Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over, Says Talks to Continue Amid Gulf Tensions

Former President Donald Trump said on Friday that a ceasefire with Iran reached last month was “OVER,” though he stated that the United States has agreed to continue talks at Tehran’s request. The announcement injects fresh uncertainty into a volatile situation that has seen renewed military exchanges in the Persian Gulf and has already roiled global energy markets.

Conflicting Accounts on Diplomatic Efforts

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’ We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”

Iran disputed this characterization of events. A spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, cited by state television, said Tehran had not requested direct talks but had agreed to host a Qatari mediator. According to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters, Qatari negotiators were in Tehran on Friday to de-escalate tensions. Meanwhile, Oman is also involved in diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil Markets Price in Higher Risk

Renewed hostilities in the Gulf have had a direct impact on energy prices. Crude oil experienced its largest weekly increase in eight weeks following a series of attacks on commercial vessels and subsequent military strikes.

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Fears of a disruption to supply through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint that handled about a fifth of global oil and LNG shipments before the conflict, are pressuring markets. In the U.S., the Energy Information Administration reported that gasoline inventories fell by 1.9 million barrels last week, putting them nearly 10 million barrels below the five-year average for this time of year.

A Week of Escalation

Trump's declaration follows a week of significant escalation. The conflict flared after three Qatari and Saudi commercial tankers were attacked, prompting U.S. strikes on Iranian military sites. Iran responded with its own strikes on U.S. military installations in neighboring Gulf states.

Senior U.S. officials said Washington is demanding that Iran publicly guarantee that all shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and that attacks on vessels will cease. The recent U.S. strikes on Wednesday and Thursday resulted in at least 17 deaths and 115 injuries across six Iranian cities, according to Iran’s Health Ministry.