[Anchor]
U.S. President Donald Trump has officially declared that he has notified Iran of the end of the cease-fire. While he has left the door open for diplomatic negotiations, Iran is countering with a hardline stance, further escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Reporter Bae Seong-jae has the story.
[Reporter]
President Trump announced via social media on July 10 (local time) that "Iran requested to continue talks, and the U.S. agreed, but I have firmly notified the Iranian side that the cease-fire is over."
This formalizes his remarks from the NATO summit on July 8, where he stated that the memorandum of understanding on ending the war with Iran "seems to be over."
However, President Trump left the possibility of diplomatic negotiations open, stating that he would allow a U.S. delegation to engage in talks with Iran.
President Trump's remarks come amid a series of reciprocal airstrikes on military facilities following Iran's recent attack on a civilian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran immediately responded with a hardline stance.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of the peace negotiation team, stated, "It is clear that ending the war is the top priority, but this conflict will never end with Iran's surrender."
He further warned, "The U.S. and Israel were under the illusion that they could force Iran to submit in a short period, but they were the ones who could not withstand the pressure and sought a cease-fire," adding, "If the U.S. breaks the agreement and provokes us again, we are prepared to engage in a full-scale defensive war."
With President Trump officially declaring the end of the cease-fire and Iran reaffirming its hardline stance, the situation in the Middle East surrounding the Strait of Hormuz has once again plunged into uncertainty.
(Video editing: Park Chun-bae)
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