OAN Staff Addie Davis
7:43 AM – Tuesday, August 18, 2026
President Donald Trump asserted that there are no ongoing talks between the United States and Iran as the U.S. continues to exert intense economic pressure through its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
"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 U.S. commander-in-chief posted to Truth Social on Tuesday.
He further stated that the Strait of Hormuz — a vital international waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transited before the conflict — was open and in use.
"The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated," Trump said.
With the onset of U.S.-led military operations against Iran beginning on February 28th, the strait was virtually closed due to the threat of Iranian aggression, including the possibility of the presence of mines. However, U.S. officials claimed that American forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels through the corridor, bringing millions of barrels of oil into the world economy.
On Monday, Trump told Fox News' Trey Yingst that there was a back channel between Washington, D.C., and officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which an IRGC spokesperson denied.
Division among Iranian leadership has purportedly complicated the negotiation of a deal. According to Axios, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian seeks to alleviate the economic strain of the conflict and come to an agreement, but the commander of the IRGC, Ahmad Vahidi, has taken a more hardline stance, unwilling to make any concessions.
Trump's Tuesday declaration comes after the expiration of the 60-day window included in the mid-June memorandum of understanding (MOU). However, leaders from both nations have brushed off any significance of this deadline.
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