JERUSALEM, Israel – The U.S.-Iranian ceasefire memorandum expired without an agreement or extension on Monday, leaving many in the Middle East wondering what comes next.
President Trump told reporters on Monday that he wouldn’t seek an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding reached in June with Pakistani mediation.
He stated, “Well, they want to make a deal, but they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary.”
The president added, “Look: we’re in there for one reason. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. You understand that? Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon.”
The 60-day MoU was supposed to halt hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and lift the U.S. blockade. It broke down weeks ago when Iran started attacking ships in the Strait and other regional targets.
Iran is kicking back. A senior Iranian official told Reuters, “Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and (the) wider region.”
The official said Tehran would take “difficult decisions” and shift from defensive to “fully offensive” moves. The regime has reportedly spent the past 60 days ramping up missile and drone production, tapping hardliners for key positions, and setting a short deadline for Washington to implement the memorandum’s provisions.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sent advisers to proxies in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, handing over target lists for Saudi ports and energy facilities.
Trump said he likes the idea of declaring the Strait a U.S. territory.
“We have total control over the strait now,” he insisted. “They can be a nuisance. They can put a mine in the water. And people don’t like having mines that they’re billion-dollar ships, you know, etc., but the blockade has been very effective.”
Trump contends that oil is flowing, but he acknowledges that could change if the war resumes.
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Concerning Gaza, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner met with Hamas leadership in Egypt on Sunday and with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Kushner remarked that Hamas “said all the right things,” agreeing to disarm.
A Hamas representative in Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi, followed up on Monday, announcing that armed resistance would continue as long as what he called “occupying forces” exist.
In an interview with Fox News, Kushner indicated that Israel had valid concerns that they addressed.
“We will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarization occurs,” he said. “Nobody wants to put more money into a place that’s gone on for so long if it’s just going to be taken over by terrorists or blown up again. We’re also not going to restrict Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Kushner claimed they had made progress, and if the plan goes ahead, it would be a win-win for Israel.
He noted, “If Hamas actually gives over their weapons and tunnels in the next 60-90 days, that obviously would be the elimination of a huge security threat for Israel, almost an unthinkable achievement.”
He continued, “And if they don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the US and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way.”
Following the four-hour meeting, Netanyahu’s office released a statement saying, “It was agreed to establish two working groups – one on disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, which both Israel and the Board of Peace are determined should be prompt and completed before any reconstruction happens in Gaza. A second working group will focus on sanitation, clean water, and other public health issues for the people of Gaza, and which also impact the people of Israel.”
