US President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Iran following overnight American military strikes on the Islamic Republic, branding its leadership “scum”, “liars”, and “cuckoo” while declaring that he had no interest in pursuing further negotiations with Tehran. His remarks came as tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply and global oil prices climbed by nearly five per cent amid fears of a wider regional conflict.
Speaking alongside Mark Rutte during the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump insisted that, from Washington’s perspective, any ceasefire understanding with Iran was effectively over. “I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them any more; they’re scum,” he said, accusing Iran’s leadership of being “sick people” who would use nuclear weapons if they ever acquired them.
Trump says "ceasefire" with Iran over. pic.twitter.com/B4duKbSt3T
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Trump said he would leave further engagement to his negotiators, including businessman-turned-diplomat Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, but dismissed the prospects of meaningful diplomacy. “Frankly, I don’t want to waste my time with them,” he said, adding that Iran had repeatedly lied during negotiations and failed to honour previous understandings.
The US President also accused Tehran of backtracking on commitments related to its nuclear programme after the June 17 ceasefire agreement. According to Trump, all parties had agreed that Iran would not pursue nuclear weapons, only for Iranian officials to later deny that such discussions had taken place. “Everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon… They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them, they’re cuckoo,” he remarked.
The sharp rhetoric followed overnight US military operations targeting more than 80 Iranian-linked sites, including speedboats operated by Iran’s forces in and around the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon said the strikes were carried out in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the waterway, a critical artery for global energy supplies.
Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for attacks on American military bases in the Gulf, further fuelling fears of direct military confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Financial markets reacted swiftly, with crude oil prices surging around five per cent amid concerns that continued hostilities could disrupt energy exports from the region.
Standing beside Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended the US military action, describing it as “necessary” and calling it a strong response to Iranian aggression. However, despite expressing support for the strikes, NATO as an alliance did not participate in the operation.
Trump used the occasion to criticise NATO allies for refusing to join Washington’s campaign against Iran, which he again described as the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism. He claimed that leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France declined to provide military assistance during the conflict, with some indicating they would only help after the fighting had ended.
The exchange underscored growing differences between Washington and several of its European allies over how to respond to the rapidly escalating confrontation with Iran, even as military activity and diplomatic uncertainty continue to keep global markets and regional security on edge.
