Dorothy

President Donald Trump posted a map on social media that showed the Strait of Hormuz as a “new U.S. territory” on Tuesday.

Trump is under pressure. He vowed a quick war and a weakened Iran, along with a better deal on Tehran’s nuclear program. Instead, Iran has seized on the Strait of Hormuz as a new weapon in talks, asserting control of what had been seen as an international waterway before the war.

Since the US and Israel attacked Iran in February, Tehran has largely blocked the vital waterway - through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes. Reopening it has been a key point of discussion.

Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil traverses, remained at the heart of the deadlock, leaving the two sides without a path to a broader agreement on ending the war or resolving the nuclear dispute. Iran insists it must retain authority over passage through the strait, while the United States has demanded unrestricted commercial navigation.

Monday marks the end of a 60-day deadline that the U.S. and Iran agreed to in June to end the war and reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

The 60-day window for negotiations under June’s memorandum of understanding expired — this came after the ceasefire agreement already collapsed in early July. Trump indicated he will not be seeking an extension for a ceasefire, preferring instead to strong-arm Iran into a lasting peace deal.

U.S.-Iran negotiations have dried up. This week ended the 60-day period that launched when the U.S. and Iran signed an interim agreement. It had been meant to open the way for more detailed talks. There’s no sign of it being extended. Trump now says there are no planned talks with Iran.

Iran failed to reach a final deal with the U.S. by Monday’s deadline, leaving disputes over Tehran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz unresolved nearly six months into the war.

As the talks between Iran and Oman continue, more attacks were reported in the region.

Iran and Oman, which border the Strait of Hormuz, negotiated separately from the U.S. to reopen the waterway. Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman, but the specific details have yet to be finalized.

President insists strait is open as more attacks are reported Trump said Tuesday the U.S. has no planned talks with Iran but insisted the strait is “open and operating,” despite limited traffic, the reported boat strike and the end on Monday of the 60-day negotiating period between the countries.

Iran has demanded sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to the U.S. naval blockade, while maintaining that it must retain authority over passage through Hormuz. Washington has demanded unrestricted commercial navigation through the strait, which carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the war.