President Donald Trump used a NATO summit appearance to declare the Iran ceasefire dead. He even mentioned in visceral detail the injuries caused by roadside bombs. His declaration came hours after the American military struck Iranian positions, pushing an already fragile truce to breaking point.
Donald Trump made the comments while discussing Qassem Soleimani and Iran
Donald Trump’s comments came during a wide-ranging address that touched on trade, territorial ambitions, and NATO’s conduct. However, his sharpest words were reserved for Iran. Describing a recent U.S. strike, he said, “We attacked, very powerfully last night, the very dangerous people from Iran. They’re sick. There’s something wrong with them. We said, ‘Go and do your funeral stuff,’ and instead of that, they start shooting rockets at ships.”
He further continued by saying, “So we hit them very hard last night, very hard. I would say 20 to one … I told them every time you hit, we hit.… They’re a bunch of scum. You want to know that? They’re scum. So we don’t like them, I don’t like them, and they’re evil people.”
Trump also brought up Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian military officer who was killed in a U.S. strike during the president’s first term. Trump called him the “father of the roadside bomb,” adding a graphic description: “He was an evil genius, but a bad guy, and he was the father of the roadside bomb. The roadside bomb is a bomb that goes on when you’re driving your little vehicle around, and it goes on, and you have no legs, no arms, and no face.”
The president was asked directly whether the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran still held, given renewed hostilities from both sides. Trump didn’t hedge. “It’s a very interesting question. To me? I think it’s over,” he said. “They’re scum. You know what scum is?” He added, “They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
Iran targeted American military sites in the Gulf on July 8. This came after the U.S. struck several locations inside Iran and reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
