Fragile Iran-U.S. Peace Talks Falter as Hormuz Strait Crisis Deepens

Peace talks between the U.S. and Iran hosted by Pakistan risk collapsing as Tehran closes the Strait of Hormuz again and the U.S. seizes a sanctioned Iranian cargo ship, prompting retaliation threats. Tehran defends its nuclear stockpiles and cites U.S. interdiction, while internal Iranian power struggles and regional actors complicate diplomacy. Hormuz traffic has plunged to a multi-year low, as China and other actors call for normal shipping and the fragile peace process remains highly unsettled.