Iranian Official Threatens Escalation if Diplomacy with US Fails

A senior Iranian official stated on Monday that his country would resort to escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the entire region if diplomatic efforts with the United States fail. The official indicated a shift in Iranian strategy, adopting an offensive approach instead of a defensive one. This comes as US President Donald Trump revealed during a televised interview today that the United States maintains informal communication channels with the leadership of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Trump affirmed that the White House is not in a hurry to reach a deal with Iran. In a post on the "Truth Social" platform, Trump wrote that "the primary goal, and will remain so, is to ensure Iran does not possess nuclear weapons under any circumstances or in any form." He further threatened: "If Oman stands in our way, we will bomb it severely."