Iran has announced that it could launch attacks on various locations where U.S. forces are stationed after talks aimed at reaching a lasting agreement to end the war with the United States failed to produce results.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country’s authorities should prepare for tensions to escalate further in the Strait of Hormuz and across the region.
He said Tehran is ready to take “tough decisions” and could launch an attack aimed at weakening U.S. military operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
In June, Iran and the United States signed an interim agreement intended to halt the war, giving them 60 days to reach a broader deal concerning Iran’s nuclear program and the sanctions imposed on it by the United States.
The agreement stipulated that military operations by both sides should cease immediately and permanently. However, it quickly broke down due to disagreements over the management of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption passes.
When U.S. President Donald Trump was asked whether Washington wanted to extend the interim agreement, he said that would not happen.
Despite this, reports indicate that the Trump administration has opened secret, direct talks with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Axios reported that Tulsi Gabbard, the former U.S. Director of National Intelligence, spoke with an Iraqi official who has close ties to the IRGC. The U.S. message was then reportedly delivered to the IRGC commander, Gen. Ahmad Vahidi.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and special envoy, said that talks between the U.S. government and various Iranian authorities may be at a more advanced stage than before.
Meanwhile, Iran said that Article 5 of the June agreement gave it the right to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which it shares with Oman, a U.S. ally. Washington has rejected that claim.
Fighting resumed after Iran fired on a vessel that it said was attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz using an unauthorized route.
An Iranian official said the United States must comply with all the provisions of the agreement within the coming weeks for talks to continue.
Iran is also negotiating with Oman over an agreement to manage the Strait of Hormuz, saying the two sides are close to reaching a deal.
