Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to “fully offensive” because negotiations on a final cease‑fire with the United States have stalled, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday (August 17).
Progress in peace talks and the resumption of oil‑tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has stalled. There are currently no signs that the parties to the conflict, which the US and Israel began on February 28, are nearing its end.
“Iran must be ready to intensify tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region, as it will make decisions and take action in difficult situations”, the Iranian official said. He added that Tehran would carry out a “timely and precise” military strike to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy fails.
Monday (August 17) was the deadline by which Iran and the United States were to reach a final agreement under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in June to end the war.
The MoU, signed on June 17, set a 60‑day period that could be extended by mutual consent. During this time, Washington and Tehran were expected to negotiate broader issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, the MoU, which called for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations on all fronts, quickly collapsed over a dispute about control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran sets new deadline
Tehran said paragraph 5 of the MoU gives it the right to control the waterway, while Washington rejected that interpretation. Hostile actions resumed when Tehran began shelling vessels it claimed were attempting to use an unauthorized route through the strait.
President Donald Trump said on July 7 that the pact was “finished”. Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington of consistently violating its obligations.
“Within a short period of a few weeks set by Iran, the US must fulfill all the provisions of the agreement. This is a prerequisite for further negotiations with the US”, the Iranian official told Reuters. He added that mediators would convey Tehran’s demand to Washington and regional states.
Both Iran and the United States have intensified their rhetoric over the past week.
In a speech at a rally on Friday, Donald Trump warned Americans to prepare for further fuel‑price increases because of the war and added: “after we complete the victory over Iran… very soon I will declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of the United States”. Earlier on Monday, Donald Trump posted on his platform Truth Social: “Goal number one is and always will be that Iran can in no way, shape, or form have nuclear weapons”, repeating one of his stated justifications for the war.
