Iran threatens to go on offensive in Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy with US fails

• A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran has shifted from a defensive to a “fully offensive” posture amid stalled efforts to end the war with the US.
• Iran warned it could take military action to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy fails, while setting a deadline for Washington to implement the terms of a June memorandum.

Iran has shifted its policy from a defensive posture to a “fully offensive” one as efforts to reach a permanent end to its war with the United States have stalled, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

The official said progress toward peace talks and the resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz had ground to a halt, with no clear indication that the warring parties were moving toward an agreement.

“Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and wider region,” the official said, adding that Tehran would be ready to take “difficult decisions” and launch a “timely and precise” military attack to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy failed.

Monday marked the deadline by which Iran and the United States were expected to reach a final agreement under a memorandum of understanding signed in June.

The June 17 memorandum established a 60-day timeframe, extendable by mutual consent, for Washington and Tehran to reach an agreement covering broader issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

The agreement called for an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts. It later unraveled amid a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran said a provision in the memorandum gave it the right to manage the waterway, while Washington rejected that interpretation. Hostilities resumed after Tehran began firing on vessels it said were attempting to sail through the strait using an unauthorized route.

US President Donald Trump declared the agreement “over” on July 7. Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington of violating its commitments.

The Iranian official said Tehran would give the United States a deadline of several weeks to implement all provisions of the agreement.

“Within the short period of a few weeks set by Iran, all the agreement’s provisions must be implemented by the US,” the official told Reuters, describing this as a precondition for further negotiations.

The official said mediators would communicate Tehran’s deadline to Washington and regional governments.

Iran and the United States have intensified their rhetoric in recent days as tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy shipments.

Trump warned Americans on Friday to prepare for continued high fuel prices because of the war. He also said that after defeating Iran, he would declare the Strait of Hormuz “a territory of the United States.”

Trump reiterated on Monday that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remained his “number one Goal,” describing it as a central justification for the war.