President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that America’s ceasefire with Iran is effectively defunct.
The U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, which the president signed on June 17, declared that the signatories and their allies would terminate “military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.”
‘They’re cuckoo.’
In addition to the U.S. agreeing to terminate all types of sanctions against Iran and Iran agreeing not to procure or develop nuclear weapons, the parties agreed to respect one another’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; continue working on a final peace deal; and keep the Strait of Hormuz clear for the safe passage of commercial vessels.
A tanker transiting the strait and another tanker off the coast of Oman were struck by projectiles on Monday. A third tanker transiting the strait was struck by a drone on Tuesday, according to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. No casualties were reported on the ships, UKMTO said.
U.S. Central Command claimed the affected ships were flying under the flags of the Marshall Islands, Saudi Arabia, and Liberia, respectively.
CENTCOM said the attacks, for which Tehran reportedly did not claim responsibility, constituted “a clear and dangerous violation of the ceasefire and undermines freedom of navigation.”
Qatar and Saudi Arabia also condemned the attacks, calling out Iran by name.
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Win McNamee/Getty Images
CENTCOM forces executed a series of strikes against Iran, hitting over 80 targets “as an immediate response to Iran’s latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
In addition to hammering Iranian air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, and anti-ship missile capabilities, CENTCOM said it struck over 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats in and near the strait.
On Tuesday, the U.S. also re-imposed sanctions on Iranian oil.
Iran subsequently launched strikes, targeting American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed in a statement obtained by Iranian state media on Wednesday that “the naval and aerospace forces of the IRGC, through joint missile and drone operations, destroyed 85 major U.S. military installations in Port Salman, (the U.S.) Fifth Naval Base in Bahrain, and Kuwait’s Ali Salem Airbase, and shot down an enemy MQ9 drone that attempted to interfere in the operation.”
A U.S. official told CNN that “all missiles and drones fired by Iran were intercepted or failed to hit anything or cause major damage.”
“Bottom line, Iran’s response was defeated,” the official added.
Trump was asked about the ceasefire on Wednesday during a meeting at the NATO summit in Turkey with the military alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte.
Trump said, “To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people. And they’re vicious, violent people.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. … There’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo,” Trump continued.
Trump told reporters at the NATO summit that the U.S. will hit Iran “hard again tonight.”
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Iran, Strait of hormuz, Memorandum of understanding, Tehran, Oil, Donald trump, Nato, Politics