Speaking at the NATO summit, Trump said, “To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum… They’re led by sick people.”
He added, “I’ll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate—they’re good people… but they have to come back to me. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them.”
Trump was referring to the understanding between Washington and Tehran that had previously halted hostilities between the two sides.
He also repeated that Washington would not permit Tehran to develop a nuclear weapon.
Diplomacy stalls
Trump’s remarks mark a sharp shift from his position earlier this week, when he said he still preferred reaching an agreement with Tehran despite warning that military action remained an option if diplomacy failed.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump had said the United States would “either make a deal, or finish the job”, while insisting Iran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme have since stalled, with both sides remaining divided over uranium enrichment, sanctions relief and international inspections.
In a fresh development, Israel’s Ynet reported that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has cancelled his planned visit to Israel.
Meanwhile, sources at the Iranian Embassy told CNBC-TV18 that Tehran learnt of Trump’s remarks through media reports and interpreted them as a signal that “the negotiations have ended from their side”. The sources added that Tehran is expected to make an official announcement shortly.
Trump cites overnight strikes
Trump also defended fresh US military action against Iran, saying, “We attacked, very powerfully last night, the very dangerous people from Iran.”
He added, “There’s something wrong with them. We say, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff,’ and instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships yesterday. So we hit them very hard last night.”
The comments come amid continued tensions following the recent conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
A 60-day ceasefire and the subsequent understanding between Washington and Tehran were intended to create space for renewed negotiations, but recent indirect talks ended without a breakthrough.
The Trump administration has maintained that it prefers a diplomatic resolution but has repeatedly warned that it is prepared to use military force if Iran moves towards acquiring a nuclear weapon.
(Edited by : Sheersh kapoor)
First Published: Jul 8, 2026 2:43 PM IST
