WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender” to end the conflict, as he reiterated that Tehran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.
Trump, speaking to Fox News, said he had “no time schedule” for his approach to Iran and that domestic political considerations, including the US midterm elections, were not influencing his thinking.
“I have no time schedule,” Trump added. “I’m not in a hurry…the midterms have nothing to do with my thinking,” the US President told Fox News.
President Trump also confirmed that a direct backchannel existed with officials of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), describing them as “good poker players” but saying “they’re dying.”
Trump also reacted to the ongoing talks between Iran and Oman regarding control of the Strait. “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them.”
President Trump told Fox News that Iran should “put up the white flag of surrender.”
“I have no time schedule,” Trump added. “I’m not in a hurry…the midterms have nothing to do with my thinking.”
The President confirmed there is a direct backchannel with IRGC officials.… pic.twitter.com/OAHFVWSQFs
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) August 17, 2026
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that talks with Oman over shipping through Strait of Hormuz are long overdue due to the complexity of the subject and the involvement of multiple actors.
Trump says Iran cannot have nuclear weapon
Meanwhile, in a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump said on Monday that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon “in any way, shape, or form”.
Trump said that this was and “always will be” the “number one Goal.”
The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon. pic.twitter.com/qBtgdvfOZL
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 17, 2026
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a news briefing on Monday that in the Islamabad MoU between the US and Iran, “there is no subject titled a 60-day deadline”.
Also Read: Iran, Oman Reach Agreement on Hormuz Shipping Routes: Tehran
“What was envisioned in the memorandum was merely a 60-day period for discussions regarding ‘lifting sanctions’ and the ‘nuclear issue,’ which, in the event of failure to reach a result, had the capability of extension.”
Baghaei said that the “flagrant violation of the memorandum” by the US halted discussions.
Iran's FM Spox. Esmail Baghaei:
There is no provision titled “60-day deadline” in the text of the memorandum of understanding.
The Islamic Republic of Iran never formulates its policies under pressure, ultimatums, or time deadlines.
What was stipulated in the memorandum was… pic.twitter.com/VMtKbOG9D7
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 17, 2026
Islamabad MoU framework for peace
Under the Islamabad MoU, the US and Iran committed to halt military operations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and negotiate a comprehensive agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme, US sanctions and a permanent ceasefire within 60 days.
Pakistan and Qatar are mediating between Tehran and Washington under the framework of the Islamabad MoU to permanently end the conflict.
Pakistan is mediating talks between Iran and the United States after helping secure a ceasefire on April 8 and hosting high-level talks between the two sides in Islamabad on April 12 and 13.
Also Read: US-Iran Truce Hits Deadline, Peace Still Elusive
Pakistan and Qatar later co-mediated the first round of high-level talks in Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21. The meeting was attended by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Following the meeting, Pakistan and Qatar said significant progress had been made in diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
US-Iran Islamabad MoU set to expire today
The 60-day negotiating window created by the Islamabad MoU between the US and Iran is set to expire today with no final peace agreement and no confirmed extension.
Iran has now rejected the idea of negotiating an extension, saying there is “no such thing” as a binding 60-day deadline and that Washington violated the MoU almost from the outset.
Tehran says it will not allow its policy to be dictated by what it calls artificial deadlines.
The text of the June agreement, however, gives Washington and Tehran up to 60 days to negotiate and reach a final deal, with an extension possible by mutual consent.
The disagreement surfaced days ahead of the 60-day deadline when both sides turned down the MoU while blaming each other for ceasefire violations and escalating the conflict once again before diverting the focus to the Strait of Hormuz.
The US position has been considerably tougher. President Donald Trump declared the agreement over on July 7 after renewed fighting.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently said an MoU could not remain alive if Iran was violating its provisions, particularly those concerning shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Rubio said Washington remained open to genuine diplomacy.
The dispute over Hormuz is now at the heart of the crisis. Iran says the waterway will remain closed until Washington lifts sanctions, unfreezes Iranian assets and withdraws its forces.
Tehran also wants compensation for wartime damage. Washington, by contrast, insists on unrestricted shipping and has pursued economic and military pressure to force Iran to reopen the strait. Or it insists that the US would continue a complete blockade of Iran.
