US President Donald Trump said he believed the ceasefire between his country and Iran had ended and warned the US was likely to carry out more strikes in the coming hours.
Whether this means a return to all-out war remains to be seen, given that Trump has said he will continue to talk to his negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner about next steps.
But he called Iranians “liars”, “scum” and “sick people”.
“They’re crazy. As far as I’m concerned, it’s all over,” he said at a NATO summit in Turkey.
“Dealing with them is a waste of time.”
At a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump warned Iran that the U.S. would likely carry out additional strikes on Wednesday.
“I’ll give a little warning: We’re going to hit them hard tonight.”
said the US President.
This comes after the US military carried out new attacks on Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
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The US also revoked a license allowing Iran to sell oil, a key part of the memorandum of understanding signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian just three weeks ago.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones across the Persian Gulf targeting countries such as Bahrain and Kuwait.
Kuwait’s state news agency said two ballistic missiles and 13 drones were fired into the country on Wednesday morning local time, but there was no damage or casualties except for a few downed power lines.
“They are liars, they are cheaters, they are sick people,” Trump said, sitting next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Turkish capital Ankara.
“I’ll let our great negotiators keep talking, but I don’t like it,” he said.
Donald Trump made this statement at the NATO summit in Turkey. (Reuters: Philip Singer)
The week-long funeral procession for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has been ongoing for several days, leading to a pause in technical talks between Iran and the United States on a long-term peace agreement.
“We said, ‘Go and do your funeral,’ and instead yesterday they started firing missiles at ships,” Trump said.
“And so last night we hit them really hard, really hard – I would say 20 to 1, 20 times harder.
“And I told them, ‘Every time you hit, we hit.’
The multi-day state funeral for the late Ali Khamenei and his family will end on Thursday. (Reuters)
Iran’s Press TV, citing a senior Iranian naval commander, warned against any foreign invasion of the country.
“Any landing of enemy troops on Iranian shores will be met with hell without escape,” the network said.
Before the ceasefire, the United States and its partner Israel had not stationed ground troops in Iran, and there was no suggestion that this was what Trump was foreshadowing when he said the deal was over.
On Tuesday, ahead of Trump’s comments, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned the United States to tone down its threatening rhetoric.
“Negotiations on a final agreement will not begin if the threats continue. Respect your signature,” he wrote on social network X.
Oman, a country across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, condemned the latest strikes across the Persian Gulf.
“The Sultanate of Oman reiterates that the escalation of military tensions in the region poses a threat to its security, safety of navigation, the smooth flow of international trade and energy supplies, reiterating its total opposition to any action that could undermine the security of states or endanger civilian and commercial vessels,” the country’s foreign ministry said on social media.
“The Sultanate of Oman calls on all parties to exercise restraint, stop escalation, prioritize the language of dialogue and diplomatic solutions, and commit to fully implementing the signed agreements in support of efforts to enhance security and peace.”
The European Union also called for calm.
“Shooting between the US and Iran further complicates already tense negotiations to end the war,” said EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas.
“Iran’s attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait are unacceptable.”
World oil prices soared after Trump’s latest comments
Trump’s statements regarding the war in Iran sent shockwaves through global financial markets.
The price of global benchmark Brent crude rose 6 percent to around US$79 ($114) a barrel.
Gold fell 1 percent.
European stock markets fell sharply in early trading, with Germany’s DAX falling more than 2 percent.
Wall Street futures markets, which signal the opening of U.S. stock trading, are also sharply lower.
The Australian dollar fell to around 69 US cents.