WASHINGTON — President Trump confirmed the US isn’t expanding the window for peace talks with Tehran on Monday as the US-Iran memorandum of understanding’s 60-day deadline for negogiations expired.

“Well, they want to make a deal, but they’re not going to make the kind of a deal that I feel is necessary,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

The president has demanded a ceasefire that will end Iran’s nuclear program but Tehran wants to pursue a “nuclear energy” program.

The MOU failed to meet major objectives, like reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending Tehran’s nuclear program and reaching a final peace deal.

Its provisions allow for an extension of talks, but those have been dead for weeks — and now boths sides agree any extension is pointless.

Iran’s foreign ministry also ruled out additional talks.

“We did not start any negotiations at all, and the US violated the understanding from the very beginning; therefore, the 60-day issue is not relevant,” Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for the ministry, said. 

When Trump signed the MOU with his big sharpie pen in the halls of Versailles with French President Emmanuel Macron by his side, his administration called it proof positive the president could stop the “endless” cycle of war in the Middle East.

In the days after it was signed on June 17, Trump lashed out at critics of the deal.

“These fools, who think I haven’t been tough enough on Iran, when the Stock Market Just Hit A RECORD HIGH, and Oil prices are ‘tumbling’ down, are either jealous, bad people, or stupid,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in June.

He also told critics to let the 60 days play out.

Now, two months later, things appear to be at a stand still.

While there have been no publicly reported US military strikes on Iran since late July, the Trump administration is switching to a new weapon: an economic sword to gut the already devastated Iranian economy.

“Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation of a country,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Thursday night interview with Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt.

Meanwhile, traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt as the waterway remains a central point of contention. 

Trump has repeatedly mused about making it a territory of the US. 

“We control it. We control it with the blockade. We have a blockade. We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory. We can. We have total control over the Strait,” he said Monday.

He added that Iran can be a “nuisance” with mines in the water but he said the US blockade has done its job.

The US Navy has redirected 64 commercial ships during its blockade of the strait since mid-July, US Central Command said on X Monday.

The strait has been on the president’s mind on the date of the MOU anniversary. 

Earlier, he issued a blunt, stern warning to Oman on the situation.

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s–t out of them,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News’ Trey Yingst.

Asked later to clarify his remarks against the US ally, Trump responded: “I don’t think they behaved very well, but we’d handle them very easily, just like we do others.”

Oman is reported to be working with Tehran on a plan to open the strait and keep the waterway under the control of the two nations. The nation also has tried to facilitate peace talks between the US and Iran.

Meanwhile, maritime monitors say traffic is down in the strait.

Crossings fell 19.5%, according to Marine Traffic, from the week before.  And, of the total 95 crossings, 51 ships used the route established by Iran, while 44 used other routes.

Prices for a barrel of oil are hovering around $84, up about 3% compared to last week.

Iran, meanwhile, said the US has trapped itself inside a “quagmire” and advised it to get out of the Middle East.

“Under these circumstances, the best thing for the US is to extricate itself as soon as possible before becoming more deeply involved,” Baqaei said.