ANKARA, Turkey — President Trump said Wednesday that he believes his memorandum of understanding with Iran is dead after he ordered overnight airstrikes on 80 targets in response to Iranian attacks on commercial ships.
“I don’t like them at all. And frankly, I think we wasted a lot of time with them, I think we should just do our business,” Trump said in his first public remarks after ordering the airstrikes.
When asked by a reporter if the preliminary peace deal, which Trump signed June 17, was dead, he replied: “To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum.”
“They’re vicious, violent people… so far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump said.
“So far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They’re liars… They’re liars, they’re cheats, they’re sick people.”
Trump added: “Frankly, I don’t want to waste my time with them. Now I’ll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don’t see it.”
Iran’s lead negotiator, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, defiantly said in a morning statement that “the era of bullying and extortion is over. It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”
The 14-point memorandum of understanding called for a 60-day reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as the two sides negotiated the final status of Iran’s nuclear program, which was Trump’s core war aim.
Tensions mounted over Iran attacking three commercial ships on Monday and Tuesday, after insisting that all vessels use an Iran-approved sea route, rather than a different route along the Omani coast preferred by the US.
Although there was a similar prior flare-up over the same disagreement, Trump’s response Wednesday was more emphatic and turned personal when he noted Iranian attempts to assassinate him.
“They want to take out the US leader, me. I’m on every list,” Trump said.
“I saw a thing this morning, I’m on every single one of their lists. And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky. But that maybe doesn’t last very long.”
Trump added, “These are evil, sick people and we have to rid their cancer.”
Iran has sought to assert new control, including financial fees, on international shipping in what would amount to a major post-war gain over the waterway, through which about a fifth of oil exports transit.
