DUBAI/WASHINGTON, D.C.: Iran has decided to change its war policy from a defensive approach to a "fully offensive" one because efforts to reach a permanent end to its war with the United States have reached a deadlock, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on August 17.

Progress towards peace talks has stopped, and there has also been no progress in restarting oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. There are currently no clear signs that Iran, the United States and Israel are moving towards ending the conflict, which began with military action by the U.S. and Israel on February 28.

The Iranian official said Iranian organizations and forces must be ready to increase tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and across the wider region.

"Iranian entities must be prepared to escalate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and wider region, as Iran will be ready to make decisions and take action on difficult decisions," the official said.

The official added that if diplomatic efforts failed, Tehran would carry out a "timely and precise" military attack to break the U.S. naval blockade.

The comments indicate that Iran is preparing to take a more aggressive military position as efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict remain stalled.

Earlier, Iran had said it is working with Oman to complete a joint statement on a plan to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as efforts continue to find a way to reopen the important waterway.

The full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has been one of the United States' main demands. US President Donald Trump has again warned Oman over its role in the discussions, adding further pressure as negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain uncertain.

At the same time, the 60-day period set for negotiations aimed at reaching a peace agreement between the United States and Iran was coming to an end. There was no indication that the deadline would be extended, while the two countries appeared to remain almost as far apart as they had been when the talks began.

Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that an agreement had been reached on the route that ships would use to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. He said, "an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route."

Baghaei did not provide further details about the proposed arrangement. However, earlier reports suggest the plan would allow the strait to reopen by creating a specific shipping route. Under the proposal, ships would enter the waterway through a route near Iran and leave through another route near Oman.

Ships would also be allowed to pass through the waterway without paying fees or tolls during an interim period.

Iran effectively closed the strait after Israel and the United States launched attacks against the country on February 28.