00:06The Strait of Hormuz could be heading toward a dangerous new phase. Iran is threatening to shift
00:13from a defensive posture to a fully offensive strategy if diplomacy with the United States
00:18collapses. A senior Iranian official has warned that Tehran is preparing for what could become
00:25a major military escalation in and around the strategic waterway. The warning comes as efforts
00:32to revive a deal between Washington and Tehran appear to have stalled, and with oil tanker traffic
00:38already severely disrupted, the next move could have consequences far beyond the Middle East.
00:44According to a senior Iranian official who spoke to Reuters, Iran has decided to shift its policy
00:50from defensive to fully offensive. The official said Iranian entities must prepare for an escalation
00:57in the Strait of Hormuz and across the wider region. Tehran is reportedly preparing to make what it
01:03described as difficult decisions if diplomatic efforts fail. And the warning goes even further.
01:10Iran says it could launch a timely and precise military attack aimed at breaking the US naval
01:16blockade. That would mark a dramatic escalation in an already dangerous confrontation. The threat
01:23comes at a critical moment. Monday marked the deadline under a memorandum of understanding agreed
01:29between Iran and the United States in June. That agreement was supposed to provide a framework for ending
01:35the war and restoring stability. The memorandum established a 60-day period for Washington and Tehran
01:42to negotiate a broader settlement. That settlement was expected to address major issues, including
01:49Iran's nuclear program. But instead of moving toward a final agreement, the process has effectively stalled,
01:55and at the center of the dispute is the Strait of Hormuz. The June agreement called for an immediate
02:01and permanent cessation of military operations, but the arrangement quickly began to unravel. Iran argues that a
02:08provision in the memorandum gives Tehran the right to manage the Strait of Hormuz. Washington rejects
02:15that interpretation. The disagreement has already contributed to renewed hostilities. Iran began
02:21targeting vessels it accused of attempting to navigate the waterway using routes that Tehran had not
02:27approved. The result has been a dramatic reduction in commercial traffic through one of the world's most
02:33important energy choke points. Now Tehran appears to be putting Washington on notice. The Iranian official
02:40told Reuters that Iran has established a deadline of a few weeks. According to the official, the United
02:46States would have to implement all provisions of the agreement within that period before Iran would
02:52consider further negotiations. Mediators are expected to communicate Tehran's demands to Washington and
02:59other regional governments, but there is little indication that the two sides are close to resolving
03:04their differences. Instead, both Washington and Tehran have intensified their rhetoric, and every new
03:11threat raises the possibility of another military confrontation. President Donald Trump has continued
03:17to insist that Iran must not be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon, but he has also warned Americans that
03:24the conflict could mean continued pressure on fuel prices. At a rally on Friday, Trump said Americans
03:31should prepare for high energy costs as the war continues. He also made a striking claim about the
03:37future of Hormuz. Trump said that after defeating Iran, he could declare the Strait of Hormuz a territory of
03:44the United States. That statement is likely to further alarm Tehran. On Monday, Trump again said that
03:51preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains his number one objective, but Tehran has repeatedly
03:58accused Washington of violating its commitments. Now, the diplomatic deadlock is being matched by
04:04increasingly aggressive military warnings. Iran says it is prepared to take action. The United States
04:11continues to maintain pressure on Iran, and the Strait of Hormuz remains caught directly in the middle.
04:17The stakes are enormous. Before the conflict, the waterway carried roughly a fifth of global oil
04:23and gas shipments. Any prolonged closure or military confrontation could send shockwaves through global
04:30energy markets.
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