Trump threatens to hit Iran ‘hard again tonight’ after declaring ceasefire over at Nato summit
Trump Threatens to Hit Iran Again After NATO Summit Ceasefire Declaration
Trump threatens to hit Iran hard - President Donald Trump warned that American forces would strike Iran with significant force that very evening, following his declaration that the ceasefire was effectively over. The announcement came during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated once more. Trump described the Iranian delegation harshly, calling them "scum" during an impassioned address that surprised many observers.
Just thirty days after an interim peace agreement with Tehran, Trump expressed his frustration with the Iranian regime at the international gathering. When asked about the accord's status, he gave a candid response.
"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them," Trump said. "They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people."
Military Escalation Follows Ceasefire Breakdown
The president's comments came after American forces conducted their largest wave of attacks against Iranian targets since the peace deal was established. These strikes responded to coordinated assaults on three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian forces retaliated by attacking American military installations in Qatar and Kuwait.
Trump's warning to reporters suggested these confrontations could trigger a broader return to full-scale conflict.
"I'll give a little warning: We're going to hit them hard tonight,"
he told journalists.
Allied Support for Military Response
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte publicly backed Washington's military response despite Trump's occasional criticisms. Rutte emphasized the importance of a strong reaction when ceasefire violations occur.
"When you have a ceasefire and Iran is basically violating the ceasefire, I think it is totally crucial that the US forcefully react,"
Rutte explained.
French President Emmanuel Macron also supported the American decision to strike Iranian targets. According to Reuters, Macron stated that Iranian attacks on American bases in the Gulf region constituted a breach of the interim agreement. Nevertheless, Macron indicated that diplomatic meetings under the sixty-day ceasefire arrangement would continue as planned.
US Central Command issued a statement defending the military operations, characterizing Iran's actions as "demonstrated aggression [that] was unwarranted, dangerous and a clear violation of the ceasefire." The command specifically referenced the three tankers that were struck, including one belonging to Qatar.
Regional Reactions and Diplomatic Tensions
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have targeted eighty-five facilities along with a Reaper drone in response to American attacks, though it denied involvement in the vessel strikes. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf took to social media platform X to accuse Washington of violating the memorandum of understanding.
"The era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don't fold,"
Ghalibaf wrote.
Qatar placed responsibility for the attacks on its commercial vessels on Iran. The Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat reported being struck by a drone, which ignited a fire within its engine room. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in connection with this incident.
Meanwhile, state media in Iran documented that dozens of small boats were destroyed during the operations. Additional strikes were reported targeting Kharg Island, Qeshm Island, and the port cities of Sirik and Bandar Abbas.
Summit Developments Beyond Iran
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, traveling with Trump to the summit, reportedly postponed a scheduled visit to Israel following the president's comments about Iran. NATO member nations also announced agreements exceeding fifty billion dollars in defense procurement and industrial partnerships, signaling their commitment to increased military expenditure.
The summit faced additional attention due to Trump's renewed interest in acquiring Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded by pledging to protect "every inch" of Danish territory. Trump's press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also generated discussion after he mistakenly referred to Iran as the "Islamic Republic of Japan" and appeared to confuse Zelensky with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On matters concerning Ukraine, Trump confirmed that American forces would gra