President Donald Trump delivered one of his bluntest assessments yet of Iran’s ruling regime Wednesday, declaring the U.S.-Iran ceasefire effectively dead after a new round of military escalation and accusing Tehran’s leaders of repeatedly lying during negotiations.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump made clear that his patience with Iran’s leadership has run out.
“To me, I think it’s over,” Trump said when asked about the status of the ceasefire agreement and the memorandum of understanding that had temporarily halted hostilities.
“I don’t want to deal with them anymore — they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people. And they’re vicious, violent people.”
Trump’s comments came after U.S. forces launched a new wave of strikes against more than 80 Iranian targets following attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks aimed at U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait, marking the most significant exchange of fire since the ceasefire framework was signed last month.
The president argued that Iran’s leadership cannot be trusted to honor agreements and suggested further diplomacy would likely prove futile. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars,” Trump said.
Drawing a contrast with America’s allies, Trump pointed toward Rutte and remarked, “We make a deal. If I make a deal with him, we have a deal.”
Then came the punchline aimed squarely at Tehran.
“We make a deal. They go outside, talk to the press, they say, ‘We never even talked about it.’ There’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo.”
Despite declaring the ceasefire effectively finished, Trump indicated U.S. negotiators including Steve Witkoff remain available should Iran seek further discussions. “I’ll speak to our negotiators,” Trump said. “They want to negotiate. They’re good people. But they have to come back to me.”
When pressed on whether talks could continue, Trump appeared unimpressed. “I don’t care, they can talk. But I think they’re wasting their time. They’re a bunch of lying guys.”
The collapse of the agreement represents a dramatic reversal from the memorandum brokered earlier this year, which established a temporary framework for negotiations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. Those talks stalled amid repeated disputes over compliance and accusations of bad faith from both sides.
The latest crisis began after commercial tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. Washington blamed Iran-backed forces and responded with large-scale military action. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly defended the American response, calling the new strikes “absolutely necessary.”
Financial markets reacted immediately. Oil prices surged more than six percent amid fears that renewed conflict could threaten global energy supplies and further destabilize the region.
For now, the administration appears to be shifting away from diplomacy and back toward deterrence, with Trump making it clear he no longer believes Iran’s leadership is negotiating in good faith.
“As far as I’m concerned,” Trump said, “it’s over.”
