Iran Rejects Ceasefire Extension Amid Ongoing Gulf Conflict

On August 12, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that there have been “absolutely no progress” on talks to extend the cease-fire between Iran and the United States that was set out in the June interim memorandum of understanding (MoU). The source said the United States must first return to the pact and define a timetable for implementing its commitments before any extension can be discussed. Iran maintains that the United States violated the agreement within 48 hours of signing it and withdrew a few days later, leaving “nothing to extend.”

ReutersAl MonitorSouth Coast RegisterIran demands US return to interim deal, rejects ceasefire extension talks CENTCOM Says an MH-60 Helicopter Put Two Hellfire Missiles Into a Blockade-Runner’s Steering Gear in the Gulf of Oman

sanctions. The conflict began with February 28 2026 U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, prompting Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. On July 7, President Donald Trump declared the pact “over,” a statement that Iran says confirmed the United States’ breach.

South Coast Register

• 60-day period: the original cease-fire window stipulated in the June MoU.

Reuters

• Strait of Hormuz traffic: about 20 % of world oil and LNG flows before the war.

Al Monitor

• Oil prices: Brent crude peaked at $126 per barrel after the war’s onset, later stabilising around $88 per barrel; U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded near $83 per barrel.

Al Monitor

• U.S. naval actions: U.S. Central Command reported that a Navy MH-60 helicopter disabled the steering gear of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, and CENTCOM said it has redirected 55 commercial ships, disabled three non-compliant vessels, and boarded two since the blockade began.

CENTCOM Says an MH-60 Helicopter Put Two Hellfire Missiles Into a Blockade-Runner’s Steering Gear in the Gulf of Oman

• Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s top security official, warned that the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed unless the United States accepts Iran’s conditions for ending the war.

South Coast Register

• Donald Trump reiterated on a visit to Ohio that “Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine,” and earlier on July 7 labeled the agreement “over.”

South Coast Register

• **U.S.

CENTCOM Says an MH-60 Helicopter Put Two Hellfire Missiles Into a Blockade-Runner’s Steering Gear in the Gulf of Oman

Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, citing Pakistani government sources, reported that Tehran and Washington had agreed to extend the 60-day cease-fire. The discrepancy between the Turkish-Pakistani report and the Iranian denial remains unresolved.

Al Monitor

• Houthis attacked a small cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, killing four crew members—the first deadly Houthi strike on shipping since the war began.

Al Monitor

• The U.S. Navy’s MH-60 helicopter engaged a Panama-flagged cargo ship, Vela Nova, in the Gulf of Oman, firing two Hellfire missiles that struck the vessel and caused a fire that was later extinguished.

CENTCOM Says an MH-60 Helicopter Put Two Hellfire Missiles Into a Blockade-Runner’s Steering Gear in the Gulf of Oman

• “Iran is going fine, going just absolutely fine.” — Donald Trump, president

Al Monitor

• “The missile struck the vessel, causing a fire that was subsequently extinguished,” — Vanguard

CENTCOM Says an MH-60 Helicopter Put Two Hellfire Missiles Into a Blockade-Runner’s Steering Gear in the Gulf of Oman