“Going to Hit Them Hard Tonight”: Trump Warns Iran After Declaring Deal “Over”
“Going to Hit Them Hard Tonight”: Trump Warns Iran After Declaring Deal “Over”
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump called the US-Iran ceasefire “over” and threatened fresh strikes after Iran attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz — sending oil prices surging more than 5%
Trump Iran Deal Over: What He Said
President Donald Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire agreement “over” on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, speaking to reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. “To me, I think it’s over,” Trump said. “I don’t want to deal with them anymore.” He added that while negotiations could technically continue, he considered them “a waste of time.”
The comments mark one of the most direct Trump warns Iran statements since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in June that had paused hostilities and opened a 60-day negotiating window toward a broader peace agreement.
Trump Hit Iran Hard Tonight: The Threat
Later the same day, in a separate meeting alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump escalated further, saying the US would “very probably” strike Iran again that night. “I’ll give them a little warning,” Trump said. “We’re going to hit them hard tonight, but we’ll see how it all works out.” He added that the US had already hit Iran “very hard last night” and would “probably hit them hard again tonight.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, present at the meeting, confirmed the administration’s posture, stating: “Tonight, if we need to, on your order, Mr. President, we will hit even more and even deeper” into Iranian territory.
Iran Strait of Hormuz Attack: What Triggered the Escalation
The renewed threats followed Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s busiest oil shipping chokepoints. Trump said Iran had launched drones, a rocket, and a missile at ships in the strait, despite what he described as Iran having “every right to be” there. In response, US Central Command said American forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran, including air defense systems, command and control networks, and anti-ship missile capabilities. Trump said US forces also destroyed 28 small Iranian boats overnight.
A British-flagged vessel was separately confirmed struck by a projectile near the coast of Oman on Monday, with Iranian state media claiming the ship had ignored warnings from Iranian forces before the attack caused a fire on board.
US Iran Ceasefire Over: Why Trump Says Talks Have Failed
Trump was blunt in describing why he believes the US Iran ceasefire has effectively collapsed, accusing Iranian negotiators of agreeing to terms privately before publicly denying them. “They go outside, talk to the press,” Trump said. “They say, ‘We never even talked about it.'” He went on to call Iran’s negotiators “cuckoo,” “liars,” and “cheats,” adding: “They’re scum… they’re sick people… if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it.”
Despite the harsh rhetoric, Trump left the door open for US negotiators to keep talking with their Iranian counterparts, even as he predicted the effort would go nowhere: “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time.”
Trump NATO Summit Iran: The Broader Context
Trump’s comments came during his appearances at the NATO summit in Ankara, where he also expressed frustration with NATO allies more broadly over their opposition to certain US positions. The Iran comments overshadowed much of the summit’s other agenda items, with reporters repeatedly pressing Trump on whether renewed strikes were imminent. “Will we go tonight?” one reporter asked. “You know, normally I wouldn’t tell you,” Trump replied. “But you know what? There’s not a thing they can do about it. So the answer is probably.”
The June memorandum of understanding that Trump now says is “over” had required both countries to halt military operations while pursuing a broader peace agreement, with Iran committing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping in exchange for limited sanctions relief, including oil sanctions waivers.
Iran’s Response
Iran’s Foreign Ministry pushed back sharply against the renewed US strikes, calling them a “gross violation of the Memorandum of Understanding” reached between Washington and Tehran. In a statement, the ministry said: “The powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as they have repeatedly shown, will not hesitate to defend Iran’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and national security against American military aggression.”
Notably, Trump said the US strikes came after Iran resumed attacks on shipping despite having been given time to conduct funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — a detail suggesting the ceasefire had already been fraying before this week’s escalation.
Oil Prices Surge After Trump Iran Comments
Financial markets reacted immediately to the escalating rhetoric. Brent crude futures jumped as much as 6.2%, trading near $78-79 per barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose more than 6.5% to around $74-75 per barrel — marking the benchmarks’ highest levels since June 23 and their largest one-day moves since the beginning of June. The price surge reflects trader concern that renewed conflict could further disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes daily.
Possible Naval Blockade
Beyond further strikes, Trump also raised the possibility of reimposing a naval blockade against Iranian ports near the Strait of Hormuz. “We may put it back, the blockade, and it’ll only be a blockade for Iran,” Trump said — a measure that, if implemented, would mark a significant escalation beyond airstrikes alone.
What Happens Next
With Trump indicating further strikes are likely “tonight,” and Iran vowing to defend itself against what it calls American aggression, the coming days will determine whether the fragile ceasefire established in June can be salvaged or whether the region moves toward a fuller resumption of hostilities. Defense Secretary Hegseth’s reported cancellation of a planned trip to Israel — where he had been expected to discuss a possible F-35 jet sale to Turkey — further signals how quickly Iran has returned to the top of the administration’s immediate priorities.
