Tehran/Washington, August 15, 2026: Iran has accused the United States of violating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying the agreement brokered to end the war was not intended to establish a temporary 60-day ceasefire, as tensions continued to escalate around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamabad MoU called for an “end to the war” rather than a ceasefire that would require periodic renewal.
“What was set out in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was an ‘end to the war’; meaning that in this memorandum, an end to the war was declared,” Araghchi said in an interview, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
He accused Washington of violating the agreement and triggering a resumption of hostilities.
Araghchi said the reference to 60 days related to a period allocated for negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement and did not constitute a 60-day ceasefire.
He said Qatar and Pakistan, which have been acting as mediators, continued to exchange messages with Tehran but stressed that no decision had been taken to resume direct negotiations with Washington.
Iran, Oman hold talks on Strait of Hormuz
Araghchi said Iran’s negotiations with Oman over arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz were continuing but constituted a separate issue from the Islamabad MoU.
He said Tehran was working on a temporary route for shipping that could eventually be converted into a permanent arrangement and expressed hope that an agreement with Oman could be reached soon.
Meanwhile, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi rejected US President Donald Trump’s claims regarding the strategic waterway, insisting that Iran retained authority over the strait.
“The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X.
He said Iran neither feared threats nor backed down in the face of military pressure, adding that the waterway had been and would remain under Iranian authority.
Gharibabadi also said Iran would continue enforcing restrictions on shipping as long as Washington refused to acknowledge what Tehran described as its strategic defeats.
Trump says US has control over waterway
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States controls maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz.
At a political rally in New York, he said the United States could declare the strait a US territory after what he described as Iran’s defeat.
US media later reported that Trump had been joking about the proposal. Wall Street Journal reporter Brian Schwartz, citing an unnamed senior White House official, said Trump had not discussed such a move with his advisers.
Trump nevertheless reiterated that Washington controlled access through the waterway, saying that no ships could pass unless the United States allowed them to.
Iranian military officials rejected the claim as baseless.
The dispute comes as commercial shipping through the strait has fallen dramatically. According to data cited from shipping analytics firm Kpler, only a fraction of the vessels that normally use the waterway have crossed since the conflict began.
On Friday, only two vessels were recorded passing through the strait, with no crude oil shipments visible. The figures compare with more than 130 vessels a day before the war.
Shipping attacks raise fears over global energy supplies
The sharp decline in shipping has intensified concerns over global energy supplies, as the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes, connecting the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
Two vessels operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company were attacked while transiting the strait on Thursday evening, according to UAE state news agency WAM. The UAE government blamed Iran, although Tehran did not immediately comment.
A bulk carrier was also struck in the hull by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. The crew was reported safe, although the extent of damage and any environmental impact remained unclear.
The attacks have further discouraged commercial vessels from using the waterway, with ships that attempt to transit without Iranian permission facing the risk of missile or drone attacks.
The disruption has also pushed crude prices higher. Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures rose on Friday, with Brent on track for a weekly increase of around 6% and WTI for a rise of more than 5%.
Washington threatens further pressure on Tehran
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the US Navy could maintain its presence in the region indefinitely to enforce Washington’s blockade of Iran.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also warned of additional economic measures against Tehran, saying Washington planned to impose unprecedented financial pressure.
The US campaign comes as President Trump faces domestic pressure over rising fuel prices. Average US gasoline prices were reported at around $4.08 per gallon on Friday, approximately 29% higher than a year earlier.
Trump has urged Americans to accept higher gasoline prices as the cost of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, one of the stated US justifications for the conflict.
Iran, meanwhile, has also acknowledged the economic consequences of the blockade and sanctions. President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed high inflation on restrictions on Iranian ports and sanctions targeting the country’s oil exports.
Conflict continues to widen
The latest developments come amid continuing military tensions across the region.
Seven people were killed and three others injured in an Israeli air strike on a house in the southern Lebanese village of Ansar on Saturday, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.
The attack came weeks after Lebanon agreed to a US-mediated peace framework with Israel. Under the arrangement, Israeli forces would remain in parts of southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed and the Lebanese army assumes control, conditions rejected by Hezbollah.
Israeli authorities said the military operation targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in response to activity against Israeli soldiers.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said Tehran had suspended negotiations following the latest attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs and vowed retaliation.
Meanwhile, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi praised Iranian forces for what he described as six months of sustained resistance against the United States and Israel.
The conflict has also raised concerns about further regional escalation after attacks involving Yemen’s Houthis and reports of strikes targeting energy infrastructure in the Gulf.
With negotiations stalled, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted and military tensions continuing across several fronts, prospects for a renewed diplomatic settlement remain uncertain.
