in brief
- Donald Trump has declared he "doesn't want to deal with" negotiating a peace agreement with Iran anymore.
- The US launched a renewed wave of strikes on Iran on Thursday.
The United States military has launched fresh strikes on Iran after US President Donald Trump said the interim agreement to end the war was "over".
US Central Command announced the attacks, saying it had "started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz".
"The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway," it said in a post on X.
Local media have also confirmed several explosions and attacks in multiple cities in the south of the country.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
This is the second consecutive day the US has attacked targets in southern Iran. On Wednesday, the US military said it had struck over 80 targets, including Iranian speedboats, in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday they had targeted US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait and that they had shot down a US MQ-9 drone attempting to interfere in the operation.
The new waves of attacks come hours after the US president threatened to attack Iran at a NATO summit in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
"We're gonna hit 'em hard tonight ... They violate the agreement every day," Trump said.
"Anything that happens is going to happen very fast," he added, suggesting the US military might "just finish the job".
Trump also renewed past threats to hit Iran's civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalination plants, and to seize the oil production hub of Kharg Island.
The US and Iran have both accused each other of violating the memorandum of understanding they signed in mid-June, which is a 14-point interim agreement to end the war
After both sides traded fire on Wednesday, Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was "over" but added that negotiators could keep talking to Iranian counterparts. He also called Iran "scum" and "cuckoo".
'It's over'
Oil prices jumped 5 per cent after Trump's remarks.
"I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them any more, they're scum," Trump said at the NATO summit.
"They're scum, they're sick people, they're led by sick people, and they're vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's over."
Trump said he would speak to businessman-turned-negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been dealing with the Iranians, but insisted it was up to Iran to return to the table.
"Frankly, I don't want to waste my time with them. Now, I'll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don't see it," Trump said.
"As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them. They're liars."
Trump accused the Iranians of repeatedly misrepresenting what had been agreed in the ceasefire that the US and Iran signed on 17 June. Iran also accuses the US of violating the memorandum of understanding to halt the war.
"Everyone's agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There's something wrong with them, they're cuckoo," Trump added.
NATO chief supports US attacks
NATO chief Mark Rutte, with whom Trump was meeting when he made the comments, backed the US strikes on Iran.
"I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary. It was a very strong response, and I'm with you on this," Rutte told reporters.
On the other hand, a top Iranian negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, accused the US of breaching the ceasefire agreement.
He cited not only the latest US military strikes, but renewed oil sanctions, violations of Iranian "adjustments" in the Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli attacks against Lebanon.
"The era of bullying and extortion is over," Ghalibaf said in a post on X. "We don't fold."
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
