By Emem Nsini-Godwin
The United States President, Donald Trump, has declared the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran effectively over, dismissing further negotiations with Iran as futile amid renewed military exchanges that have heightened fears of a wider regional conflict.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO Summit in Ankara on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Trump said he no longer considered the truce to be in effect, describing continued engagement with Iranian officials as a “waste of time.” He accused Iran’s leadership of being untrustworthy and said they could not be relied upon to honour agreements.
While noting that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were free to continue diplomatic efforts if they wished, the president maintained that responsibility for reviving negotiations now rests with Tehran.
The remarks came after a sharp escalation in hostilities that began when Iran launched attacks on three commercial vessels flying the flags of the Marshall Islands, Saudi Arabia and Liberia near Oman in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
In response, the US Central Command carried out a large-scale military operation targeting more than 80 Iranian sites, including air defence systems, coastal radar installations and numerous Revolutionary Guard patrol boats. US officials said the strikes were intended to reduce Iran’s capacity to threaten international shipping through the vital waterway.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later claimed responsibility for retaliatory strikes targeting American-linked military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Although both countries activated their air defence systems, neither government immediately disclosed the extent of any damage.
Iranian state media also reported multiple explosions across southern Iran, including in Qeshm, Sirik, Bandar Abbas and Bushehr, home to the country’s only civilian nuclear power plant. Reports indicated that one member of the Revolutionary Guard was killed during the attacks.
The situation was further complicated after Washington revoked a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iran to continue selling crude oil on international markets. The US Treasury Department ordered existing transactions under the waiver to be wound down by July 17.
Reacting to the move, Iran’s chief negotiator accused the United States of breaching the terms of their memorandum of understanding, citing both the reinstatement of sanctions and disagreements over Iran’s authority to regulate maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The dispute over the strategic waterway has become the central point of the broader conflict, which began in February following joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iranian territory. Tehran has since sought to introduce a toll system for vessels passing through the strait while rejecting proposals, including one put forward by Oman, aimed at restoring unrestricted maritime passage.
Global markets reacted swiftly to Trump’s comments and the renewed fighting, with oil prices rising by more than five percent amid concerns that continued hostilities could disrupt traffic through one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes.
The latest developments come as Iran continues a multi-day state funeral for its late Supreme Leader, adding further uncertainty to an already volatile regional situation.
