President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that his administration is not engaged in any negotiations with Iran, and that U.S. forces have cleared the Strait of Hormuz of explosives while maintaining a naval blockade of the critical maritime route.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”
The president’s statement comes amid ongoing U.S. military operations in the region. Trump has also floated the idea of annexing the Strait of Hormuz as a U.S. territory, sharing a revised map on Truth Social that reinforces Washington’s position that it does not recognize Iranian sovereignty in the waterway. While not a formal declaration, the post underscores that the United States currently controls all traffic in and out of the strait.
CENTCOM Commander Highlights Carrier Strike Group Deployment
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which is overseeing operations in the Iran conflict, recently returned from a 10-day trip to the Middle East. He praised the crew of the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, saying, “The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is a strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished. History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era.”
As of Aug. 17, CENTCOM forces have redirected 64 commercial vessels, disabled 3, and boarded 2 to enforce compliance with the blockade, according to a post accompanying a photo of a Navy MH-60 Sea Hawk hovering over the USS Mason (DDG 87).
Iranian Threats Continue
Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaee, a former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and now secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has previously suggested using nuclear weapons against America and continues to speak of Trump’s death and America’s defeat, according to the report. Iran’s regime has also claimed to have assassination teams operating inside the United States and has declared it could launch attacks within the country.
The article argues that negotiation with Iran’s leadership is futile, describing the regime as terrorist and noting that any deal would likely be broken. It suggests that eliminating the Iranian leadership is the better option and would also help stabilize Gaza.
The piece concludes with a call for Trump to act decisively, saying he says he can end the war by targeting the ayatollahs and should do so before the midterms and before more American troops die in Iranian strikes. “There’s no benefit to waiting because the mullahs will never make peace,” the author writes.
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/08/18/trump-confirms-no-talks-with-iran-the-strait-of-hormuz-is-un-mined-n4956264
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