Washington, Aug 2026 : US President Donald Trump has urged Iran to raise the “white flag of surrender” as a 60-day Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran expires on Monday, while indicating that he is in no hurry to impose a deadline on Iran.
In a telephone interview with Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump said US naval pressure on Iran would continue and insisted that Washington was prepared to maintain its economic and military pressure for as long as necessary.
“I have no time schedule. I’m not in a hurry,” Trump was quoted as saying, signalling that the expiry of the 60-day understanding would not necessarily trigger an immediate change in US policy.
Trump called on Iran to raise the “white flag of surrender” and described Iranian officials as skilled “poker players”, while warning that the country was facing severe difficulties. He also rejected suggestions that the upcoming US midterm elections were influencing his approach to the conflict.
The 60-day MoU, which was intended to provide a framework for negotiations and de-escalation, expires on Monday. However, Trump’s comments suggested that Washington does not consider the deadline binding and could continue its pressure campaign beyond the expiration date.
According to Yingst, the US naval blockade has continued to put significant economic pressure on Tehran and is reportedly costing the Iranian government hundreds of millions of dollars each day. Additional US Treasury sanctions against Iran are also expected this week.
Trump adopted an especially tough tone when discussing Iran’s parallel talks with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway through which a substantial portion of global energy supplies passes.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the S out of them,” Trump said, according to Yingst, issuing a stark warning against any interference with Washington’s approach to Iran.
At the same time, Trump confirmed that the United States maintains a back channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the report, US officials have been communicating directly with IRGC representatives despite continuing tensions between the two countries.
Trump said preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains Washington’s primary objective.
Discussing US military capabilities, Trump said the weapons deployed so far represented only “peanuts” compared with the arsenal available to Washington. He claimed the United States still possesses significant military capabilities but criticised former President Joe Biden’s administration for providing several advanced weapons systems to Ukraine.
Trump also addressed the continuing developments involving Israel and Hamas. His son-in-law and negotiator, Jared Kushner, met Hamas chief Khalil Al-Hayya in Egypt as part of efforts to advance negotiations.
Trump said Washington maintains a separate channel of communication with Hamas and claimed that the Palestinian militant group was moving towards surrendering its weapons.
He also urged Israel against launching further strikes in Gaza, arguing that Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms. At the same time, Trump praised Israel’s military capabilities and its cooperation with US forces.
Asked about Israel’s upcoming elections in October, Trump said he believed it was appropriate for him to remain outside the Israeli electoral process, although he left open the possibility of endorsing a candidate.
The latest comments underline the uncertainty surrounding the future of US-Iran negotiations as the 60-day understanding expires, with Washington maintaining pressure while keeping diplomatic channels open.
(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
