The president also insisted the US was in direct contact with the Revolutionary Guards and denied rushing to end the conflict ahead of the US midterm elections in November.
Published August 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump has called on Iran to surrender as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran, agreed months ago and aimed at ending hostilities, has expired.
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, President Trump said Iran should “raise the white flag of surrender” in its five-month war with Iran. The phone call is just the latest in a rhetorical tit-for-tat between the United States and Washington, as mediators continue their efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table.
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President Trump said his administration had opened a direct back channel with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), but insisted he was in no hurry to end a conflict he has largely lost control of and hurt his political support.
“They’re good poker players, but they’re dying,” the US president said of the Revolutionary Guards.
But Trump also insisted he was in no hurry to reach a deal despite the US midterm elections in November, when opposition Democrats aim to take control of Congress.
“There is no schedule… there is no rush,” the president declared.
Threat to Oman
Instead, President Trump sought to show strength again by threatening to bomb U.S. ally Oman if it “gets in the way” of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked.
“If Oman gets in our way, we will bomb them and eliminate them,” he said during an interview.
Iranian and Omani officials have been discussing future maritime navigation arrangements through the route for weeks, and Tehran’s Foreign Ministry announced early Monday that the two countries were working toward a joint declaration.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the proposed mechanism aims to protect the interests of both Iran and Oman while maintaining commercial shipping.
“This is the first time that a mechanism has been developed that simultaneously protects the sovereignty of two coastal states and ensures the safe passage of commercial ships,” Baghaei said.
Armistice expired
President Trump’s remarks came as the memorandum of understanding was set to expire, with neither side showing any intention to extend the agreement. Since the ceasefire took effect in mid-June, both sides have accused the other of violating the agreement.
“We have not yet decided on resuming negotiations with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a Telegram post on Saturday.
On Friday, President Trump claimed he would even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory, but Iran countered that the blocked vital energy waterway “remains Iranian.”
