Trump Orders Attack on Iran from Ankara: 'Ceasefire is Over'

It was reported that while US President Donald Trump was attending the NATO Summit in Ankara, the US military launched a comprehensive military attack against Iran. The attacks occurred immediately after Trump returned to his hotel following the dinner held as part of the summit. In a statement made by the US military, it was announced that more than 80 targets belonging to Iran were struck. Air defense systems, command and control networks, and coastal radar points were reportedly destroyed in the attack. This development went down in history as the most serious military escalation between the two countries in recent times.

Trump, appearing before the cameras in Ankara together with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, officially declared that the ceasefire reached with Iran was over. When asked whether the agreement and ceasefire reached on July 17 remained valid, Trump responded, "I think it's over." The US President explicitly stated that they launched a strong attack against Iran last night, emphasizing that they would never allow the Tehran administration to acquire nuclear weapons. It was also revealed that the attack order was personally approved and given by Trump during his visit to Ankara.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) cited Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz as the reason for the strikes. This situation caused great concern regarding the safety of sea routes and global energy supply in the region. On the other hand, it is not yet entirely clear whether the issue of Iran was discussed during the bilateral meeting Trump held with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at Beştepe yesterday. However, Trump stated at the press conference that he believed Turkey would also not want Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, making inferences about Ankara's stance on the matter.

The Iranian side announced that it would retaliate against the US attacks, further escalating the tension in the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that, in the initial phase, they targeted 85 US military facilities, including Port Salman in Bahrain, the US Fifth Fleet headquarters, and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Additionally, it was reported that Iranian forces shot down a US MQ-9 type UAV. In his statement, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the US violated four articles of the July 17 agreement record and that military threats continue, arguing that Iran would not bow to this pressure.

This military and diplomatic crisis coincided with a highly sensitive period when the funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei were ongoing. Following the deaths of Khamenei and his family members in the US-Israeli attacks, ceremonies attended by tens of millions of people were held in the cities of Tehran and Qom. The funeral ceremonies are expected to continue today in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. The attendance at the ceremonies with a delegation led by Turkey's President Cevdet Yılmaz once again highlighted the contested balances in regional and international diplomacy. This chain of events has fueled concerns that it could be the beginning of a new and comprehensive wave of conflict in the Middle East.