"It's over"

Trump Declares Ceasefire with Iran Over

U.S. President Donald Trump declares the ceasefire with Iran over at the NATO summit in Turkey.(Bild: AP/Filip Singer)

A bombshell at the NATO summit in Turkey: Following the U.S. military’s strikes on targets in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire with Iran over. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump said, addressing the mullahs in no uncertain terms. Dealing with them is “a complete waste of time,” Trump said Wednesday in Ankara.

Following Iranian attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and on U.S. bases in the Middle East, the U.S. had once again bombed targets in Iran. In the port city of Bushehr, home to Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant, a series of explosions occurred; the Iranian Revolutionary Guards also reported the death of one of their members in the city of Mahshahr.

Nuclear Power Plant Site Has Been Attacked Several Times
The Bushehr nuclear power plant houses the country’s only operational nuclear reactor, which, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, was first connected to the power grid in 2011. During the Iran War, the nuclear power plant site was attacked several times. Bushehr is located off the coast of Kharg Island, Iran’s most important oil terminal, through which 90 percent of the country’s crude oil is normally shipped.

U.S. Attacks Dozens of Targets Overnight
The U.S. also reported that it attacked more than 80 targets in Iran overnight into Wednesday. The U.S. military justified the new wave of attacks by citing a previous attack on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, for which Washington holds the leadership in Tehran responsible. The military reportedly struck, among other things, air defense systems, anti-ship missiles, and more than 60 Revolutionary Guard boats in or near the Strait of Hormuz. This was announced by CENTCOM, the U.S. military’s regional command responsible for the Near and Middle East as well as Central Asia.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Iran over at the NATO summit in Turkey.(Bild: AP/Filip Singer)

Immediate Retaliatory Measures by Iran
According to its own statements, Iran attacked U.S. bases in other countries in the region as a retaliatory measure. Air raid sirens were sounded in Kuwait and Bahrain. The Iranian armed forces attacked the U.S. Air Force base at Sheikh Isa in Bahrain with drones “in retaliation for the aggression of the American enemy” and “for the violation of the agreement,” the Iranian Army stated in a statement released by the state news agency IRNA. According to reports from Bahrain, air defenses responded to several Iranian attacks. Iran’s “aggression” had been repelled, said Nabil al-Ahmar, an advisor to the royal court of the Gulf state.

Explosions in Several Cities
Iranian media reported explosions overnight in the port city of Sirik on the Strait of Hormuz as well as on the island of Qeshm. There were also reports of explosions in the area around the city of Bandar Abbas. According to the Iranian broadcaster Press TV, several people were injured.

U.S. President Donald Trump approved the plan for a strike against Iran while attending the ongoing NATO summit in Turkey, reported the well-connected journalist Barak Ravid on X, citing a U.S. government official. This renewed escalation occurred during the ongoing funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ceremonies are scheduled for Wednesday in neighboring Iraq, before Khamenei is to be buried on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad.

Sanctions on Iranian Oil Back in Effect
In addition, the U.S. reinstated the previously eased sanctions on Iranian oil. An exemption granted just over two weeks ago has been revoked, the U.S. Treasury Department announced. New transactions involving crude oil, petrochemicals, and petroleum products of Iranian origin are thus once again prohibited. An official stated that Iran would only benefit from economic relief if it fulfilled its obligations. Iran’s behavior in the Strait of Hormuz was “completely unacceptable.”

As a result, oil prices rose again. The risk of renewed military escalation in the region is growing. After weeks of fighting between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, a preliminary agreement had been reached just last month that was intended to create space for intensive negotiations to end the war. These talks are currently at a standstill.

A Fragile Ceasefire Since Early April
A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since early April in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. In mid-June, Iran and the U.S. agreed to a framework deal that provides for further negotiations toward a permanent end to the war. The recurring flare-ups of fighting have not yet led to a breakdown in the negotiations.