US President Donald Trump Says No Intention to Extend Iran Memorandum of Understanding

US President Trump said Wednesday during a NATO summit in Ankara that he has no intention to extend the memorandum of understanding with Iran, stating bluntly, "It's over, I don't want to deal with them anymore." The remarks cast a shadow over the prospects of the soon-to-expire interim agreement and suggest Washington may shift toward tougher military pressure.

**Agreement Window Facing Closure**

According to media reports, the interim agreement signed by the US and Iran on June 18 opened a 60-day negotiation window aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire. However, Trump not only called the talks "a pure waste of time" but also warned that the US could launch another strike later Wednesday. The day before, three commercial oil tankers were hit by shellfire near the Strait of Hormuz, with regional tensions continuing to escalate. Trump's remarks imply that the diplomatic resolution path is being actively abandoned before the agreement window closes.

**Divergences Over Terms Had Already Set the Stage**

The breakdown of this agreement was foreshadowed. According to Xinhua Net citing The New York Times in late May, Trump had tightened the terms of the memorandum of understanding and presented harsher conditions to Iran, including demands that Iran permanently renounce nuclear weapons, immediately open the Strait of Hormuz in both directions, and clear all naval mines. Although US-Iran information exchanges continued at the time, consensus was ultimately not reached. Previous reports from Cailian Press also showed that Trump had denied the agreement included terms for US-provided reconstruction funding, emphasizing "We won't pay a single cent," highlighting the vast gap in core interests between the two sides.

**Market Focus on Strait of Hormuz Risks**

Trump's latest remarks have intensified external concerns over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy shipping route. Earlier, G7 leaders had called for diversifying energy transport routes to reduce dependence on the strait. As the US-Iran interim agreement heads toward its end, global energy markets and shipping security may face new uncertainty shocks.