Trump says Iran ceasefire 'over' as fresh strikes escalate Strait of Hormuz crisis

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the ceasefire with Iran was over but indicated that negotiations could still continue despite renewed hostilities triggered by Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz news agency AFP reportedThe vital shipping route has once again emerged as a major flashpoint in the conflict which began in late February with largescale USIsraeli strikes on IranIran has maintained that it has the right to control traffic through the strait saying vessels would have to pay transit fees and warning of action against ships that do not follow its authorised routeAccording to reports the Iranian military targeted at least three commercial vessels in recent days prompting extensive US strikes on Iranian military targets on Tuesday Iran later launched retaliatory attacks targeting USlinked facilities in the GulfOn the status of the ceasefire with Iran US President Donald Trump says To me I think its over I dont want to deal with them anymore Theyre scum Theyre led by sick people Ill speak to our negotiators They want to negotiatemdashtheyre good people but they have tohellip pictwittercom8oZYJJS7dVmdash ANI ANI July 8 2026As far as Im concerned its over Trump told reporters on the sidelines of a NATO Summit in Turkey when asked whether the ceasefire remained in effectIts just a waste of time dealing with them he saidIll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want but I dont see it I dont like these peopleOil prices jump as fresh strikes deepen USIran tensionsFollowing Trumps remarks oil prices surged by about five per cent after already touching their highest level in two weeksBoth Washington and Tehran claimed to have struck dozens of targets further straining the interim agreement aimed at ending the Middle East conflictIranian state media reported multiple explosions near the Strait of Hormuz including on Qeshm Island in Sirik and in the key port city of Bandar AbbasLater state media also reported blasts in the coastal city of Bushehr home to Irans only civilian nuclear power plant and located close to Kharg Island through which around 90 per cent of the countrys crude oil exports passIranian state media reported that a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps IRGC had been killed while the countrys foreign ministry said monitoring and observation sites along the southern coast had come under attackUS strikes Iranian retaliationThe US Central Command CENTCOM said its forces struck more than 80 targets including Iranian air defence systems coastal radar sites and 60 IRGC small boatsThe strikes were intended to degrade Irans ability to continue attacking international commerce flowing through the international trade corridor CENTCOM saidNATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the US strikes as absolutely necessary while speaking at the summit in AnkaraIran responded swiftly with the IRGC claiming it had targeted dozens of US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain An AFP journalist reported hearing explosions in BahrainKuwait said it intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones while the Iranian military claimed it had also attacked US forces stationed at Sheikh Isa Air Base in BahrainThe spectre of war is looming once more Bahraini civil servant Nawal Saad said adding I do not want to go through that experience of fear and anxiety againGulf nations caught in crossfire as tensions mountHamad Althunayyan an assistant professor at Kuwait University said Iran viewed Bahrain and Kuwait as the most accessible and lowercost pressure points in the GulfIt allows it to project power impose costs and test US and GCC resolve he saidOman located across the Strait of Hormuz from Iran condemned attacks on Bahrain Kuwait and commercial vessels but stopped short of blaming TehranThe Gulf nation which previously mediated between Washington and Tehran has sought to maintain neutrality while facilitating discussions over the administration of the Strait of HormuzThe United States US has pushed for unrestricted passage through the waterway while Iran has insisted on levying transit fees and has opposed vessels travelling through Omani watersAll three vessels targeted recently were sailing close to Oman which had proposed a temporary shipping corridor along its coastlineWar fears persistThe resumption of maritime traffic after last months agreement between Washington and Tehran has remained fragile with Iran insisting there will be no return to unrestricted navigation through the straitAccording to International Maritime Organization chief Arsenio Dominguez nearly 6000 seafarers remain stranded in the regionAli Vaez Iran project director at the International Crisis Group said a return to fullscale conflict would be costly for both sidesSuch a move is going to be associated with significant economic and military costs I think Trumps rhetoric is as usual hyperbolic and doesnt necessarily mean that the MoU has collapsed he saidBoth sides are trying to negotiate the fine print of the MoU through the use of force because the MoU left a lot of issues either unresolved or ambiguous he addedWhen Iran tries to enforce its control over the strait it doesnt matter who violates it They believe this is the most important achievement that they have had in this war Theyve shed blood for it And theyre not going to give it awayWith AFP and ANI inputs