Iran brands UK Navy and RAF 'terrorist' groups as US warns at Manama it may take 'another direction' on Hormuz

Iran on Sunday designated Britain's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as "terrorist organisations" and classified the MI6 intelligence service as a "hostile group", widening its confrontation with Western powers as mediated talks on the Strait of Hormuz failed to produce a breakthrough.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said the step followed a resolution of the Supreme National Security Council and was taken on the principle of reciprocity. It cited what it called British military and logistical support for the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, and pointed to London's decision in July to act against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under its State Threats Act. The ministry said Britain would bear responsibility for the consequences. There was no immediate public response from the UK government in the reports reviewed.

No deal yet in Doha

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said after a third straight day of contacts with Qatari mediators that no final agreement had been reached and that the outcome now depended on how Washington responded. He said he had no plans to meet US officials during the visit.

Tehran and Doha have drafted a plan under which Iran says the strait could be reopened within two days of an agreement, down from a longer period it had earlier proposed. Araghchi tied this to US steps that include lifting sanctions, restoring oil waivers, releasing frozen Iranian funds, and recognising shipping routes Iran has discussed with Oman.

Washington keeps options open

Speaking at the Manama Dialogue security forum in Bahrain, Donald Blome, the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, said channels for negotiation remained open but that the United States was also prepared to "go in another direction". He said Washington could not let Iran hold the region and the global economy hostage.

President Donald Trump has said only one or two suspected Iranian nuclear sites remain, including an underground facility known as Pickaxe Mountain, and that they could be hit quickly. Iran denies that the site is used for nuclear work. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the president has not decided on new strikes and would prefer a peaceful outcome.

Iranian military officials, meanwhile, warned that any renewed attack would draw a response without geographical limits and that a fresh war could last longer than the earlier fighting. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered commanders to respond immediately to any threat.

Why it matters for India

Several tankers and gas carriers in and around Hormuz have been struck in recent days, according to regional and maritime reports. India depends heavily on Gulf crude and cooking gas, so the pace of any reopening will be watched closely by refiners, shipping firms and the many Indians who work on vessels and in Gulf states. The US midterm elections on Tuesday are seen as a possible marker for Washington's next move.