Iran and U.S. fail to reach nuclear deal as Strait of Hormuz remains blocked

Iran and the United States did not reach a final agreement by the Monday deadline set in a June memorandum of understanding, leaving disputes over Tehran's nuclear program and the status of the Strait of Hormuz unresolved. Tehran announced an understanding with Oman on a new commercial transit route through the strait, but the plan requires U.S. approval and does not address the broader issues of the blockade, sanctions and nuclear negotiations.

President Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal but is not willing to accept terms he considers necessary, adding that Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon." > "They want to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary," Trump told reporters. The president also urged Iran to surrender, describing it as the only way to end the war.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the two sides had reached "an understanding … regarding the map of the transit route" and were working on a joint statement. Parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would keep control of shipping traffic until the United States fulfills its commitments, including lifting the blockade and releasing frozen assets.

The 60-day window was intended to halt hostilities, reopen the strait and provide a framework for a broader agreement on nuclear issues, sanctions and regional security. Both sides have accused each other of violating the terms, and fighting has continued, with recent attacks on commercial vessels and U.S. strikes on Iranian military sites.

The impasse has also coincided with reports of strained U.S. munitions inventories, as the Pentagon seeks to replenish missile stocks while maintaining the naval blockade.