US President Donald Trump insists that there are “no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Yesterday, his senior aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner said there have been very “robust” conversations between the US and Iran, while acknowledging that Tehran isn’t yet ready to make a deal that is satisfactory to Washington.
But Trump denies the talks in a post on Truth Social, and writes that the US blockade of Iran’s ports remains in place. He claims that the Strait of Hormuz is “open and operating,” even though ship traffic is down dramatically compared to before the war.
Trump also declares that “all water mines have been removed or detonated,” though he has made a number of contradicting claims regarding whether or not mines were ever planted in the first place in the strait, a key waterway for the global supply of oil.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
