In a major development with ramifications far beyond the Middle East, US President Donald Trump has announced that the ceasefire with Iran is over. Speaking alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte in Turkey on Wednesday, the US president said the US military had attacked Iran “very powerfully” overnight. He also asserted that he doesn’t want to deal with the Iranians anymore and called them “sick and evil people”.
“We attacked very powerfully last night, the very dangerous people from Iran. They are sick, something is wrong with them,” said Trump.
“For me, the memorandum of understanding is over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum. And if they get a nuclear weapon. They’re liars. In my eyes, it’s a waste of time to continue talking to them. They’re crazy; for me it’s over,” he stated.
“These are evil, sick people, and we have to rid their cancer. They’re cancers! And you know what you do? You got to cut out cancer early, man,” Trump added.
Iran-US tensions spike again, Middle East on edge
This comes after the US military attacked Iran early Wednesday after it said Tehran struck three ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran immediately warned Washington it would “take whatever measures it deems necessary,” raising the risks that an interim agreement to halt fighting in the war could break down, putting the Middle East again at risk of a wider conflict.
Later, Iran claimed that it launched drone and missile strikes against US-linked military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for US strikes on the country’s southern provinces, according to Iran’s state-affiliated Fars News Agency.
Citing the Iranian Army Public Relations, Fars reported that Iranian army drones targeted the Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain early Wednesday morning.
“Following the hostile invasion by the American enemy into areas in the south of the country, army drones targeted the gathering centres of the hostile American forces at the ‘Sheikh Isa Air Base’ located in Bahrain in an attack early this morning,” the statement said, according to Fars News Agency.
The US has also revoked a license that authorised the sale of Iranian oil as part of the interim deal. That had allowed Iran for the first time in years to conduct oil sales openly on the international market for US dollars.
(With agency inputs)