Trump threatens new strikes against Iran; initial ceasefire agreement no longer in effect

US President Donald Trump, speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, declared that the initial ceasefire memorandum between the US and Iran is "over." He threatened that the US would likely carry out new strikes against Iran on Wednesday evening. "I will give a little warning: we will hit them hard tonight," Trump told journalists before meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump criticized Iranian officials for what he perceived as a failure to adhere to the agreement and warned of new attacks following US strikes the previous day. However, he did not clearly state whether Washington would return to full-scale warfare or clarify whether further negotiations would take place to convert the initial ceasefire into a permanent agreement.

He reiterated his war aim of preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons but indicated that this goal might have to be achieved without a deal. "They will never have nuclear weapons under our deal, but I don't know if we will have a deal. We can simply do it without a deal, because you know — these people lie and cheat," Trump said.

Following the escalation, Iran announced it had struck US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait. This came after US attacks on targets in Iran, which were in response to Iranian attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The renewed hostilities have heightened concerns about security in the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping data indicates that at least four oil and gas tankers have changed course and turned back rather than attempting to traverse the strategic waterway, a critical route for global energy supplies. Trump's remarks have also caused oil prices to rise worldwide.