US President Donald Trump said he is not seeking an extension of the June 2026 framework agreement with Iran that aimed to end the war, as the 60-day negotiation window expired on August 17-18 without a comprehensive deal [1, 2, 3]. Trump asserted Iran wants to make a deal but refuses to accept terms he considers necessary to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. "No. They want to make a deal, but they are not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary," Trump said [4, 2, 5, 3]. He reiterated, "Look, we're in there for one reason: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon... they won't have a nuclear weapon" [5].

On August 18, Trump denied any talks or negotiations with Iran are currently underway or scheduled. He said, "There are no talks or conversations going on or scheduled with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating" [6, 7, 8]. The US has established a naval blockade, which Trump described as giving "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz. He defended the idea of formally declaring the strait US territory, stating, "We control it. We control it with the blockade. We have a blockade. We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory" [2, 3].

Despite the blockade, Trump said the Strait of Hormuz remains open and millions of barrels of oil pass through weekly [2, 3]. Still, tensions in the Middle East remain high, with flare-ups continuing amid no major progress on the nuclear issue [1]. Oil prices rose to around $91 per barrel following concerns about escalation near the strait [1].

Oman has been negotiating with Iran over management of the Strait of Hormuz, but the US is not part of those talks. Trump issued a stark warning to Oman: "If Oman gets in the way we’ll bomb the s-- out of them" [1, 5]. Iran rejected US claims of control over the strait, insisting it maintains management of oil flows [1].

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of "begging" to negotiate after failing to force Iran’s surrender following expiration of the framework deal’s negotiation period [7].

The 60-day negotiation period set by the June framework deal ended on August 17 or 18 without an extended agreement. The US position remains firm against further talks unless Iran accepts terms stopping its nuclear ambitions.