Iran Threatens to Go On Offensive in Strait of Hormuz if Diplomacy With US Fails

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Iran has decided to shift its policy from defensive to “fully offensive” due to the deadlock in efforts to agree a permanent end to its war with the United States, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

Progress towards peace talks and a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt, with no sign that the warring parties are moving towards ending the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28.

“Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in