The report also stated that the United States moved to block Iran’s ability to legally sell oil on international markets. That permission had been granted under the June 17 memorandum, making the latest action another indication that the agreement is no longer being honored.
Trump made his position clear while speaking with reporters.
“To me, I think it’s over,” Trump told reporters, according to Reuters.
He then delivered a blistering assessment of Iran’s leadership.
“They’re scum. They’re sick people,” he added. “They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people.”
Although Trump said he would continue consulting with members of his negotiating team, he suggested that recent events reinforced his long-held position that Iran should never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
“Far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them,” he said.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s remarks “rais[ed] the prospect of major renewed hostilities,” highlighting growing concerns that tensions between Washington and Tehran could escalate further.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments pass through the narrow waterway during normal conditions. While Iran has struggled to directly challenge the United States or Israel through conventional military means, analysts have long warned that Tehran could continue relying on drones, small attack boats, and other asymmetric tactics to disrupt commercial shipping in the region.
When last month’s memorandum was signed, shipping traffic through the strait resumed despite occasional exchanges between the opposing sides. At the time, few observers expected the ceasefire arrangement to unravel so quickly.
That changed after the latest attacks.
On Tuesday night, U.S. Central Command announced that American forces had launched what it described as “an immediate response to Iran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
According to The Washington Post, “The U.S. strikes hit Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile weapons and more than 60 small boats associated with the IRGC, Iran’s paramilitary force, the U.S. statement said. The effort is meant to degrade Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping.”
Trump characterized the operation as a “20-to-1” response to Iran’s actions, suggesting the United States delivered an overwhelming military reply.
It remains uncertain how the collapse of the ceasefire could affect other U.S. measures announced this week. Before Trump’s remarks, the Treasury Department had already announced new restrictions on Iranian oil sales while allowing businesses until July 17 to wind down transactions already in progress.
Even with questions surrounding the future of diplomacy, Trump’s message left little doubt about his view of Iran’s leadership.
“These are evil, sick people,” he said. “And we have to rid their cancer. And you know what you do? You’ve got to cut out cancer early. And that’s the way I feel.”
Whether the latest developments mark the end of diplomatic efforts or simply another chapter in the long-running confrontation between Washington and Tehran remains to be seen. For now, the renewed military exchanges and increasingly forceful rhetoric have raised concerns that the region could be entering another period of heightened instability.
