By Parisa Hafezi
DUBAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Iran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond, and launch an attack if the U.S. fails to implement an interim peace deal fully in a matter of weeks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.
If the U.S. does not meet that deadline and diplomacy fails, Tehran would conduct a “timely and precise” military attack to break the U.S. naval blockade on the Islamic Republic, the official added.
Diplomatic efforts to bring Tehran and Washington back to talks under a June agreement have stalled in recent weeks.
Iran’s foreign minister has said the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the U.S. first returns to the deal, while the U.S. Treasury Secretary has warned of unprecedented economic isolation for Iran.
“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 told Reuters.
Mediators would share details of Tehran’s deadline with Washington and regional states, the official added.
“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 Iranian official said Tehran was shifting its policy from defence to offence as it was losing confidence in the merits of diplomacy with Washington.
“It is a proven fact that the U.S. is not serious about a ceasefire and won’t commit to any, so putting pressure on the enemy or relying on mediators in the hope of reaching a permanent ceasefire is not realistic,” the official said.
(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Michael Georgy and Andrew Heavens)
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