UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Iran and the United States to immediately resume negotiations toward a peaceful and durable settlement, as the 60-day deadline under the June 17 Iran-US memorandum of understanding (MoU) expired on Monday, 18 August without a final deal in place. The appeal was conveyed by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric at a press briefing.

Guterres's Message to Both Sides

Dujarric made clear that the Secretary-General's position has remained consistent throughout the standoff. 'His message is the same, which he's been delivering since the start, which is there is no military solution to this conflict,' Dujarric said.

'He urges the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States to resume negotiations toward a peaceful and durable settlement as soon as possible, to avoid military action and as well to lower the rhetoric that we've been hearing in recent days,' Dujarric added. The call to lower rhetoric signals growing concern at the UN over escalating language from both capitals in recent days.

What the MoU Stipulated

The June 17 MoU committed both Washington and Tehran to 'negotiating and achieving the final deal in maximum 60 days, extendable with mutual consent.' That window closed on Monday without a confirmed extension or a concluded agreement, leaving the diplomatic framework in an uncertain state.

Trump's Position After the Deadline

US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday (US local time), acknowledged that Iran was seeking an agreement but said Tehran was unwilling to accept the terms he considers necessary. 'They want to make a deal, but they're not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary,' Trump told reporters.

Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remained Washington's core objective. 'You understand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won't have a nuclear weapon,' he said. 'It's very simple. They can't have a nuclear war.'

Strait of Hormuz and Naval Blockade Claims

Trump also claimed that the United States had 'total control' over the Strait of Hormuz through a naval blockade against all Iranian ports, and repeatedly floated the idea of declaring it American territory. 'We control it (the strait) with the blockade. And I like the idea of declaring it a territory,' Trump said. 'We have total control over the Strait now.'

Trump also directed pointed remarks at Oman, which is reportedly working with Iran on a plan to keep the strait open under joint oversight. 'I don't think they behaved very well, but we'd handle them very easily, just like we do others,' he said. The remarks represent a notable escalation in US posture toward a Gulf state that has historically served as a backchannel between Washington and Tehran.

What Happens Next

With the deadline lapsed and no confirmed extension, the diplomatic path forward remains unclear. The UN's public appeal underscores the international community's anxiety over a potential military confrontation. Whether both sides invoke the MoU's mutual-consent extension clause — or allow the framework to collapse entirely — is expected to become clearer in the coming days.