WANA (Aug 18) – Various sources have emphasized in recent days that, given Iran’s new approach of adopting “offensive rather than defensive” behavior, if the current situation and the blockade persist, Tehran may resort to escalating tensions in the region and launching a preemptive strike.

 

The United States, in the recent war, failed not only to achieve its grand strategic objectives but also its tactical goals. Consequently, it reverted to its familiar strategy of economic pressure. The naval blockade is part of this same puzzle.

 

Of course, over the 100-day blockade period, Iran implemented measures to mitigate its impact and achieved notable successes. However, the core issue remains that such hostile action must be brought to an end.

 

In the latest developments, the British news agency Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official as stating: “If the United States fails to fully implement the interim peace agreement within a few weeks, Iran will escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and beyond, and will launch an attack.”

 

The official added that if the U.S. does not adhere to this deadline and diplomacy fails, Tehran will carry out a “timely and precise” military operation to break the U.S. naval blockade. He further noted that Iran has lost confidence in the benefits of diplomacy with Washington.

 

Meanwhile, Mehdi Mohammadi, strategic advisor to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, explained in an audio message released on August 15 that the fourth dimension of Iran’s new strategy is to become more aggressive.

 

He stated that it is not intended for the adversary to continue the naval blockade while Iran simply stands by and watches. He emphasized that if the other side does not accept Iran’s conditions, it will be Iran that takes the initiative in launching offensive and preemptive operations.

 

In a related analysis, Dany Citrinowicz, a former intelligence officer in the Israeli military, wrote in the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom that Tehran’s shift toward an offensive approach reflects a change in Iranian thinking: the greater the economic pressure, the stronger the incentive to initiate a new conflict.

 

He pointed out that Iran will not tolerate the current situation indefinitely, and if the naval blockade continues, Tehran will employ “strong leverage and tension” as tools.

 

Ultimately, decades of sanctions experience have shown that resolving U.S. economic pressure through the commitments of the U.S. president alone is ineffective. The naval blockade, as part of this broader puzzle, must be resolved through a leverage mechanism—whether economic, such as closing the Strait of Hormuz; military, such as renewed strikes; or political, such as pressuring for the implementation of the agreement.