U.S. President Donald Trump stated on July 10 (local time) that while he will continue talks to end the war with Iran, he has informed Iran that the cease-fire has ended.
President Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that "The Islamic Republic of Iran has requested that we continue 'talks,'" adding, "We have agreed to this, but the United States has firmly informed the Iranian side that the cease-fire is over."
This appears to be a formalization of remarks he made while attending the NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey, from July 7 to 8.
President Trump previously said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on July 8 that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on ending the war signed with Iran "seems to be over."
However, he left room for the possibility of allowing a U.S. delegation to engage in talks with Iran.
These remarks by President Trump follow a series of military clashes between the two nations, triggered after Iran attacked a civilian oil tanker passing through the Strait of Hormuz on July 7. In response, the U.S. has conducted massive airstrikes on targets including military facilities within Iran for consecutive days, and Iran has retaliated by striking U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
As President Trump, who decided to initiate the war at the end of February, has now declared that the cease-fire in the Iran war is over, the situation in the Middle East, centered around the Strait of Hormuz, is expected to become increasingly unpredictable.