Iran and the United States remain deadlocked over efforts to end their months-long conflict in the Gulf, with Tehran saying there has been no progress toward reviving an interim agreement reached in June or setting a timeline for implementing its commitments.
The standoff comes as Iran signals a tougher military posture and tensions continue around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh doubts over prospects for a lasting peace.
Iran signals shift to offensive strategy
Mohammad Reza Naqdi, an adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said Tehran was moving toward an “offensive doctrine” following a series of senior military appointments by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Speaking on Iranian state television, Naqdi said the IRGC must be prepared to conduct operations inside enemy territory when conditions allow.
He contrasted the new approach with Iran’s pre-war strategy, which he described as being primarily focused on defence and preserving the country.
The comments signal a significant shift in Iran’s military posture and come amid continued tensions with the United States.
No progress on June interim deal
A senior Iranian source told Reuters that Tehran and Washington remain divided over efforts to revive the interim agreement reached in June.
The source said mediators have discussed a US return to the agreement and the possibility of establishing a timeline for Washington and Tehran to fulfil their respective commitments.
“There has been absolutely no progress on this issue,” the source said.
Iran has rejected reports that the 60-day period set under the June agreement could be extended, arguing that the period never properly began because Washington violated the agreement shortly after it was reached.
The June deal had called for an immediate and permanent halt to military operations and provided a 60-day period for negotiations toward a broader agreement involving Iran’s nuclear programme and US sanctions.
Strait of Hormuz remains key sticking point
The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of the biggest obstacles to a new agreement.
The United States has accused Iran of failing to meet commitments to reopen the strategic shipping route. Tehran, meanwhile, says Washington has failed to honour its own obligations, including lifting a blockade on Iranian ports and releasing frozen Iranian assets.
Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei said the strait would remain closed unless Washington accepted Tehran’s conditions for ending the war.
The waterway, located between Iran and Oman, handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows before the conflict, making any prolonged disruption a major concern for energy markets.
Trump demands compensation from Iran
Tensions have also risen through increasingly hostile rhetoric from both sides.
US President Donald Trump has demanded that Iran pay compensation for people killed in what he described as 50 years of wars, attacks and protests.
Trump has alternated between threats of further escalation and claims that a peace agreement could be close.
Iran, however, has continued to insist that the United States must meet its demands before a broader settlement can be reached.
New attacks raise shipping concerns
The diplomatic deadlock has coincided with fresh attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
Four crew members were killed in an attack by Iran-backed Houthi forces on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Tuesday, according to the report. It was described as the group’s first deadly attack on shipping since the war began.
Separately, the US military said a Navy MH-60 helicopter fired two Hellfire missiles to disable the steering system of a Panama-flagged cargo ship that allegedly ignored repeated warnings to stop violating a US naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Oil prices remain volatile
The latest shipping incidents and uncertainty over diplomacy have kept energy markets volatile.
Brent crude futures surged after the conflict began in February, reaching a peak of $126 a barrel, about 75% above pre-war levels, amid fears of disruptions to Gulf oil supplies.
By Wednesday, Brent was trading at around $88 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was around $83 a barrel, after oil-price gains eased as forecasters lowered their expectations for 2026 demand.
With the war now in its sixth month, continued disputes over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s new military posture and the absence of progress on the June agreement are complicating efforts by mediators to secure a durable peace.
