Donald Trump declared this Wednesday, in front of the leaders gathered at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that the truce with Iran has come to an end, closing the door to any negotiations and unleashing an unprecedented barrage of insults against the Iranian regime in the language of a sitting U.S. president.
The statements, gathered by the official White House account Rapid Response 47, come after a new escalation: Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz between Monday, July 6, and Tuesday, July 7, which triggered powerful U.S. strikes against Iranian territory and the revocation of the license for Iranian oil sales valid until August 21.
«Son escoria. Son gente enferma»
Trump did not hold back his words when describing the Tehran regime in front of the allies of the Atlantic Alliance.
“I don't want to deal with them anymore. They are scum. Do you know what scum is? They are scum. They are sick people. They are led by sick individuals. They are cruel and violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they would use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” stated the president.
In a second intervention at the summit, he did not lower his tone.
“They are evil people. They are sick people. They are mentally disturbed individuals. It should have happened 47 years ago,” Trump stated, referring to the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The president also accused the regime of having killed 54,000 people who were protesting within Iran itself.
"When people ask why they haven't taken power, it's because they are dead. They were killed. They have no weapons. And the other side has machine guns," he stated.
"We have a debt to settle."
Beyond the immediate context, Trump outlined a historical picture of grievances accumulated over nearly five decades.
“Iran has behaved badly for 47 years. They have killed our soldiers, they have killed our people”, he noted, recalling the roadside bombs that left young soldiers without legs, arms, or faces.
"They live as if in hell. Their whole life changed. Because of Iran," he added.
Concluding that enumeration, Trump was straightforward: “We have an account to settle.”
Liars at the negotiation table
A central reason that Trump put forward for declaring the truce dead was Iran's behavior during the negotiations themselves.
“We make a deal. Everyone agrees. No nuclear weapons. They go outside, talk to the press. They say we never talked about that. Something happens to them. They’re crazy.”, he stated.
Regarding his negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump was complimentary but skeptical:
"They want to negotiate. They are good people. But they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time. They are liars."
The president left a small opening by indicating that his envoys can continue talking, but he was categorical:
"I don't know if we're going to have an agreement. We might do it without one, because you know what? It's easier, because these people lie and cheat."
A broken truce from the beginning
The provisional agreement between Washington and Tehran was signed on June 18 and 19, 2026, in Switzerland by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, with mediation from Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
The memorandum established a 60-day truce, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes—and negotiations for the denuclearization of Iran in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
However, the truce has been violated multiple times since its signing. Iran responded to the recent U.S. bombings by attacking military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, resulting in at least one death and over 60 injuries.
Trump clarified that the discussions will not resume even after the conclusion of the funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose final burial is scheduled for Thursday, the 9th, in Mashhad.
His words have already had an impact on the markets: the price of oil rose and Bitcoin fell following the announcement.
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