Trump Shuts Down Iran Talks, Claims Hormuz as US Territory as UAE Reports Missile Threat

President Donald Trump declared on August 18 that no talks with Iran are taking place or scheduled, flatly contradicting Iran's foreign minister, who said the US was "begging" for negotiations on Tehran's terms. Trump posted an image on Truth Social depicting the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW U.S. Territory," while separately stating the strait is open and operating and that all water mines have been removed or detonated.

The US naval blockade remains fully in effect. Bloomberg reported that Trump has shut the 60-day window for an Iran peace deal, deepening a standoff now in its 170th day. Iran said the strait would remain shut until Washington meets interim deal conditions, putting the two sides in direct public contradiction over the waterway's status.

Trump also threatened to bomb Oman, which a former US ambassador described as an attempt to get Oman's "attention," amid administration concerns that Oman and Iran may arrange a tolling scheme for the strait that would bypass the US. Late in the day, the UAE Ministry of Defence reported that air-defence systems had detected and were responding to a missile threat, with authorities urging residents to stay in safe locations. Separately, Trump's approval rating fell to 33% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,166 US adults, with 64% disapproving, as Republican congressman Don Bacon said Trump had set "false expectations" on the Iran war and cited rising gas prices and a weapons shortage.

The Pentagon was also reported to be weighing a reduced US troop presence in the Persian Gulf following Iranian strikes that exposed vulnerabilities at major American bases, with options including shifting forces west toward Jordan and Israel. Stocks fell at the open following Trump's announcement of no Iran talks.