Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said the United States and Iran had agreed to continue talks, despite renewed hostilities, but declared that the ceasefire reached last month between the two sides was over.
Renewed regional conflict
Trump’s comments followed a week of escalating violence in which three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers came under fire. The United States struck Iranian sites, and Iran responded with attacks on US military sites in Gulf states.
No attacks were reported on Friday as regional mediators sought to preserve diplomatic efforts aimed at permanently ending the war, which began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
The latest hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz have pushed oil prices higher, an issue that is politically sensitive for Trump ahead of November congressional elections. On Friday, the United States also increased its demands that Iran stop attacks on ships in the waterway.
Trump warns of military response
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran had requested that talks continue and that the United States had agreed, while stating that the ceasefire was over.
Trump also said he had instructed the US military to prepare for strikes against Iran if Tehran carried out or attempted an assassination of the president. He said US missiles were aimed at Iran and that the military had orders to destroy Iranian areas for one year, subject to extension, should such a threat be acted upon.
The Wall Street Journal and other US media reported this week that Israel had shared intelligence with Washington indicating that Iran had recently developed a plan to assassinate Trump.
There was no immediate comment from Iran on Trump’s remarks.