ISLAMABAD (AP) — Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated on Tuesday as America implemented a naval blockade of Iranian ports while Pakistan worked urgently to arrange another round of peace negotiations between the warring nations.
Although a ceasefire from last week remains in place, the dispute over the strategic waterway threatens to restart fighting and worsen the economic impact of the regional conflict.
Diplomatic efforts to permanently resolve the war — which started February 28 with American and Israeli attacks on Iran — did not reach an agreement over the weekend, but Pakistan has offered to host additional negotiations in the near future.
Two Pakistani government sources, speaking anonymously because they lacked authorization to comment publicly, described the initial negotiations as part of a continuing diplomatic effort rather than a single attempt.
Two American officials, also speaking anonymously about sensitive diplomatic matters, confirmed Monday that discussions continue regarding new talks. They indicated that while the location, schedule and delegation members remain undetermined, negotiations could occur Thursday.
The conflict, now entering its seventh week, has disrupted markets and shaken the worldwide economy as shipping routes have been severed and air attacks have devastated military and civilian facilities throughout the region.
The violence has claimed at least 3,000 lives in Iran, over 2,000 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen across Gulf Arab nations. Thirteen American military personnel have also died.
American military officials announced Monday that the blockade targets vessels traveling to and from Iranian harbors. This action could limit movement of the limited number of ships that Tehran considers allies, which have been allowed to navigate the Strait of Hormuz since Iran began restricting maritime traffic when hostilities started.
Most commercial ships have stayed away from the waterway due to Iranian threats, except for the few permitted to use shipping lanes between Iran’s islands and shoreline.
The enforcement methods and degree of ship compliance remained uncertain during the blockade’s first complete day Tuesday. However, early indicators showed reluctance: at least two oil tankers approaching the strait Monday reversed course shortly after the blockade began, according to vessel tracking service MarineTraffic in a Monday social media post.
Iran’s practical shutdown of the strait, which handles one-fifth of global oil transport during peacetime, has caused oil prices to surge dramatically, increasing costs for gasoline, food and other essential items well beyond the Middle East.
The blockade aims to pressure Iran, which has shipped millions of oil barrels, primarily to Asian markets, since fighting commenced. Much of this oil likely traveled through covert operations that avoid sanctions and monitoring, generating crucial revenue to maintain the country’s operations.
Trump stated Monday that Iran’s control of the strait constituted blackmail and extortion as the American blockade began. He posted on social media that Iran’s naval forces had been “completely obliterated” but still possessed “fast attack ships.”
He cautioned that “if any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”
Iran responded with threats to attack Persian Gulf ports if confronted.
“If you fight, we will fight,” declared Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf in a statement directed at Trump.
Separately, direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon were scheduled to start Tuesday in Washington, marking the first such discussions in decades.
Israel has continued its aerial and ground operations since last week’s Iranian ceasefire, maintaining that the truce does not cover Lebanese fighting. However, it has stopped bombing the country’s capital since last Wednesday, following devastating strikes that hit multiple busy commercial and residential districts in central Beirut, prompting international condemnation and Iranian threats to abandon the ceasefire.
Following more than a year of almost daily attacks in southern Lebanon, Israel intensified its campaign early in the war after Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel. The combat has created widespread destruction from farming communities near the border to Beirut, killing over 2,000 people and displacing more than 1 million, according to Lebanese government figures.
The discussions are anticipated to be exploratory, concentrating on establishing guidelines rather than solving fundamental disputes. Lebanese representatives have advocated for a ceasefire, while Israel has structured the talks around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a possible peace agreement, without publicly promising to stop fighting or remove its forces.
Israel seeks Lebanon’s government to take control of disarming Hezbollah, similar to what was outlined in a November 2024 ceasefire. However, the militant organization has withstood attempts to reduce its power for decades and announced Monday that it will not honor any agreements that might emerge from the talks.
