Trump labels Iran 'a bunch of scum', says ceasefire 'is over' and admits he's been 'lucky' not to have been assassinated

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:49, 8 July 2026 | Updated: 09:56, 8 July 2026 Donald Trump has labelled Iran 'a bunch of scum' and declared that the ceasefire is 'over' after the US and Tehran exchanged strikes overnight. The US president also said he was 'lucky' not to have been assassinated in comments made at the NATO summit in Ankara. On Tuesday night, US Central Command announced that it fired at more than 80 Iranian targets, including over 60 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps small boats. In retaliation, the Islamic Republic said it attacked US military sites based in Bahrain and Kuwait. 'To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum,' Trump told a reporter in answer to a question about the status of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).  'They're led by sick people. They're vicious, violent people,' the US president said, adding: 'If they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it. As far as I'm concerned it's over. I'll speak to our negotiators.' Earlier, he accused the regime of 'wanting to take out the US leader', pointed at himself, and claimed he was on 'every single one of their lists'.  NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8