Iran will shift to a “fully offensive” military posture because efforts to negotiate a permanent end to the war with the US have stalled, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, as Washington ruled out extending a temporary cease-fire agreement.
Outward progress towards peace talks and a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt, threatening to extend the conflict that the US and Israel launched with attacks on Iran on February 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 Iranian official said, adding that Tehran would conduct a “timely and precise” military attack to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy failed.
