Trump ends Iran ceasefire, demands uranium handover and threatens obliteration if assassinated

Ceasefire collapses after Gulf raids

Cross-border attacks in the Persian Gulf have shattered the fragile memorandum of understanding signed in mid-June between Washington and Tehran. President Donald Trump confirmed the truce is dead. "L'Iran ci ha chiesto di proseguire i colloqui. Abbiamo accettato di farlo, ma gli Stati Uniti hanno chiarito, senza mezzi termini, che il cessate il fuoco è terminato," he posted on Truth Social, according to La Stampa. Despite the breakdown, Qatar's mediators flew to Tehran in coordination with the United States to prevent a wider escalation and create conditions for renewed negotiations.

Iran asked us to continue the talks. We agreed to do so, but the United States made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that the ceasefire is over.

The enriched uranium red line

A senior US official told Bloomberg that without the physical handover of Iran's enriched uranium stocks, no definitive peace deal can be signed. For Washington, relinquishing the fissile material is the core condition for any sanctions relief. The demand was reiterated directly and through regional intermediaries. A US request, reported by Axios, calls on Iran to publish a declaration by Saturday confirming the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and a commitment not to fire on commercial vessels. Three senior American officials said Tehran violated the three-week-old agreement by repeatedly shooting at commercial ships inside and near the Strait.

Assassination plot and Trump's doomsday instructions

Israeli intelligence warned the White House this week of an Iranian plan to kill the president, the Wall Street Journal revealed. Trump addressed the threat in an interview with the New York Post, stating he has been on Iran's target list for years. He then issued an extraordinary directive: "Ho lasciato istruzioni: se dovesse succedere qualcosa, bombardateli letteralmente con una potenza mai vista prima." Il Messaggero reported the threat in detail. US officials quoted by CNN cautioned the Israeli warning could be an attempt to influence Trump's decision-making, while the president himself wants to avoid Israeli involvement in strikes against Iran for fear the conflict could spiral out of control.

I left instructions: if something should happen, literally bomb them with a power never seen before.

Switzerland talks and Oman diplomacy

The next round of US-Iran negotiations could take place in Switzerland as early as next week, Axios reported citing an informed source. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi are expected to meet today in Muscat to discuss the Hormuz crisis. A diplomat familiar with the Qatari mediation told Axios it is clear both sides want to return to the memorandum of understanding. The White House, while keeping military options open, is aiming at most for a new naval blockade of the Strait rather than large-scale raids, according to sources cited by Il Messaggero.

It is clear both sides want to go back to the memorandum of understanding.

Israeli readiness and Iranian warnings

Israeli defence minister made clear two days ago that the IDF is ready to strike the Islamic Republic for a third time "with even greater force." In response, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that in the event of new attacks on infrastructure, the Jewish state "will not be spared." The mutual threats are layered over Trump's preference for tight control of any military action, avoiding wide-scale escalation while keeping an economic and military chokehold on Tehran.