US President Donald Trump said on August 18, 2026, that no talks with Iran were underway or scheduled, directly contradicting a statement from his envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had described "positive and active conversations" with Tehran a day earlier. Trump made the remarks on his Truth Social platform, writing that the US naval blockade of Iran remained in full effect.
Separately on the same day, Trump posted a map labelling the Strait of Hormuz as "NEW U.S. Territory," reviving a threat he had first raised days earlier to claim sovereignty over the waterway. He also claimed the strait was "open and operating" and that all mines had been cleared, even though ship traffic through the passage has remained sharply reduced since the conflict began.
Background to the Standoff
Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil normally transits, after war broke out between the United States, Israel and Iran in late February 2026. The conflict has continued for nearly six months with little sign of resolution, despite a US-Iran memorandum of understanding reached in June aimed at halting hostilities.
Trump first floated the idea of declaring the strait US territory the previous week, prompting Iran to respond that the waterway would remain Iranian. He repeated the claim in comments to reporters in the Oval Office days before the August 18 social media post. Trump has made similar territorial claims elsewhere since returning to office in 2025, including threats to make Canada the 51st US state and to seize Greenland.
Mediation Efforts Continue
Qatar, which has served as a mediator in the stalled US-Iran talks, said on the same day that progress on a separate agreement between Iran and Oman over managing the strait could help pave the way for renewed negotiations to end the conflict. Top Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said the strait would remain closed until the United States met the conditions of the interim deal signed with Iran in June, which reportedly include lifting the blockade on Iranian ports.
Trump's denial of active talks came a day after Kushner's more optimistic characterization, highlighting an apparent inconsistency within the US administration's public messaging on the state of negotiations with Tehran.
