflict, which began in late February, centers on the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has moved to assert total control over the waterway, threatening to strike any vessel that refuses to pay passage fees or deviates from Iranian-authorized routes.
On Tuesday, the British maritime security agency (UKMTO) reported that three tankers—the Marshall Islands-flagged *Al Rekayyat*, the Saudi-flagged *Wedyan*, and the Liberian-flagged *Cyprus Prosperity*—were hit by projectiles and drones near Oman.
“Iran is sending a clear signal that no alternative to their toll system will be accepted,” said Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King’s College London.
The diplomatic breakdown was accelerated by the U.S. Treasury Department’s decision to revoke sanction waivers on Iranian oil sales. Washington cancelled a license that had previously allowed Tehran to sell crude oil through August 21, citing “unacceptable” behavior in the Strait.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the United States of “major” breaches of the memorandum of understanding. He claimed Washington’s reinstatement of sanctions and naval movements violated the terms of the fragile peace.
As the conflict intensifies, maritime traffic—which had tentatively resumed last month—has again ground to a halt, pushing oil prices to their highest levels in two weeks and sparking fears of a prolonged regional war.
