Iran says it will adopt fully offensive posture as US declines cease-fire extension
A senior Iranian official warned of a shift to a fully offensive military stance after the United States ruled out extending a temporary cease-fire, while diplomatic talks over the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled.
Iran indicated it will move to a “fully offensive” military posture after a memorandum of understanding signed in June failed to produce a permanent peace deal, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday. The official said Iranian forces must be ready to “escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and wider region” and warned that Tehran could launch a “timely and precise” attack to break a U.S. naval blockade if diplomacy does not succeed.
The June memorandum had set a 60-day window for a broader agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and U.S. sanctions, but disagreements over control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz – through which about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas passes – caused the deal to collapse. President Donald Trump said the United States would not extend the interim cease-fire.
In parallel, reports said back-channel contacts were opened between the United States and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard allegedly conveyed a U.S. message to IRGC commander General Ahmad Vahidi through an Iraqi Kurdish intermediary, a claim later confirmed by President Trump in a telephone interview.
“I can’t go into the details of it, but I will say that the conversations between the US government and different areas of the Iranian government at all areas is probably more robust than it’s maybe ever been,” said Jared Kushner, the White House’s senior adviser, in an interview with Fox News.
Iran also warned that the United States must fulfill all provisions of the memorandum within weeks as a condition for further negotiations. Meanwhile, Tehran continues separate talks with Oman on managing the strait, while President Trump threatened military action against Oman if it interfered with U.S. interests.
The conflict, which began with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, has caused thousands of deaths, extensive infrastructure damage and a sharp rise in oil prices, with Brent crude futures trading around $90 a barrel.