U.S. President Donald Trump denied any ongoing talks with Tehran on August 18, insisting the Strait of Hormuz remains open despite Iranian assertions that the critical shipping lane is shut. The diplomatic deadlock follows the expiration of a 60-day interim ceasefire framework on August 17.
Trump Rejects Negotiations as Strait of Hormuz Standoff Deepens
The temporary ceasefire agreement that briefly quieted the Middle East expired on August 17. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that there were no active discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Trump said.
The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated. Trump
Those assertions directly conflict with Tehran’s position. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that his country was moving to a fully offensive
military posture due to the diplomatic stalemate, though there were no reports of fresh strikes by either side on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, had struck an upbeat tone on Monday, saying talks with Iran were still under way and were probably more robust
than they had ever been.
The nearly six-month conflict began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Among the top U.S. goals are preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, but experts say that will be difficult without removing the enriched uranium believed to be buried at sites struck by the U.S. military previously.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf Conditions Strait Reopening
Iranian officials maintain that commercial navigation through the crucial waterway will remain restricted until Washington yields to specific demands. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament and chief negotiator, said on Aug. 18 that Tehran would keep a grip on the strait until the United States met Iran’s conditions. State-run media in Tehran also claimed a U.S. vessel was trying to enter an area that Iran says is restricted in the Strait of Hormuz, but Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the U.S. Central Command, called it “a total lie.”
Until the United States fulfills its commitments under the agreement, including lifting the blockade, releasing frozen assets, lifting oil sanctions, ending threats and military operations on all fronts, and implementing the other conditions to which it committed, the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen, Qalibaf said
Qalibaf also stated that the era of proportionate responses
is over and Iran’s retaliation will be faster, heavier and more painful.
Additionally, Mohsen Rezaei, the new head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told Iran’s state broadcaster that Tehran plans to announce an “exclusion zone” outside the Strait of Hormuz aimed at vessels it believes are attempting to transit the waterway. Rezaei stated that the new zone should be announced in the coming days and weeks and will begin from the line of the U.S. naval blockade, extend toward the Strait of Hormuz, and from this side continue into the Persian Gulf.
Maritime Attacks and Regional Escalation in the Gulf
Despite assertions from Washington that the situation in the Gulf was improving, security incidents continue to plague the region. The UK Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) said in a statement on Aug. 18 that a ship reported being struck by an unknown projectile at 5.35 a.m. local time while east of Al Khasab, Oman, heading out of the Strait of Hormuz.
The impact caused damage to the engine room and resulted in a crew casualty,
UKMTO said, adding: The remaining crew are currently being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard.
The organization said no oil leaks had been reported, and vessels were being advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.
The attack came 24 hours after a 60-day negotiating window tied to a tentative U.S.–Iran ceasefire framework expired on Aug. 17.
The United Arab Emirates’ Defense Ministry said that it detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran, noting in a statement posted on X that both missiles fell into the sea and were targeting maritime traffic
based on its assessments. It was the first such incident reported since a May 4 strike on the Fujairah port. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei rejected the comments and said the UAE’s “accusations” were “baseless.” The UAE Foreign Ministry subsequently announced it had suspended all trade activities, exchanges and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, citing regional escalation that it said undermined regional and international peace and security.
Global Economic Fallout and Diplomatic Pressure From Turkey
The persistent standoff continues to drive up oil prices, sag stock markets, and push borrowing costs for major economies including the U.S. to multi-decade highs amid concerns about the long-term inflationary and fiscal impact of the crisis. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on Aug. 13 that the U.S. military could maintain the naval blockade for as long as needed by rotating ships through the region. Meanwhile, Trump threatened on Aug. 17 to bomb Oman if it interferes with U.S. efforts to enforce a blockade on Iranian shipping, telling Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst in a phone interview: If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb … them.
Diplomatic efforts persist on the sidelines. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Trump by phone late on Aug. 17, according to the government in Ankara.
“Stressing the importance of making maximum use of diplomacy in the tensions between Iran and the U.S., President Erdoğan expressed Türkiye’s hope for the continuation of the talks, and noted that Türkiye will continue to support peace efforts,” said a statement from Erdogan’s office.
Elsewhere in the broader Middle East conflict, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least seven people and leveled a vacant hospital, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Strikes on the village of Arabsalim killed two, while two others were killed in Nabatiyeh al-Fawqa near a strategic hill. Turkey, a NATO member, previously signed a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Aug. 7.