US President Donald Trump on August 17 called on Iran to surrender unconditionally, as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran aimed at ending hostile actions officially lapsed.
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump said Iran should “raise the white flag” in the five-month conflict pitting the US and Israel against Iran. The appeal marked the latest exchange in a war of words between the two sides, even as mediators continued efforts to bring them back to the negotiating table.
The US president said his administration had opened a direct line of communication with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), but insisted he was in no rush to end a conflict that has tested his control and political backing.
“They're good poker players, but they're dying,” Trump said of the IRGC. Nevertheless, he stressed he was not hurrying to reach a deal before the November midterm elections, when the opposition Democratic Party is seeking to take control of Congress.
“I have no timeline... I'm not in a hurry,” the American leader asserted.
Instead, Trump once again sought to project strength by threatening to bomb Oman — a US ally — if the sultanate “got in the way” of an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blockaded.
“If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb them,” he said in the interview.
Iranian and Omani officials have been negotiating for weeks over future maritime arrangements for the vital shipping lane. Iran's Foreign Ministry said Monday that the two sides were drafting a joint statement. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the proposed mechanism would aim to protect the interests of both Iran and Oman while maintaining commercial shipping operations.
“This is the first time a mechanism has been developed to simultaneously protect the sovereignty of the two coastal states and ensure the safety of commercial vessels,” Baghaei said.
Trump's remarks came as the memorandum expired, with neither side showing willingness to extend the agreement. Both have accused each other of violating the ceasefire that took effect in mid-June.
“We have not decided to resume negotiations with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on Telegram on Saturday.
Earlier, on Friday, Trump declared he would treat the Strait of Hormuz as part of US territory, while Iran responded that the crucial energy route it has blockaded “will remain Iranian.”
