US President Donald Trump’s declaration that the ceasefire with Iran is “over” has put fresh focus on the urgent consultations he held with top advisers in Turkey before the US launched strikes on Iranian
targets.
According to CNN, Trump spent part of Tuesday in Turkey discussing a response to Iran’s targeting of commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz with senior members of his administration.
Ahead of a leaders’ dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Trump huddled with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine to formulate the US response, including strikes on Iranian targets.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was also in Turkey, conferred with Trump on reversing a sanctions waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil.
Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with what he viewed as Iran’s violations of the Memorandum of Understanding he signed exactly three weeks ago. Iran, meanwhile, has accused the US of repeatedly breaching the agreement.
