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Trump Says Iran Deal Is Unlikely, Threatens Oman Over Hormuz Talks
WASHINGTON — August 17, 2026
President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran was unlikely to accept the agreement he believes is necessary to end the war, while warning Oman that the United States could take military action if it interferes with efforts to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the main U.S. objective remains preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said Iran should surrender and indicated that Washington was not seeking to extend an interim agreement reached with Tehran in June.
The June memorandum called for an immediate and permanent end to military operations and required the two countries to negotiate a broader agreement. Those discussions were supposed to produce a final deal within 60 days, although the period could be extended if both sides agreed.
The arrangement soon broke down. Trump declared it over on July 7, while Iran's Foreign Ministry said a week later that it had been suspended. Monday marked 60 days since the memorandum was signed, with no final agreement in place.
Trump also said Iran would not accept the terms Washington considers necessary. He told a Fox News reporter earlier in the day that Tehran should raise a "white flag of surrender," reinforcing his increasingly hard-line position as negotiations remain stalled.
The president separately threatened Oman over its role in talks concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Oman and Iran have been working on an arrangement to restore commercial shipping through the strategic waterway, which carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the conflict began.
Trump warned that Oman could face U.S. military action if it obstructed those efforts. Later, when asked in the Oval Office whether he had lost patience with Oman, he said the country had not behaved well but suggested the United States could deal with it easily.
The dispute over Hormuz has contributed to higher fuel prices and increased pressure on the Trump administration to bring the conflict to an end. The war has also become a political issue in the United States ahead of November's congressional elections.
Trump rejected the suggestion that the approaching midterm elections were influencing his Iran policy. He said the elections had no role in his decision-making.
Trump repeated his position on Iran's nuclear programme in a post on Truth Social on Monday, saying the main U.S. goal was to ensure that Tehran could not obtain a nuclear weapon.
The latest statements indicate that Washington and Tehran remain far apart despite earlier efforts to establish a framework for negotiations. With the interim arrangement expired and shipping through Hormuz still under dispute, prospects for a wider agreement remain uncertain.
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