News24 | Trump announces end of Iran ceasefire, oil jumps 5%

World oil prices soared more than 5% on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran was over, following fresh strikes in the Middle East.

International benchmark Brent North Sea crude jumped 5.3% to $78.09 a barrel, while the main US contract, West Texas Intermediate, advanced 5.4% to $74.23 a barrel.

The US has launched extensive strikes on Iran following attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a wave of reprisals against American bases in the Gulf.

The sudden flare-up has stoked concerns about peace talks between the foes as they look to end their conflict and fully reopen the crucial waterway.

It added to the largely dour mood in Asia, where Seoul suffered another tech rout amid questions over stretched valuations and when companies will start realising profits from their eye-watering AI investments.

READ | ‘We don’t fold’: Iran targets US military sites after wave of attacks

US and Iranian forces reported hitting dozens of targets, putting more strain on an interim deal to end the Middle East war, while Washington revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Iranian oil.

Washington revoked the waiver and launched the new attacks on military sites in what the US military called retaliation for Iran’s strikes on three commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

.@POTUS on the status of the ceasefire with Iran: "To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're scum... They're led by sick people... I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate—they're good people... but they have to come back to me. As far… pic.twitter.com/6eYfwMxSdn

Iranian state media reported a wave of explosions around the strait, while the country’s Revolutionary Guards said they had hit dozens of US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

The three vessels were struck close to Oman, which had proposed a temporary transit corridor hugging its coastline – an initiative opposed by Tehran as it seeks to impose fees on ships using the waterway.

Iran’s foreign ministry accused the US of repeatedly violating a memorandum of understanding agreed between the two sides.

President Donald J. Trump provides an update on U.S. Forces retaliatory strikes against Iran. pic.twitter.com/B6d10HRdXz

Andreas Krieg, a security expert at King’s College London, said Iran was determined to stick to its demand of charging fees to use the strait, which Washington has said was not acceptable.

“We are now in a sensitive period where potential alternatives to an Iranian toll or fee system are being explored,” he told AFP.

“Iran