President Donald Trump ordered US envoys on August 13 to halt all negotiations with Iran, stating that no talks were ongoing or planned with Tehran. This directive closes a diplomatic window that had remained open since June 2026, when a 60-day ceasefire negotiated under the Islamabad Memorandum took effect. That ceasefire, which expired in mid-August without renewal, addressed Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The Trump administration, which had paused military strikes against Iran to allow diplomacy a chance, ruled out any extension of the truce. The Iranian government denied that formal negotiations had ever taken place, while oil prices immediately rose amid growing concerns about a potential confrontation in this strategic waterway.
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