Trump says US-Iran ceasefire is over after renewed strikes
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara on July 8, President Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is “over,” calling the interim understanding reached last month dead and describing Iran’s leadership in dismissive terms. Neither government has formally withdrawn from talks, but the declaration marks the sharpest break since the two sides agreed to negotiate.
The comments followed a fresh exchange of fire. Iran said it struck US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation, and the US launched strikes against more than 80 targets in Iran’s Hormozgan province and the port of Mahshahr. The escalation began with Iranian attacks on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the channel that carries roughly a fifth of globally traded oil.
The renewed strikes broke a pause that had been tied to funeral proceedings for Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier this year in joint US-Israeli operations. The practical stakes run through the Strait: sustained fighting there threatens shipping insurance costs and crude supply, and oil prices rose after Washington moved to revoke a sanctions waiver on Iranian oil. Because neither side has closed the door on negotiations, the near-term question is whether the strikes are a bargaining escalation or the start of a wider breakdown.