President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he no longer believes the interim agreement aimed at pausing hostilities with Iran remains in effect, following a fresh round of military strikes between the two countries overnight.
Speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump dismissed the prospect of continuing diplomatic engagement with Tehran, saying he no longer wants to negotiate with the Iranian regime.
“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum,” Trump said.
While acknowledging that U.S. negotiators remain engaged, the president questioned the value of continued talks.
“I’ll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate. They’re good people,” he continued. “But they have to come back to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them [Iran].”
The remarks came just hours after U.S. Central Command announced that American forces carried out a series of "powerful" strikes against targets inside Iran. The operation followed Iranian attacks on at least three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane.
The Trump administration also increased economic pressure on Tehran by revoking a sanctions waiver that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemical products. The move came after Iran launched its initial wave of attacks.
Iran condemned the U.S. response, with parliamentary Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accusing Washington of violating the interim agreement.
“The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X.
The conflict continued to widen early Wednesday as Iran launched strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait.
Regional leaders also expressed concern over Tehran's actions. According to The Associated Press, senior United Arab Emirates diplomat Anwar Gargash described Iran's attacks on Gulf nations as evidence that the regime remains unwilling to pursue de-escalation or move beyond the conflict.
The renewed fighting comes as Iran continues multiday funeral processions for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes at the end of February.
When asked whether his comments meant negotiations between Washington and Tehran were effectively finished, Trump indicated he was unconcerned about the future of the talks.
“They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time. They’re a bunch of lying guys,” the president said.
Trump also criticized the Iranian government for its treatment of domestic protesters, arguing that widespread repression has made it impossible for citizens to challenge the regime.
“They’ve hurt their people. They killed 54,000 people as of now that were protesting,” the president said. “When people say ‘How come they haven’t taken over?’ They can’t take over because they’re dead.”
He added:
“Nobody’s going to take over. They have no guns and the other side has machine guns.”
Despite leaving the door open for U.S. negotiators to continue discussions, Trump made clear he sees little chance of a diplomatic breakthrough.
“I don’t want to waste my time with them,” Trump said, adding that he would allow “our wonderful negotiators” to keep talking “if they want.”
