Trump and Iran signed a truce but still can’t agree on what its terms mean

3 hours ago 2

Democracy Dies in Darkness

Ambiguous language on who controls the Strait of Hormuz has pushed the United States and Iran back toward war.

July 15, 2026 at 12:46 p.m. EDTToday at 12:46 p.m. EDT

Vice President JD Vance, second from right, and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, left, attend peace talks in Switzerland last month with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, second from left, and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir. (Nathan Howard/Pool/Reuters)

Almost as soon as Iran and the United States agreed to an initial deal on a truce last month, they began accusing each other of violating it. At issue has been the document’s vague language on a critical issue: control of the Strait of Hormuz.