ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US President Donald Trump on Monday called a ceasefire with Iran a “waste of time,” as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

“We did a little ceasefire, which I never liked very much. I considered it sort of a waste of time. But you know, you like to listen to professionals,” Trump said during a rally in Mississippi.

The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April, largely halting hostilities, before reaching a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in June aimed at negotiating a permanent peace deal. The June agreement collapsed 21 days later as hostilities resumed and both sides targeted each other’s interests in the region.

The US and Israel are reportedly preparing for possible renewed strikes on Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections. The White House said Thursday that the US would not resume attacks before the vote.

“We may do another little Epic Fury,” Trump told a rally in Florida on Friday, referring to the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran in late February.

Iran has since closed the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments normally pass. The US, in turn, has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

“Not one Iranian ship has gotten through in many, many months other than when we did a little ceasefire,” Trump said, adding: “We let ships get in, you know, we want to be nice.”

“But it was just a waste of time as far as I’m concerned,” he reiterated.

Under the June MoU, Tehran’s main demands included stopping the war on all fronts, lifting sanctions, and post-war reconstruction, while a key Washington demand was freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The deal collapsed weeks later after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iranian forces had attacked a Cyprus-flagged ship.

Iranian officials have stressed that the strait will remain closed until all of Tehran’s demands are met.