Hormuz Strait Standoff Risks Reigniting All-Out War

Control of the Strait of Hormuz is the crisis’s focal point as a four-week ceasefire frays; despite talks in Islamabad, Washington and Tehran remain entrenched in red lines, raising the risk of miscalculation and a slide back into all-out war. A US escort of ships provoked Iran, which has signaled it will not return to the old status quo, and closure would shock global oil markets and fertiliser supplies. The UAE, leaning closer to the US-Israel axis, braces for a broader regional confrontation, while Trump’s mixed strategy has left no clear exit from the escalating standoff.