WASHINGTON, D.C., August 19, 2026– President Donald Trump said Tuesday that no negotiations with Iran are currently taking place or scheduled, directly contradicting recent claims from his own envoy that discussions between Washington and Tehran were progressing. The statement came as the nearly six-month-old conflict between the two countries shows no sign of nearing resolution, and just a day after a critical 60-day ceasefire framework between the nations formally lapsed.
“No talks or conversations are going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform. He added that the United States’ naval blockade “remains in full force and effect,” even as he maintained that the Strait of Hormuz “is open and operating” and that “all water mines have been removed or detonated.”
The president’s comments stand in direct contrast to remarks made a day earlier by Middle East envoy Jared Kushner during a televised broadcast, where he indicated that communications between Washington and Tehran remained active despite a lack of consensus on final terms.
Sources close to the negotiations say Trump has instructed his team to hold off on formal engagement until Tehran signals it is ready to finalize a comprehensive deal, though no official White House statement has confirmed this directly.
The disagreement about the status of diplomacy occurs just one day after the memorandum of understanding that was agreed to by the two countries last June expired without any peace agreement. The 60-day agreement, which was reached with regional mediation, stipulated a mutual ceasefire, the lifting of the US naval blockade, an end to sanctions, unfreezing of the Iranian assets, and a package to reconstruct Iran in return for assurances from Tehran that it will not pursue nuclear armament. However, during those weeks following the agreement, violations were claimed on both sides and hostilities have been reignited despite a general ceasefire.
Trump reiterated over the weekend that he has no interest in extending the lapsed agreement, telling reporters he is in “no hurry” to settle and dismissing suggestions that November’s midterm elections are shaping his approach to the conflict.
Adding yet another layer of complexity to the already heated situation, President Trump has posted a map on his social media account on Tuesday, designating the Strait of Hormuz as “NEW U.S. Territory.” The move renews the old territorial claim on the strategically important waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s total oil production passes, according to maritime trade metrics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Tehran has outright dismissed such suggestions. Chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated in an address by Iranian officials on Iranian state television that the strait continues to fall under Iranian sovereignty and cannot be reopened for routine transit until the United States fulfils a list of requirements, which include lifting the naval blockade, removing oil sanctions, unfreezing Iranian funds, and compensating for the costs of the war.
The situation heated up further this week after the United Arab Emirates accused Iran of firing ballistic missiles toward shipping routes in the Gulf, a claim Tehran denied. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently issued a statement suspending trade and financial dealings with Tehran, marking one of the most serious diplomatic ruptures in the region since the war began in late February. Regional mediators, including Qatar, have said a separate arrangement between Iran and Oman over the strait could help revive broader negotiations, though no timeline has been set.
