WASHINGTON D.C August 17, 2026 — US President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is not seeking to extend the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran that was signed in June, as the 60-day negotiating window under the agreement expired without a broader peace deal.
Asked by reporters whether he would pursue an extension of the interim truce, Trump replied simply, “No.” He added that Iran would not agree to the type of comprehensive agreement the United States considers necessary.
The MOU, signed on June 17, 2026, at the Palace of Versailles during a high-profile event attended by world leaders, was intended to halt military operations between the two countries and their allies, including in Lebanon. It created a maximum 60-day period—extendable only by mutual consent—for negotiations aimed at a final settlement covering Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, reconstruction funding of at least $300 billion, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
That window closed on August 17 without progress on core issues. Talks never fully materialized. Both sides have accused each other of violating the terms almost from the start. The United States has resumed its naval blockade of Iranian ports and withdrawn sanctions waivers that briefly allowed Iranian oil sales. Iran has maintained effective control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and continued to demand concessions Washington has rejected.
The agreement had been presented as a pathway out of months of conflict that began earlier in 2026. Instead, the truce proved short-lived. Sporadic strikes resumed within days of the signing, and by early July Trump had already publicly declared the deal effectively “over.”
Peace prospects in the Middle East now appear more distant. Fighting has flared again in Lebanon, and Trump has escalated rhetoric in recent days, including statements about eventual US control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials, for their part, have signaled they see little value in extending an agreement they claim Washington already abandoned.
No immediate new round of negotiations has been announced. Mediators from Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman continue limited contacts, but both capitals have made clear that the original MOU framework is finished.
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