BlockBeats report: On August 17, a senior Iranian official stated that Iran has set a several-week deadline for the United States to fully implement the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, and Iran will not wait indefinitely for the U.S. to continue its maritime blockade. Due to "the stalemate in efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement with the United States," Iran has decided to shift its policy "from defensive to fully offensive." If diplomatic efforts fail, "Iranians are prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Middle East region." Iran's timeline will be conveyed to the United States through mediator countries.
On June 17, the United States and Iran released the official text of the memorandum of understanding, which states in Article 3 that both parties commit to conducting negotiations and reaching a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days. On August 17, the 60-day negotiation window set by the memorandum expired, with U.S.-Iran negotiations deadlocked due to significant disagreements over issues such as the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in no substantive progress. (CCTV News)