Trump says Iran ceasefire 'definitively over' but agrees to talks after week of airstrikes

Trump ends ceasefire, yet opens door to diplomacy

On Friday, President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire with Iran, in place since April 8, "is definitively over". Writing on Truth Social, he stressed in capital letters that the truce was dead, though he confirmed the US had agreed to a request from Tehran to keep diplomatic channels open.

The Islamic Republic of Iran asked us to continue 'negotiations'. We agreed to do so, but the United States made it clear to them that the ceasefire is OVER!

The announcement followed a fierce week of mutual military strikes, the most intense since the signing of a memorandum of understanding in June that formalised the April ceasefire.

A week of heavy airstrikes and rail sabotage

Between Tuesday and Thursday, the US launched multiple waves of airstrikes across Iran. The Pentagon said it struck around 90 military installations in retaliation for Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Teheran alleges that civilian infrastructure was also hit, including bridges and the Tehran–Mashhad railway line, which it says was targeted to obstruct mourners heading to the funeral of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. The ceremonies concluded on Thursday in Mashhad.

On Wednesday, Trump had already described Iranian leaders on Truth Social as "scum, violent, liars, crazy", though he noted that US negotiators could still pursue diplomacy. The overnight strikes from Wednesday to Thursday damaged the Ogtay Khan railway bridge, a key connection linking northern Iran to China and Russia via Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The bridge's importance grew during the US blockade of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. Iranian state-linked Fars news agency reported the damage, and Iran subsequently suspended all passenger rail services on the Tehran–Mashhad route.

Suspicious strike near Bushehr nuclear plant

On Thursday, Iranian authorities said a military installation near Bushehr, where the country's sole operating nuclear power plant is located, was hit by a projectile. Vice-governor Ehsan Jahanian directly blamed the "American-Zionist (Israeli) enemy".

The military installation was attacked and hit by a projectile fired by the American-Zionist (Israeli) enemy.

A US defence official denied the attack, telling AFP that "US forces have not carried out any new strikes in Iran in the last hours." The incident added another layer of tension to an already volatile situation.

Casualties and regional escalation

According to Iranian sources, the waves of attacks in recent days killed at least 14 people and wounded nearly 80. In response, Tehran launched missiles and drones at US targets in several countries in the region, broadening the conflict's geography. The two sides have traded accusations of violating the ceasefire memorandum, which also counts Israel as a signatory.

The conflict originally erupted in late February with a joint US-Israeli offensive. A ceasefire was agreed on April 8 and formalised in June, but the current cycle of violence has effectively dismantled it. Iran insists that all navigation through the Strait of Hormuz be coordinated with US forces until a final peace settlement is reached, a demand that Washington has not accepted.

What comes next

Trump's statement suggests that while the ceasefire is dead, the door to a negotiated settlement is not entirely shut. The resumption of talks comes against a backdrop of extensive destruction and significant loss of life, leaving the region in a precarious state. The US has not commented further on the Bushehr incident, and Iran has not yet responded officially to Trump's declaration.