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Trump says no US-Iran talks underway; Tehran threatens escalation amid ceasefire deadlock
Trump’s remarks added to the mixed signals from Washington, with Kushner saying on Monday that discussions with Iran were “more robust than ever” and remained active
- PUBLISHED: Tue 18 Aug 2026, 9:29 PM
[Editor's Note: For the latest updates on US-Iran hostilities following the expiration of a 14-point MoU on August 17, follow the Khaleej Times live blog.]
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that talks between the United States and Iran were neither taking place nor scheduled.
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He also said the US naval blockade remained in force while insisting that the Strait of Hormuz was open and that all mines had either been removed or detonated.
Check out his statement below:
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— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 18, 2026
Trump has repeatedly said the Strait of Hormuz remains open, but until now had maintained that negotiations with Iran were ongoing and that Tehran wanted to talk. His comments on Tuesday marked a shift, with Trump saying for the first time that no talks were taking place or scheduled.
Jared Kushner's comments
The remarks added to the mixed signals from Washington and Tehran, appearing to contradict comments from Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner just a day earlier.
Kushner said on Monday that discussions between Washington and different parts of the Iranian government were “more robust than ever” and remained positive and active, although he acknowledged that the two sides had yet to reach an understanding.
“I can't go into the details of it, but I will say that the conversations between the US government and different areas of the Iranian government at all areas is probably more robust than it's maybe ever been,” Kushner told Fox News.
Trump had also said on Monday that the United States was not seeking an extension of the memorandum, adding that Iran would not agree to the kind of deal he believed was necessary.
US, Iran miss deadline as tensions escalate
The conflicting statements came as a fragile ceasefire reached a critical deadline on Monday, August 17, with Washington and Tehran failing to reach a final agreement under a June 17 memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war.
The 60-day MoU, which could be extended by mutual consent, was intended to pave the way for a broader agreement covering issues including restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and the lifting of US sanctions.
Instead, the deadline passed without a deal, as both sides exchanged increasingly confrontational statements and tensions continued to mount.
Iran Moving from 'defesive' to 'offensive'
On Monday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran had shifted its policy from defensive to “fully offensive” amid the deadlock over efforts to reach a permanent end to the war with the United States.
The official warned that Iran was prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and across the wider region, saying Tehran would carry out a “timely and precise” military attack to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy failed.
“Within the short period of a few weeks set by Iran, all the agreement's provisions must be implemented by the US. This is a precondition for further negotiations with the US,” the official told Reuters.
Mediators will convey Tehran’s deadline to Washington and regional countries, the official added.
There was no immediate response from Washington to the Iranian official’s comments. Trump, however, told Fox News on Monday that Iran “should put up the white flag of surrender”.
Trump threatens to strike Oman if it 'gets in way' of deal
He also threatened to strike Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the s*** out of them,” Trump told Fox News, referring to ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over the strait, while Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Tehran and Muscat have been discussing maritime navigation arrangements through the waterway for weeks. Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the two sides were working on a joint declaration.
Inputs from Reuters
