US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the interim peace deal signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he did not want to engage with Tehran, calling the Iranian leaders "sick people".
He made the remark while speaking at a Nato summit in Turkey. Trump asserted that dealing with the Iranians, whom he labelled vicious and scum, was nothing but a waste of time. The remarks come hours after the US launched fresh strikes against Iran in response to Tehran targeting three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They’re liars, they’re cheats, they’re sick people. They’ve hurt their people. They killed 54,000 people, as of now, who were protesting. You know, when people say, 'How come they haven’t taken over?' They can’t take over because they’re dead," Trump said, as reported by News18.
Warning to Iran
“We hit them very hard last night. I told them that every time you hit, we hit, and, of course, they’re dirty players, so they go after everyone, probably including me. We don’t like them. I don’t like them. They’re evil people, and it’s the denuclearisation of Iran. And we’re going to denuke it," Trump added.
Ceasefire comment
When asked if the ceasefire was over, he said, "To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore; they're scum."
"They're liars, they're cheats, they're sick people. These are evil, sick people, and we have to cut out their cancer," he said, as quoted by Turkiye Today.
However, Trump indicated that, despite his own stance, U.S. negotiators could continue contacts with Iranian officials if they chose to do so, though he described further talks as a "waste of time."
Iran launches retaliatory attacks
The US president's remarks follow Iran announcing that it had launched missiles and drones at U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait following a new wave of U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Tehran said the operation targeted the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, describing the attacks as retaliation for U.S. strikes carried out after commercial vessels came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz.
