Trump says Iran ceasefire is 'over'; 1 IRGC navy member killed as NATO reveals 5,000 aircraft
US President Donald Trump has declared that the ceasefire with Iran is effectively 'over', signalling a fresh escalation in hostilities between Washington and Tehran after the United States launched another round of military strikes on Iranian targets.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO Summit 2026 in Ankara, Turkey, Trump said he no longer believed negotiations with Tehran were worthwhile and described previous diplomatic efforts as 'a waste of time.'
Responding to a question on whether the ceasefire agreement and the reported 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran were now dead, Trump said, 'For me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with the Iranians,' before launching into a series of harsh remarks against Iran's leadership.
The comments came hours after the US carried out fresh military operations against Iran.
Tehran responded by launching attacks on US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and other Gulf countries, raising fears that the conflict could spiral into a wider regional war.
NATO chief reveals scale of military support
During the joint press conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte disclosed that nearly 5,000 aircraft took off from Europe in support of the military operation against Iran, underscoring the scale of allied involvement. Rutte also credited Trump with pushing NATO members to significantly increase defence spending, saying the US president was the first leader to strongly press allies to invest more in collective security.
CENTCOM details fresh strikes
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces launched a new wave of offensive strikes targeting Iran's military infrastructure.
According to the statement, the operation hit air defence systems, command and control networks, coastal radar sites, anti-ship missile capabilities and more than 60 boats belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operating in and around the strategic Strait.
CENTCOM said the strikes were carried out after Iran allegedly targeted three commercial vessels transiting the waterway: the Marshall Islands-flagged M/T Al Rekayyat, the Saudi Arabia-flagged M/T Wedyan and the Liberian-flagged M/T Cyprus Prosperity.
IRGC navy member killed
Meanwhile, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported that Mohammad Reza Khazini, a member of the IRGC Navy, was killed during the latest US attacks in southwest Iran.
According to the report, Khazini was struck by shrapnel while confronting what the Guards described as enemy drones in Mahshahr, a port city near the Iraqi border.
Iran has yet to issue an official response to Trump's declaration that the ceasefire is over.
However, the renewed exchange of attacks and the increasingly confrontational rhetoric from both sides have further heightened concerns over stability in the Middle East.