Trump Declares No Iran Talks as Hormuz Standoff Enters Day 170 With Expiring Deal and Oman Threats

President Donald Trump flatly ruled out any negotiations with Iran on August 18, posting on Truth Social that no talks are underway or scheduled with the Islamic Republic, while confirming the U.S. naval blockade remains fully in force. Trump also claimed all water mines in the Strait of Hormuz have been removed or detonated and that the strait is open and operating, a statement that directly contradicted Iran's position: Tehran said the strait would remain shut until the U.S. meets conditions for an interim agreement, and the Iranian Foreign Minister accused Washington of now begging for talks on Iran's terms. The standoff reached a new rhetorical peak when Trump posted an image on Truth Social labeling the Strait of Hormuz as 'NEW U.S.

Territory,' a move that drew wide attention given that the waterway sits between Iran and Oman. Bloomberg reported that Trump has effectively shut a 60-day window for a peace deal, raising urgent questions about what comes next after the memorandum of understanding expired. Complicating matters further, Trump threatened to bomb Oman, a move former diplomats described as an attempt to get Oman's attention amid administration concerns that Oman and Iran may negotiate a tolling arrangement for the strait that would bypass the United States.

Trump's handling of the conflict is facing growing domestic pressure: a Reuters and Ipsos poll of 1,166 U.S. adults put his approval rating at 33%, with 64% disapproving, a record low, while Republican Representative Don Bacon said Trump set false expectations on the Iran war and cited rising gas prices and weapons shortages. The USS Abraham Lincoln has also come under Democratic scrutiny, amplifying congressional critiques of the administration's war management now 170 days into the conflict.