Iranian Official: Deadline Set for US Compliance with Memorandum of Understanding

August 17th, an Iranian senior official stated that Iran has set a final deadline of weeks for the United States to fully comply with the Iran-U.S. Comprehensive Plan of Action, and Iran will not wait indefinitely for the U.S. to continue enforcing the 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 comprehensive offensive." If diplomatic efforts fail, "the Iranian people are ready to escalate the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the (Middle East) region. Iran's timetable will be communicated to the United States through a mediating country."

On June 17th, the United States and Iran released the official text of the Memorandum of Understanding, with the third item stating: The United States and Iran commit to negotiating and concluding a final agreement within a maximum of 60 days. On August 17th, the 60-day negotiation window set by the Memorandum of Understanding expired, and due to serious disagreements on issues such as the Strait of Hormuz, U.S.-Iran negotiations have reached a stalemate with no substantial progress. (CCTV News)