Trump Declares Iran Interim Accord 'Over' and Warns of Fresh US Strikes After Gulf Base Attacks

President Donald Trump stood before reporters in Ankara on Wednesday, ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey, and said the interim agreement meant to end the war with Iran was, in his view, finished. Asked directly whether the memorandum of understanding was over, he called it a very interesting question and then answered it: "I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them." He later added a warning that the United States was likely to strike Iran again that night.

The remarks followed a rapid exchange of fire. Iran said it had targeted U.S. military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait after American forces hit Iranian targets in response to attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The Revolutionary Guards also said they had shot down a U.S. MQ-9 drone that tried to interfere with the operation. Bahrain's army said it had thwarted the Iranian attacks.

The memorandum was signed on June 17, and it was supposed to be the bridge from a shaky ceasefire to a permanent settlement of a war that began on February 28 with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran. Trump spoke harshly of Tehran, calling Iranian leaders sick people and saying of any future deal, "I'm not sure that will stick," because he found them "very dishonourable." Yet he did not say outright that Washington would return to full-scale war, and it was unclear whether negotiations on a permanent deal would go on. He said his negotiators could keep talking if they wished, though he did not see the point. A source familiar with the Ankara talks said he did not repeat the "over" comment when NATO leaders met. Before a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he said: "We're going to hit them hard tonight."

The American strikes came first. U.S. Central Command said it hit targets including more than 60 small boats used by the Revolutionary Guards, in an operation meant to impose a heavy cost for attacks on shipping that violated the ceasefire. Three tankers had been attacked in the strait. Trump said U.S. forces had "knocked out 28 boats last night" and would probably hit more. A U.S. official told Reuters the strikes also went after air defence systems, coastal surveillance, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported explosions at Kharg Island, the oil hub from which Iran exports 90% of its crude, as well as on Qeshm Island and in the port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas. CENTCOM did not mention Kharg. No civilian deaths were reported in Iran.

Washington also moved on the economic front. A Treasury general licence issued June 22 under the interim deal had allowed the sale of Iranian crude, petrochemicals and petroleum products through August 21. Treasury revoked it on Tuesday and gave Iran until July 17 to wind down transactions. Iran's foreign ministry called that a breach of the framework agreement and said it would take any measure necessary to protect its interests and national security.

Markets reacted quickly. Brent crude futures rose more than 5% to $78.48 a barrel, the biggest one-day gain since late May. That is well below the peaks above $120 reached at the height of the fighting, but months of conflict have drawn down global oil inventories, and the jump gave bond markets a fresh inflation worry; global bonds fell and Wall Street's main indexes were set to open lower. Shipping data showed at least four oil and gas tankers had turned back rather than try the strait.

Reactions split along familiar lines. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called the U.S. attacks "absolutely necessary." EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on X that the exchanges complicate already fraught talks and called Iran's attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait unacceptable. Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters called the U.S. strikes a "blatant act of aggression," threatened a "crushing response," and said Tehran would not allow U.S. interference in managing the strait. Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a top Iranian negotiator, accused Washington of breaching the ceasefire and wrote: "The era of bullying and extortion is over. We don't fold."

Analysts note that control of Hormuz gives Tehran enormous leverage, effectively forcing a stalemate with the most powerful military in the world, and that attacks on ships underline it while a long-term deal is negotiated. What to watch now: whether the promised strikes come and how Iran answers, whether talks on a permanent deal continue, the July 17 wind-down deadline for Iranian oil sales, and how many tankers risk the strait.