Trump says ceasefire over

President Donald Trump said on July 8 that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was “over” after the two sides traded new attacks tied to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command said its forces had struck more than 80 targets in Iran on July 7 in response to what Washington described as Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels in the waterway. Trump said negotiators could continue talking, but he also called further diplomacy “just a waste of time dealing with them.” Iran had not publicly accepted Trump’s description of the ceasefire as finished, and Iranian officials said U.S. and Israeli actions had undermined key parts of the agreement. ### Why did Trump say the ceasefire was over? Trump made the remark while the United States and Iran were exchanging fresh strikes after the shipping attacks in the Gulf. NBC News reported that Trump said he believed the ceasefire and interim agreement to end the war were now “over,” even as he said he would still allow negotiators to continue contacts. AP reported that Trump also said he was not sure he wanted a deal anymore and said the United States should “finish the job.” (nbcnews.com) Iran’s foreign ministry said before Trump’s remarks that U.S. and Israeli actions had “rendered key and fundamental elements of the agreement to end the war ineffective,” according to NBC News. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that “the era of bullying and extortion is over,” NBC reported. (nbcnews.com) ### What triggered the new round of fighting? U.S. Central Command said on July 7 that it launched a new round of offensive strikes after Iran’s “latest attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.” CENTCOM said the strikes hit air defense systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 small boats linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. NBC News reported the U.S. military said more than 80 targets were hit with precision munitions. (nbcnews.com) Three commercial ships were reported hit in or near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week. NBC News said Tehran was accused of attacking three commercial ships in the strait, while other reporting cited U.S. officials saying the vessels were struck near Oman’s territorial waters. Iran did not immediately comment publicly on the accusations in the NBC report. (centcom.mil) ### Why does the Strait of Hormuz keep driving this story? The Strait of Hormuz is a critical oil chokepoint, and the dispute over maritime traffic has been central to the ceasefire talks. NBC News reported that restoring maritime traffic through the strait was at the heart of disputes between Washington and Tehran, with Iran arguing it had a right to charge fees for ships passing through. (nbcnews.com) The U.S. Energy Information Administration said flows through the strait in 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 accounted for about one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption. The agency said about 20 million barrels a day moved through the waterway in 2024, and it described the route as having few alternatives if traffic is disrupted. ### Are talks still happening or not? (nbcnews.com) NBC News reported that negotiations had been paused until the end of funeral proceedings on Thursday for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump said talks could continue even as he dismissed them, and NBC said the renewed attacks raised new doubts about the peace process. (eia.gov) AP said the new attacks had raised immediate questions about what comes next in the war, after Trump said he believed the ceasefire was over. CBS reported that oil prices jumped 5% after Trump said negotiations were over and called dealing with Iran “a waste of time.” ### What should readers watch next? Thursday’s next marker was the end of the funeral-related pause in talks that NBC News said had delayed negotiations until after ceremonies for Khamenei. (nbcnews.com) U.S. and Iranian officials have continued to frame maritime traffic through Hormuz as a core issue, and CENTCOM has said its latest strikes were meant to reduce Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the strait. (apnews.com)