Iran Escalates Hostilities Beyond Hormuz Strait. It Will Now Pursue Vessels Outside The Waterway.

Iran announced on Friday that it will escalate hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz as prospects of an agreement with the U.S. continue to be elusive.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that it will now pursue vessels that don't transit the routes it has approved even outside the waterway and "throughout the entire region," and that "its punishment will be definitive."

A potential escalation between the countries has gone back to dominating headlines this week, particularly after different reports claimed that President Donald Trump and his national security team discussed resuming the campaign against Tehran in the coming weeks. Axios also detailed that the Pentagon instructed the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to conclude preparations to that end.

The outlet went on to cite sources familiar with the matter, who said that if the campaign resumes it will include large bombings of Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear targets. It also recalled that Trump had said he hadn't made a decision on whether to attack Iran 24 hours before beginning strikes, and he had already made a decision by then.

A White House official reacted to the report saying that the U.S. "is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing."

"Iran has been decimated, and things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way," the official added.

Trump rejected attacking Iran before the midterms on Thursday. In a social media publication, Trump said the U.S. is having "productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran." And that "while Iran is in very bad condition, both Economically and Militarily, and while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, with Oil flowing in Record Numbers of Barrels through the Hormuz Strait (22 Million Barrels, last night alone, with not one barrel coming from, or going to, Iran!), we will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd."

However, another report detailed that the U.S. briefed the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff on the possibility that it could resume military operations against Iran before the end of the month, according to a new report.

Eyal Zamir said during the call that such a scenario could lead to the postponement of Israel's elections on October 27, as Israel believes Iran would seek to strike Israel as a result, Axios noted.