Iran to shift policy to 'fully offensive' as MoU with US expires - report
By Michele Maatouk
Date: Monday 17 Aug 2026
(Sharecast News) - Iran has reportedly 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 US, as the memorandum between the two expired.
According to Reuters, which cited a senior Iranian official, progress towards peace talks and a resumption of oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt, with no sign that the warring parties are moving towards ending the conflict.
"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," an Iranian official told Reuters, adding that Tehran would conduct a "timely and precise" military attack to break the US naval blockade if diplomacy failed.
Monday marked the deadline for Iran and the US to reach a final deal under a memorandum of understanding agreed in June and aimed at ending the war.
Signed on 17 June, the MoU set out a 60-day timeframe, extendable by mutual consent, by which Washington and Tehran were expected to reach an agreement that would cover broader issues such as the fate of Iran's nuclear programme.
Earlier on Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "The number one Goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a Nuclear Weapon."
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