An unnamed senior Iranian official, cited by Reuters, said Iran has set a deadline of "a few weeks" for the full implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MOU).

According to the official's comments, as reported by Reuters:

• Iran has decided to shift its policy from a defensive stance to a "fully offensive" one.
• Pressuring the United States, or relying on mediators to reach a lasting peace, is not realistic.
• A deadline of a few weeks has been set for full implementation of the MOU.
• All entities will be prepared to escalate tensions in the region if diplomacy fails.
• Iran will not wait for the United States to continue the naval blockade indefinitely.

The report does not spell out the terms of the MOU, leaving the deadline itself as the clearest concrete marker in the standoff. The references to a naval blockade and to Oman place the dispute along a coastline that includes the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage between Iran and Oman through which roughly a fifth of globally traded oil passes — a core reason energy markets monitor escalation language involving these waters so closely.

The Investinglive report noted that while the rhetoric is inflammatory, there is clearly still some diplomacy in play. It also observed that US President Donald Trump is threatening to bomb Oman if it gets in the way, and that the market is unlikely to react unless oil reaches $100 or $150.

In commodities trading, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, the primary US oil benchmark, was last up $0.83 at $83.02 — a modest move that leaves the price well below the triple-digit levels the report identified as the point where markets would take notice. With a "few weeks" window now declared, the deadline functions as a near-term checkpoint for whether implementation of the MOU visibly progresses or the standoff moves toward the escalation the official said all entities must be prepared for.

Source: Investinglive, August 17, 2026, citing Reuters.