US President Donald Trump declared that the interim memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran was effectively "over" following fresh US military strikes on Iranian targets, though he said diplomatic talks could continue if Tehran wished to engage.
The remarks came hours after the United States launched large-scale strikes on Iranian military assets in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as on Qeshm Island, saying the attacks were retaliation for Iran's alleged assaults on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington also revoked a licence permitting Iranian oil sales.
The latest escalation has pushed tensions sharply higher after Iran responded with strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait, raising fears that the fragile agreement aimed at reducing hostilities could collapse.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump signalled he had little faith in the interim arrangement.
"For me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. It's just a waste of time dealing with them," Trump said.
He went on to describe Iran's leadership in harsh terms, adding that US officials were free to continue negotiations but expressing little optimism.
"They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he said.
According to reports, Tuesday's strikes were significantly larger than previous US attacks carried out earlier in the conflict, with officials describing them as the most extensive American military action against Iran since the April ceasefire.
US officials said the operation was intended as punishment for Iranian attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes coincided with the funeral ceremonies of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening stages of the conflict on February 28.
Negotiations on a broader agreement—including reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear programme—had been expected to begin after the funeral. The latest military escalation has cast uncertainty over those plans, although neither Washington nor Tehran has formally withdrawn from negotiations.
Iranian authorities condemned the attacks, with state media reporting explosions in several southern locations, including Bandar Mahshahr and Bushehr.
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of repeatedly violating the MoU.
"Major MoU violations by the US: violating Iranian adjustments in the Strait, persistent threats of further strikes, reinstating oil sanctions, attacks on southern Iran, continued Zionist aggression in Lebanon. The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold," Ghalibaf posted on X.
Iran's Khatam-al-Anbiya Central Headquarters also denounced the strikes as a "blatant act of aggression" and vowed a "crushing response."
The military reiterated that Iran would not permit foreign interference in the Strait of Hormuz, stating that commercial shipping should follow routes designated by the Islamic Republic.
Following the US operation, Bahrain and Kuwait activated missile alerts after Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military installations in both countries, according to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
Reacting to the attacks, senior UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash said Iran's actions demonstrated that Tehran remained unwilling to pursue de-escalation.
The latest exchange has further heightened concerns that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional confrontation despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.
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