US President Donald Trump has declared that the tentative ceasefire with Iran is "over" following an overnight US bombing campaign launched in response to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping. Speaking to reporters at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Trump signalled a likely collapse of weeks of diplomacy, describing Iranian officials as "scum", "liars" and "cheats" and dismissing further talks as a waste of time. The remarks matter because they point to a sharp escalation in tensions and the potential unravelling of a fragile agreement over one of the world's most strategically important shipping routes.

The comments came after Iran struck at least three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, prompting the US military to hit more than 80 targets inside Iran. The two sides had previously signed a memorandum of understanding agreeing to allow traffic to resume through the strait, but that arrangement now appears to be in jeopardy. Trump made his remarks during a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and the report is described as a developing, breaking news story.