ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was “over”, adding he didn’t want to engage with Tehran.
The interim ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran — under the mediation of Pakistan — was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of headway and the U.S. military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.
“To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them,” Trump said ahead of a NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.
“They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people,” he added alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
The U.S. on Tuesday also revoked a license allowing Iran to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the interim U.S.-Iran agreement, the U.S. Treasury issued a June 22 general license to allow the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin through August 21. In revoking that license on Tuesday, it gave Iran until July 17 to wind down any transactions.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Additional reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
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