The US President described the talks as a “waste of time” following the latest attacks on merchant ships. The situation in the Strait of Hormuz is therefore likely to escalate once again.
During the NATO summit currently taking place in Ankara, US President Donald Trump commented on the current situation in the Persian Gulf – and confirmed what had recently been suspected. He stated that the ceasefire between the US and Iran, which has been in place since mid-June, was “over”, and that talks with the Iranian government – which Trump described as “sick” – were nothing more than a waste of time. Nevertheless, he stated that further negotiations with Iran were conceivable. The Iranian government had recently claimed that Trump’s threats would hinder further talks.
Trump’s reaction follows a recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East. After Iran attacked several merchant ships at the end of June, further attacks followed this week, including one on an oil tanker that caught fire. The US subsequently targeted Iranian infrastructure and carried out several strikes, to which Iran responded with attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The already fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz has thus deteriorated once again. During the ceasefire, shipping companies had begun to resume traffic through the strait; the first oil shipments were already on their way. Furthermore, there are still thousands of seafarers in the Persian Gulf. Although the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) – in cooperation with neighbouring states and the industry – had begun an evacuation, it was forced to halt this after a short time as it could not guarantee the safety of the crews in the face of new attacks.
An end to the conflict therefore still seems to be nowhere in sight. It is not yet possible to predict what consequences Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire has ended will have. However, it is not only the global economy that is paying the price for the conflict, but above all the people in the region.
