A poster depicting U.S. President Donald Trump trapped in a box, next to which is written: "It’s not magic, in the blink of an eye it disappears," hangs on a wall in Tehran, Iran. Sept. 2, 2026. (Credit: Majid Asgaripour/Wana/Reuters)

Iran weighs escalation as it seeks a way out of ‘no war, no peace’

An agreement with Oman on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz could ease mounting tensions and help avert a return to open conflict.

08 Sep 2026, 11:59 by Laure-Maïssa FARJALLAH · L'Orient Today

Tehran appears to be sharpening its rhetoric. “The Americans must understand, before it is too late, that the era of proportional responses is over,” influential Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Sunday, Sept. 6. His comments came a day after three Iranian oil tankers were targeted in retaliation for attacks on U.S. vessels.“Any aggression against Iran’s interests and security will be met with a faster, stronger, and more painful response,” added Iran’s chief negotiator. Read more US sanctions threaten to crush Iranian students' dreams In late August, Tehran had already signaled a shift in its military doctrine from a defensive to an offensive posture. The shift is intended to break the “no war, no peace” deadlock, although its implementation has so far remained limited.A new approach to deterrenceMohsen Rezaei,...

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