By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-08-17 23:32:34 | Updated at 2026-08-18 04:24:43
5 hours ago
US President
Donald Trump said on Monday that he would not seek to extend the memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming that while Iran wants to make a deal, “they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary”.
The agreement aimed to end the war and restore commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, but negotiations stalled as both sides accused each other of violating the deal.
Pakistan brokered the memorandum of understanding, which Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed on June 17.
The president’s comments came as the 60-day negotiating period expired without an extension. Speaking to reporters, Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon remained non-negotiable for any agreement.
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“Look, we’re in there for one reason: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon … and they won’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, while floating a previous suggestion about formally declaring the waterway a US territory. “I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We have total control of the strait.”
