US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (January 8) that he considers the interim ceasefire agreement with Iran to be over, following a new escalation of hostilities between the two countries. The statement was made before the start of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, held in Ankara, Turkey. The increase in tensions occurred after Iran announced attacks against US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, in response to US offensives against Iranian targets carried out after attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. When questioned by journalists about the continuation of the memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran, Trump replied that he considers the agreement over. "That's a very interesting question. For me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them," said the US president. "They are scum. They are sick people. They are led by sick people," he added. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported striking US military installations in Bahrain and Kuwait, and claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone that, according to Tehran, was attempting to interfere with the operation. The previous day, the United States had intensified its military response and revoked a license allowing the sale of Iranian oil, in reaction to attacks on three oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to the US Central Command (Centcom), more than 60 small vessels used by the Revolutionary Guard were hit during the military operation. According to the command, the offensive aimed to impose a high cost on Iran for the attacks on commercial shipping, considered a violation of the previously established ceasefire.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.