Donald Trump has said the ceasefire agreement with Iran is “over”, blasting the country’s leadership as “scum” and “cuckoo” after fresh exchanges of fire overnight.
Speaking later to reporters at a Nato summit in Turkey, the American president said the US “hit them very hard last night” and will “probably hit them hard again tonight”.
He accused Tehran of violating an interim deal signed by both countries in June that called for an end to the conflict, adding that they “lie” and “cheat”.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded in a post on X: “We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valour.”
Tuesday night into Wednesday saw the worst exchange of strikes between the US and Iran since the deal – known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) – was signed on 17 June.
It included 14 points, among them a 60-day period for a ceasefire during which negotiations should continue, the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and the US lifting sanctions on Iran.