President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran on Wednesday, warning that the United States could launch another round of military strikes as tensions continue to rise following Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran is behaving very badly,” Trump said. “We hit them very hard last night. They fired on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, and we may hit them hard again tonight.”

Earlier in the day, Trump declared that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement was effectively over, saying he no longer had any interest in dealing with the Iranian regime. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” Trump said. “I don’t want to deal with them anymore. It’s a waste of time.” He added that Iran continues to violate the ceasefire and suggested the United States could ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon even without a negotiated agreement.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump further intensified his criticism, calling the Iranian regime “cancer” and “a bunch of scum.” He also claimed Iran has long sought to assassinate him, saying, “I’m number one on their list. We have to eliminate the cancer early.”

When asked whether diplomacy had completely ended, Trump replied that, in his view, the ceasefire was finished but acknowledged that negotiations could still continue.

Iran responded with a sharp warning of its own. A spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters declared that “the era of containing crises is over, and the era of breaking the rules has begun,” warning that any further U.S. military action would be met with a response that would “change the balance of power across the region.” The spokesman added that Iran’s next strike “will not come from where the enemy expects” and would differ from any previous confrontation.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth canceled his planned visit to Israel amid the rapidly developing security situation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)