ANKARA: U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding with Iran aimed at ending the conflict was effectively “finished,” saying he had no interest in further engagement with Tehran and describing Iran’s leadership as “sick people.”
His remarks came after the U.S. military carried out a major wave of strikes on more than 80 Iranian targets in retaliation for attacks on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Central Command, the operation targeted Iranian air defense systems, command-and-control infrastructure, coastal radar installations, anti-ship missile sites, and over 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast attack boats operating in and around the strategic waterway.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump also revealed that he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt trade ties with Spain, criticizing Madrid as an unreliable NATO ally.
The latest U.S. action also included revoking Iran’s license to export oil, further increasing pressure on Tehran despite an already fragile ceasefire.
Asked whether the Iran memorandum remained valid, Trump replied: “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore,” adding that negotiations with Tehran were “a waste of time.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said recent U.S. military operations and the cancellation of its oil export license had rendered key parts of the ceasefire arrangement ineffective.
Tehran also accused Washington of disrupting agreed navigation measures in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that such actions were undermining the interim truce.
In addition, Iran cautioned neighboring countries hosting U.S. military bases against allowing their territory to be used for further American operations, hours after claiming responsibility for missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. positions in Bahrain and Kuwait.
