Iran's rulers are despicable, truce has ended, according to Trump

US President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that the ceasefire with Iran had come to an end, following an exchange of fire between the two sides, yet he indicated that negotiations could still continue with Tehran.

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Trump vehemently criticized Iran, labeling them as "scum" and "cuckoo" after the US launched overnight strikes and Iran's Guards claimed to have targeted US bases in the Gulf, prompting a five percent surge in oil prices.

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In a statement made at a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump expressed his reluctance to engage with Iran, saying "I think it's over, I don't want to deal with them any more, they're scum".

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He further described the Iranian leadership as "sick people" who are "vicious, violent" and would not hesitate to use a nuclear weapon if they possessed one, reiterating that "as far as I'm concerned, it's over".

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Trump mentioned that he would be speaking with businessman Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who have been handling negotiations with the Iranians, but emphasized that it was up to Tehran to reinitiate talks.

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He expressed his skepticism about the usefulness of continued negotiations, stating "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".

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Trump accused the Iranians of consistently misrepresenting the terms of the ceasefire agreement signed on June 17, saying "they're liars" and that dealing with them was "just a waste of time".

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The US President cited an example of Iranian dishonesty, where they would agree on certain terms, only to later deny them in public, saying "there's something wrong with them, they're cuckoo".

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NATO chief Mark Rutte expressed support for the US strikes on Iran, telling reporters "I think what you did last night was absolutely necessary, it was a very strong response, and I'm with you on this".

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Despite Rutte's backing, Trump reiterated his dissatisfaction with NATO's lack of involvement in the Iran conflict, saying "I'm not happy with NATO because of the fact that they didn't want to help us with the number one state sponsor of terror, that's Iran".

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Trump revealed that he had spoken with the UK, German, and French leaders, all of whom declined to offer assistance, with the UK Prime Minister allegedly saying "we don't want to help you now, but we'll help you when the war is over", a response Trump deemed unsatisfactory.

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The US military reported that it had targeted over 80 sites, including Iranian speedboats, in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.