Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire 'Over,' Targets Hormuz
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- Trump declared the 60-day U.S.-Iran MOU "over" on Wednesday after an exchange of fire triggered by Iranian attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The U.S. launched a second round of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, including attacks on infrastructure targets inside Iran for the first time in months; Iran retaliated by striking U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
- Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's top negotiator, accused the U.S. of "bullying and breaking promises" on X and warned the strait would only reopen on Tehran's terms: "If you strike, you'll get hit."
- Trump told reporters on Air Force One that Iranian officials had "called a little while ago" and "want to make a deal" — though Iranian officials did not immediately confirm any direct outreach.
- Vice President Vance said the U.S. position is that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, warning that if Iran tries to close it, "there's going to be a response from the American military."
- The MOU's collapse traces to conflicting interpretations of strait provisions: Iran accused the U.S. of routing ships through a southern lane near the Omani coast without Tehran's approval.
- U.S. officials said the White House believes it has room to escalate because hundreds of oil tankers transited the strait in recent weeks, easing concerns of an immediate major oil price spike; no Iranian frozen funds have been released because Iran has not yet taken the nuclear steps the agreement requires.
Why it matters: The collapse pivots a war aimed at degrading Iran's missiles and nuclear program into an open-ended fight over the world's key energy chokepoint. The U.S. believes hundreds of tankers transiting recently has blunted the immediate oil price shock, while Iran and the U.S. trade escalation over disputed shipping lanes near the Omani coast with no confirmed diplomatic channel active.
