"I Think It's Over": Donald Trump Says Iran Ceasefire A "Waste Of Time"

US President Donald Trump has said the interim memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran is "over," but he will allow talks to continue. Trump's remarks came hours after the United States launched massive strikes on Iranian assets in the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Sirik, as well as on Qeshm Island, in retaliation for what it said were Tehran's attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.Washington has also revoked a license authorizing the sale of Iranian oil.Tehran has hit back with strikes on Bahrain and Kuwait, risking the interim agreement to halt fighting in the war could break down and drag the Middle East again into a wider conflict.What Trump Said"For me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore," Trump responded when asked about the status of the ceasefire. "It's just a waste of time dealing with them.""They're scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people. And they're vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it. As far as I'm concerned, it's over," he added.The US leader made the comment on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and hours after striking Iran in what the US described as retaliation for strikes on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.Trump added that US representatives can continue negotiations, but he cast doubt on the outcome. "They can talk, but I think they're wasting their time," he said.US Strikes IranEarlier, reports claimed the Tuesday US airstrikes against Iranian military targets in the area of the Strait of Hormuz have been "four or five times bigger in scope and power" than any previous attacks carried out ten days ago. Officials said the strikes were the most intense US attacks on Iran since the April ceasefire and risk plunging Tehran and Washington into a new cycle of retaliation.An official told CNN that strikes were "punishment" for Iran for attacks on commercial ships near the contested waterway. They came during the dayslong funeral for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed February 28 in the war's first moments.The funeral, which ends Thursday, was supposed to be a period of lower tensions -- though mourners have repeatedly called for the killings of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Negotiations to reach a final deal had been due to start after Khamenei's burial and focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran's disputed nuclear program. But the new attacks throw that into question, though neither country immediately signaled they'd walk away from the negotiating table.