The 60-day US-Iran ceasefire agreement expired this Monday, but negotiations remain deadlocked. Both sides are sending tough signals, and Oman—long a mediator in US-Iran affairs—has now become a new target of American threats.
On August 17th, US President Trump stated that America is not seeking to extend the memorandum of understanding with Iran, adding that while Tehran wants a deal, it won’t get the kind he deems necessary.
Trump made these remarks while answering questions about the progress of US-Iran talks. He didn’t share any details on where things stand, only stressing that Iran must never possess nuclear weapons and that the US is fully controlling the Strait of Hormuz through its blockade.
However, according to Iranian sources on the 13th, a spokesman for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of Iran’s Armed Forces said in a statement that the Strait of Hormuz is under Iran’s “complete control,” and no vessel can pass through safely without Tehran’s permission.
When asked about comments suggesting Oman could face American attacks if it “obstructs” the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said he thinks Oman’s “behavior isn’t great,” but added, “we’ll handle it very easily.”
Iran and Oman are currently finalizing a memorandum of understanding on the Strait of Hormuz. Earlier on the 17th, according to US sources, Trump said that if Oman “blocks” America’s efforts to reopen the strait, the US would launch strikes against it.
Although nearly all of the Strait of Hormuz’s main deep-water shipping lanes lie within Oman’s territorial waters, Iran holds the upper hand in terms of control.
Earlier this month, Iran and Oman reached an agreement on the geographic coordinates of proposed shipping routes through the strait, and a joint statement from both countries is now in its final review stage. Over the past two months, the core of the talks has been mapping out safe transit corridors that respect both nations’ sovereign rights and national security concerns. The final outcome is expected to be announced soon after all the details are compiled.
On the 17th, Trump’s son-in-law Kushner said that dialogue between the US and Iranian government agencies has reached an “unprecedented” level, though he acknowledged that “no consensus has been reached yet.”
A senior Iranian official said in an interview that Tehran has set a deadline of several weeks for Washington to fully implement the US-Iran memorandum, warning that Iran won’t wait indefinitely while America keeps up its maritime blockade.
The official added that, due to the “stalled efforts to reach a permanent truce with the US,” Iran has decided to shift its policy “from defensive to fully offensive.”
If diplomatic efforts fail, the official warned, “Iranians are ready to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East region. Iran’s timeline will be communicated to the US through mediating countries.”
Months into the US-Iran conflict, traffic through two of the Middle East’s key shipping arteries remains at rock-bottom levels.
According to Marine Traffic, a global vessel-tracking and maritime data platform, at least three commercial ships transited the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. Before the war broke out, an average of about 110 vessels used that waterway daily. Meanwhile, at least 37 commercial ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the same period.
US Central Command said in a statement that, as of the 17th, its forces had rerouted 64 commercial vessels, disabled three ships, and boarded two others for inspections to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
Some analysts suggest the Trump administration has further scaled back its war objectives in Iran, indicating Washington might be settling for less—or even dramatically lowering its expectations. With the US midterm elections approaching, the Iran conflict is becoming a serious drag on Republican prospects.
Several senior GOP campaign advisors have privately conceded that the party’s chances of holding both chambers of Congress are shrinking. Sources say Trump has already approved funneling millions of dollars from his own political action committee to support Republican candidates.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Trump’s approval rating has slipped to 33 percent—the lowest of his second term. About 64 percent of Americans disapprove of his performance in the White House, and roughly 80 percent expect the US-Iran war to “drag on for a very long time.”
