Iran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Middle East if diplomatic efforts with the United States fail, a senior Iranian official told Reuters today, specifying that Iran would be inclined to rely on an offensive rather than a defensive policy from now on, BTA reports.
Earlier today, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said that despite attempts by some European countries to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the United States, no new mediator has emerged between the two countries at this stage. Baghaei added that according to Tehran, the problems between Iran and the United States are not an issue that can be resolved through mediation, with the main obstacle being Washington's approach, its misjudgments and its insistence on following policies and methods that have repeatedly proven unsuccessful.
US President Donald Trump earlier today threatened to bomb Oman if the country "in some way" joins an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, Agence France-Presse reported.
Oman and Iran have been holding talks for weeks, without the participation of the United States, on the strategic waterway.
"If Oman in any way joins, we will bomb them with full force," Trump told "Fox News" in response to a question about the ongoing negotiations between the two countries.