Trump says Iran MOU is over, warns U.S. may reimpose naval blockade
At the NATO summit, Trump said the U.S.-Iran memorandum is finished and warned Washington could restore a naval blockade after new strikes on Iranian targets.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa alongside the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, om July 8.REUTERS/YONHAP
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the interim peace deal between the United States and Iran is "over," warning that his administration might reimpose a naval blockade of the Islamic Republic.
His remarks during his attendance at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, came after the U.S. military struck over 80 Iranian targets on Tuesday in response to what it calls Iran's latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The tit-for-tat exchange injected fresh uncertainties into the negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at fully reopening the strait, ending Iran's nuclear program and bringing their monthslong war to a close. It also renewed concerns over a potential return to full-scale war.
"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with anybody [from Iran]," Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, lambasting Iranian leaders as "scum," "sick people" and "liars."
He was responding to a reporter's question about whether the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, a preliminary peace deal, was over.
The United States and Iran signed an MOU last month to extend their cease-fire, allowing vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz freely for 60 days and initiate negotiations for a final agreement to end the war.
During a press conference later in the day, Trump downplayed concerns about a potential return to full-scale war with Iran, which escalated after his remarks that the MOU was over.
"I don't think it's going to start again," he said of the war.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8.AP/YONHAP
"I think it's going to go very quickly. They hit a couple of ships, and so we hit them much harder," he added, touching on the U.S. strikes on Iranian targets this week.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, a British entity, announced earlier this week that there were reports of three tankers struck by unidentified projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz or in an area east of Limah, Oman.
Following the incidents, the U.S. Treasury Department revoked a general license that authorized the sale of Iranian oil, with the U.S. military launching strikes on Iran.
Despite a lack of progress in ending the Middle East war, Trump defended the U.S. operation against Iran as a "tremendous military success."
"I can only answer the question by saying that they are not going to have a nuclear weapon," he said during the press conference, responding to a reporter's question about why he was unable to end the war with Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8.AP/YONHAP
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the margins of the NATO summit, Trump warned that the U.S. Navy could reimpose a blockade of Iranian ports, which was lifted as Washington and Tehran signed the MOU last month.
"We may put it back [...] the blockade. It'll only be a blockade for Iran. Anybody else can have whatever they want," he said.
Trump also warned that the United States would strike Iran again on Wednesday night.
"We hit them very hard last night [...] [We will] probably hit them hard again tonight."
