US will probably hit Iran again tonight: Trump

-- Iran condemns US air strikes and warns neighbours against aiding 'aggression against Iran'

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump warned Iran that the US would likely ​engage in additional strikes on Wednesday night after ‌attacks the previous day.

"I'll give a little warning: We're going to hit them hard tonight," Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in ​Turkiye before his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr ​Zelenskiy.

But ​he did not explicitly say Washington would return to full-fledged war and it was not immediately clear whether the negotiations between the two ​sides to turn the ceasefire into a permanent deal ​would still continue or not.

"I don't know if we're going to have ‌a ⁠deal. We may just do it without a deal," Trump said before his meeting with Zelensky.

He earlier said that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he didn't want to engage with Tehran.

The interim ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran — under the mediation of Pakistan — was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of headway and the US military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.

"To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them," Trump said ahead of a NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara.

"They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people," he added alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. "As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with them."

The US on Tuesday also revoked a license allowing Iran to sell oil after three tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz.

Under the interim US-Iran agreement, the US Treasury issued a June 22 general license to allow the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products of Iranian origin through August 21. In revoking that license on Tuesday, it gave Iran until July 17 to wind down any transactions.

Iran condemns US air strikes and warns neighbours against aiding 'aggression against Iran'

The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the “aggressive attacks and gross violation of the Memorandum of Understanding” by the United States following military strikes in southern Iran on Wednesday in an X post.

According to Al Jazeera, the ministry said that in the early hours of Wednesday, “the terrorist US military, in clear violation of Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the United Nations Charter, committed military aggression against several monitoring and surveillance centres on the southern coasts of Iran.” It noted that these strikes “constitute a flagrant violation of Paragraph 1 of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Termination of War, which mandates the cessation of military operations”.

The statement also highlighted “the international legal obligation of all governments, particularly neighbouring countries located on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, to prevent aggressor parties from utilising their territory and facilities to conduct aggressive acts against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” It added that “any cooperation in committing the crime of aggression against Iran constitutes complicity and participation in the crime”.

While reminding the UN Security Council and the Secretary-General of their responsibilities, the ministry emphasised that Iran’s armed forces “will not hesitate in defending Iran’s territorial integrity, national sovereignty, and national security against US military aggression in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, and will target the source and origin of the aggression”, according to the statement.

Iran says US strikes targeted coastal surveillance sites, accuses Washington of violating ceasefire

Iran said on Wednesday that the latest US military strikes targeted several monitoring and surveillance centers along the country's southern coast, accusing Washington of violating international law and a ceasefire agreement.

In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry said the "US terrorist army" launched strikes in the early hours of Wednesday against several monitoring and surveillance facilities on Iran's southern coastline.

The ministry said the attacks constituted "a blatant violation" of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states.

It also accused Washington of violating the first article of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries, which it said requires an end to military operations.

Iran and the US reached a memorandum of understanding on June 17 aimed at ending their military conflict and achieving a lasting peace agreement.

Separately, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB reported that a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy was killed in the US attacks in Bandar Mahshahr.

The public relations office of the Third Naval Zone of the Imam Hussein Basij Corps in Bandar Mahshahr identified the casualty as a Basij member assigned to the unit, saying he was killed during what it described as an encounter with enemy drones early Wednesday.

China urges US, Iran to engage in talks over use of military force

China said on Wednesday that the use of military force was "not appropriate" and urged the US and Iran to engage in talks amid retaliatory airstrikes by both sides.

“Reigniting the flames of war does not serve anyone’s interests,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing.

The statement came after the US military said it had carried out a new wave of strikes against Iran, hitting more than 80 targets in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command said the strikes were conducted "in immediate response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz."