Iran Threatens U.S. Blockade Action
PHOTO CAPTION: A vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, August 17, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
DUBAI, Aug. 17 — Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to “fully offensive” as efforts to reach a permanent end to its war with the United States remain deadlocked, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.
Progress toward peace talks and the resumption of oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has stalled, with no indication that Washington and Tehran are moving toward ending the conflict that the United States and Israel launched on Feb. 28.
“Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and wider region, as Iran will be ready to make decisions and take action on difficult decisions,” the official said. The official added that Tehran would carry out a “timely and precise” military attack aimed at breaking the U.S. naval blockade if diplomacy failed.
Monday was the deadline by which Iran and the United States had been expected to reach a final agreement under a memorandum of understanding signed June 17. The agreement established a 60-day negotiating period, extendable by mutual consent, for reaching a broader deal that would include issues such as the future of Iran’s nuclear program.
The memorandum called for an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, but it quickly unraveled amid a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran said point 5 of the agreement gave Iran the right to manage the waterway, an interpretation Washington rejected.
Hostilities resumed after Iran began firing on vessels it said were attempting to transit the strait on routes that had not been approved. President Donald Trump declared the agreement “over” on July 7, while Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington of violating its commitments.
Iran plans new deadline for U.S.
The senior Iranian official said Tehran would now give Washington a period of several weeks to implement all provisions of the interim agreement before Iran would consider further negotiations.
“Within the short period of a few weeks set by Iran, all the agreement’s provisions must be implemented by the U.S. This is a precondition for further negotiations with the U.S.,” the official said.
Mediators will communicate Tehran’s deadline to Washington and regional governments, according to the official.
Both countries have sharpened their rhetoric over the past week. Trump told Americans at a rally Friday to prepare for continued high fuel prices because of the war and said that “after we finish defeating Iran ... pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”
On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon,” repeating one of his stated justifications for the war.
(Source: Reuters)
