Trump denies Iran talks as Hormuz standoff continues

President Trump said on August 18 that no talks with Iran are scheduled, contradicting an earlier statement about back-channel contacts, while reasserting that a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz remains active. Iran and Oman continued negotiating terms to reopen the strait, and Iran's deputy foreign minister said the waterway will stay closed until the US lifts sanctions and port blockades under a June memorandum. The UAE separately reported detecting two Iranian ballistic missiles that landed at sea, and Israel struck a Syrian military base in Idlib.

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