US President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was “over”, adding that he did not want to deal with Tehran.
The provisional ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran, under the mediation of Pakistan, was intended to offer a period of 60 days to negotiate a definitive agreement; However, indirect talks in Qatar ended last week without signs of progress, and the US military launched a new wave of attacks against Iran on Tuesday.
“In my opinion, this is over. I don’t want to deal with them,” Trump said before a NATO summit in Ankara, the Turkish capital.
“They are scum. They are sick people. They are led by sick people,” he added along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “As far as I’m concerned, dealing with them is simply a waste of time.”
I will let the negotiators continue talking if they want, but I don’t see it clearly, I don’t like these people
Trump has gone on to add that Iran has harmed “its own people” and has “killed 54,000 people” for protesting. He also predicted that “no one is going to take power” because “they have no weapons, and “the other side has machine guns and they are killing them,” in addition to the fact that “the press does not report it.”
“But they are bad people. They are bad people. And frankly, I don’t want to waste my time with them. Now, I will let our wonderful panel, the negotiators, continue talking if they want, but I don’t see it clearly. I don’t like these people,” the US president added.
New escalation of tensions
Trump’s statements come hours after the United States Army Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the launch of “strong” attacks against Iran in response to Iranian “aggressions” against ships in the Strait of Hormuz, in a new escalation of tensions around the strategic sea route.
Following this, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has claimed to have “destroyed” 85 US military installations located in Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as shooting down an “enemy” MQ-9 type drone, in its military response to the bombings, which represent a new chapter of tensions after the fragile ceasefire signed on April 8.
On Tuesday, the United States also revoked a license allowing Iran to sell oil, after three oil tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
Within the framework of the interim agreement between the United States and Iran, the US Treasury Department had issued a general license on June 22 to allow the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin until August 21. By revoking that license on Tuesday, Iran was given until July 17 to settle any pending transactions.
