U.S.-Iran peace deadline passes with no agreement

Sixty days after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum aimed at ending the conflict, the two countries remain without a peace agreement and appear to be further apart.

(LILAMAX)- Sixty days after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum aimed at ending the conflict, the two countries remain without a peace agreement and appear to be further apart.

President Donald Trump said Iran wants an agreement but has not accepted terms he considers necessary, emphasizing that Tehran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Meanwhile, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed to a crawl, contributing to high gasoline prices and adding political pressure on Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said countries around the world have an interest in reopening the critical shipping route and expressed optimism that the conflict could enter a new phase that would calm tensions and help bring down gas prices.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy to the Middle East, said a deal with Iran remains possible, saying the president will make an agreement when “the right deal’s ready.”

The missed deadline comes as tensions are also growing between the United States and some of its allies.

Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he would bomb Oman if the country gets in the way of an agreement with Iran. The president has also announced plans to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, criticizing the country for not helping the United States with its military operation in Iran.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, progress on a Gaza peace agreement has also stalled.

Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the U.S.-backed peace plan, which has yet to be ratified.