- Iran warns it will escalate tensions and possibly attack if the US does not honour the interim peace deal within weeks.
- Diplomatic efforts have stalled, with Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz until the US returns to the deal.
- Iran shifts from defence to offence, losing faith in US diplomacy, while the US threatens economic isolation.
Amid renewed tensions between Iran and the US, Tehran has issued a stern warning to Washington, stating that it will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond and launch an attack if the US fails to fully implement an interim peace deal within weeks.
A senior Iranian official said that if the US fails to meet that deadline and diplomacy breaks down, Tehran would launch a "timely and precise" military attack to break the US naval blockade of the Islamic Republic, the official added told Reuters.
The latest development comes as 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 US first returns to the deal, while the US Treasury Secretary has warned of unprecedented economic isolation for Iran.
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he official added that mediators would share details of Tehran's deadline with Washington and regional states.
"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 warning comes as diplomatic efforts to bring Tehran and Washington back to talks under a June agreement have stalled in recent weeks.
The Iranian official said Tehran was shifting its policy from defence to offence as it was losing confidence in the prospects of diplomacy with Washington.
"It is a proven fact that the US 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.
Iran's foreign minister has said the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the US first returns to the deal, while the US Treasury Secretary has warned of unprecedented economic isolation for Iran.