The current President of the United States, Donald Trump, said this Wednesday that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran has ended, after a new escalation of military clashes during the early morning hours.
The statement was made during a press conference alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the alliance summit held in Ankara, Turkey. Asked by a journalist, Trump replied directly: “I think it’s over.”.
He then reinforced the position by saying: “I don’t want to deal with them anymore… for me, it’s over”. The president also indicated that, although there was initial interest in negotiating a peace agreement, dialogue with the Iranian government began to be seen as unproductive.
The remarks come amid mutual accusations of violating the ceasefire signed the previous month. Tensions increased after recent attacks involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic route for global oil transportation.
In response, U.S. armed forces carried out a series of offensives against Iranian targets. According to the U.S. Central Command, more than 80 facilities were hit, including air defense systems and installations linked to anti-ship missiles.
The statement also highlighted the destruction of dozens of vessels associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with the aim of reducing the ability to attack international maritime commerce.
“The U.S. attacks are a response to Iranian attacks against three merchant ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. The aggression demonstrated by Iran was unjustified, dangerous, and a clear violation of the ceasefire.”
On the Iranian side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the American actions as a “flagrant violation of the Memorandum of Understanding”. In a statement, the government said: “The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as they have repeatedly demonstrated, will not hesitate to defend the territorial integrity, national sovereignty and national security of Iran against American military aggression.”
The immediate impact was felt in the energy market. Oil prices saw a sharp rise, with Brent up more than 5%, trading near US$ 78 per barrel, while WTI also advanced significantly.
The increase in tensions in the Middle East brings back concerns about global inflation and instability in financial markets, directly reflecting in risk appetite for alternative assets, such as cryptocurrencies, which tend to respond to scenarios of economic uncertainty.