July 13, 2026, 9:41 p.mJuly 13, 2026, 9:41 p.m
The framework agreement between the USA and Iran came into force almost a month ago. It should be the starting point for in-depth negotiations with the aim of a permanent end to the war. From the USA’s point of view, the focus of the talks over an initial period of 60 days should be on Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
US President Donald Trump.Image: keystone
But nothing came of it. Half of the 60-day period will soon be over – and instead of intensive negotiations on nuclear issues, the situation around the Strait of Hormuz turns out to be a source of conflict that is far from pacified. Whether the lifting of sanctions or blockades – more and more steps that the warring parties took as part of their framework agreement have now been revised. The agreement between Washington and Tehran appears to have been largely undermined.
Three key examples:
Strait of Hormuz: A problem that Trump can’t get rid of
By signing the framework agreement, the Islamic Republic should make “best efforts” to ensure safe passage of merchant ships through the strait free of charge for 60 days. Furthermore, Iran and Oman should discuss the future management of the Strait of Hormuz with the involvement of other Gulf states.
The vague wording “to the best of our ability” is one of several in the agreement that leaves a lot of room for interpretation and has been criticized for it. Almost four weeks after the framework agreement came into force, the future of free commercial shipping in the strait that is central to global oil trade remains uncertain after multiple mutual attacks. Tehran and Washington are fighting for control – and for the sovereignty of interpretation.
In the future, the US military should ensure that freighters can safely pass through the strait, Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform on Monday. According to his idea, the USA should now claim revenue of 20 percent of the freight value for the escort. This should compensate for the costs of securing passage, emphasized Trump. However, he left details open – such as who exactly should pay these funds.
Trump also announced a renewed naval blockade against ships heading to or departing from Iranian ports. According to the US military, this will apply from Tuesday afternoon US Eastern Time (10 p.m. German time). During the Iran war, the USA imposed such a blockade for months – but lifted it in mid-June as part of the framework agreement.
All other countries should be able to have “fair and open” access to the strait, Trump emphasized in his post on Monday. The strait is “open and will remain open, with or without Iran.” The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) announced at the weekend that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until further notice and until the end of US interventions in the region.
As a result of the recent military escalation, shipping through the strait has again fallen drastically in recent days. According to data from provider Kpler, only 14 ships passed through the strait on Sunday – the lowest number this month. Before the war began, an average of more than 100 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz every day.
Ceasefire: An agreement that Trump canceled
A ceasefire in the Iran war was actually already in effect at the beginning of April – in their framework agreement, Washington and Tehran once again stipulated the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations”.
Regardless, mutual attacks have occurred repeatedly in recent weeks. The tenor from the USA was longer: US attacks on Iranian targets were only limited retaliation for Iranian attacks on merchant ships; the ceasefire still applies.
However, after a renewed escalation, Trump changed his announcement a few days ago: the ceasefire is “OVER,” he wrote on the Truth Social platform, after he had already announced a similar message at the NATO summit shortly before. Since then, the mutual attacks have not stopped, increasing fears of a full-scale resumption of the war.
Sanctions: A temporary repeal that Trump withdrew
In the framework agreement, the US government committed to lifting “all sanctions” against Iran. However, the timetable should only be agreed upon in the final agreement.
In fact, the US had eased sanctions on Iranian oil shortly after the framework agreement came into force. A good two weeks later, however, the US Treasury Department withdrew the exemption granted for this last week. New transactions with crude oil, petrochemicals and petroleum products of Iranian origin are once again prohibited. A US government official justified this with Iran’s behavior in the Strait of Hormuz, which was “completely unacceptable” for the US.
With the exemption, the United States had temporarily calmed the energy markets and thus also ensured relaxation at the petrol pumps. Because of the uncertain future prospects, fuel prices in the USA have recently risen again and, in addition to the already high inflation, are making life more difficult for the citizens of the driving nation.
This is a problem for Trump and his Republicans less than four months before the important midterm elections: If his party colleagues lose their currently very narrow majority in even one of the two chambers of parliament, Trump will have to expect significantly more headwind from the Democrats for the rest of his term in office. (hkl/sda/dpa)