WASHINGTON D.C Aug 27, 3036 – The Trump administration has informed mediating countries that it will not return to the terms of the June 2026 memorandum of understanding with Iran, diplomats said Thursday.
A senior diplomat from one of the mediating nations told The Times of Israel that President Donald Trump is no longer prepared to accept the original terms after feeling Iran “burned” him repeatedly. The administration is instead pursuing maximum economic pressure through sanctions, believing this will force Tehran into more favorable concessions on the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear program.
The 14-point MOU, signed on June 17 by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, was intended as a 60-day ceasefire framework. It called for an end to military operations, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and talks toward a broader nuclear agreement. Pakistan and Qatar mediated the deal.
The agreement collapsed within weeks amid mutual accusations of violations. Iran-linked attacks on commercial shipping and subsequent U.S. strikes quickly eroded the truce. By mid-July, Trump had declared the deal “over.” The 60-day window expired in mid-August without a final agreement.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Wednesday that the strait could reopen if the United States returned to the original memorandum. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan have continued efforts to revive talks, but both sides remain far apart.
Oil prices rose after the reports, with Brent crude climbing above $88 a barrel as markets priced in continued risk to Hormuz shipping, a route that carries a significant share of global oil supplies.
The development leaves diplomats without an agreed framework for restarting negotiations and raises the prospect of a prolonged standoff. One mediating diplomat cautioned that Washington may need to wait Iran out for an extended period.
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