Trump Says Ceasefire Is Over After U.S. Strikes on Iranian Targets in Strait of Hormuz

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believes the ceasefire and interim agreement to end the war with Iran are now “over” after the two sides traded strikes following Tehran being accused of attacking three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

“A tanker caught fire off the coast of Oman on Monday night after being struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)”

Al Jazeera

Trump said he would allow negotiators to continue talks, but added it was “just a waste of time dealing with them.”

Al Jazeera

NBC News reported that Iran launched a wave of attacks against American bases in the Gulf on Wednesday in retaliation for U.S. strikes, after Washington said Tehran earlier hit three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said late Tuesday it had completed its strikes and that more than 80 targets had been hit with precision munitions, including Iranian air defense systems and coastal radar sites.

NBC News also reported that Iran’s foreign ministry had said, prior to Trump’s comments, that U.S. and Israeli actions had “rendered key and fundamental elements of the agreement to end the war ineffective.”

Al Jazeera reported that a tanker caught fire off the coast of Oman on Monday night after being struck by an “unknown projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz, citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

Al Jazeera also reported that a Tehran-based analyst, Hossein Royvaran, said the Qatari tanker might have been targeted because it strayed into an area where Iranian teams were performing mine-clearing operations, adding, “The area near Oman is likely full of mines.”

CBS News

Al Jazeera said it was unclear if one of the ships is the same one reported by UKMTO, and that neither the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) nor the IRGC commented on the incident.

The outlet reported that data tracking company Kpler said traffic in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend showed “resilience” with a total of 108 verified crossings.

Al Jazeera framed the attacks as coming as sensitive peace negotiations continue between the United States and Iran to bring a lasting end to their war, which began on February 28.

Time Magazine reported that the strait reopening was part of a temporary framework that would allow ships to resume movement through the vital passage, and said the MOU “stipulates that the strait would reopen, toll free, for 60 days.”

Time Magazine added that negotiations to advance the MOU were stalled amid a six-day period of mourning for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes that started the war on Feb. 28.

Time Magazine quoted Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari saying, “Qatar holds Iran fully legally responsible” for the attack, and said he demanded Tehran “immediately cease all practices that undermine regional security.”

France 24 reported that Trump said on Saturday that negotiations on an agreement had progressed significantly and that, “the Strait of Hormuz would be opened.”

France 24 also reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Bagheri-Kani said the Strait of Hormuz is among the issues on the table in the draft framework of understanding, while stressing that what matters most to Iran is ending the piracy by the United States against regular maritime navigation, referring to the naval blockade.