U.S. President Donald Trump says an interim memorandum of understanding with Iran to pause fighting is “over” as hostilities between the two sides resume. The interim accord, signed last month under US-Iran mediation involving Pakistan, is designed to create a roughly 60-day window for negotiations on a longer-term arrangement. Reuters and other outlets report that indirect talks mediated with Qatar ended last week without progress.
Several reports link Trump’s remarks to a renewed cycle of attacks. The United States carries out fresh military strikes against Iranian targets after attacks on three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US also revokes a licence allowing Iran to sell oil. In response, Iran reports it targets U.S. military sites in the Gulf, including bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Trump makes the “over” comment during the lead-up to or at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and says he does not want to engage with Tehran. Multiple outlets describe him as indicating the US could carry out further strikes, while indirect negotiation efforts are portrayed as having stalled before the latest flare-up.
