The failure of US-Iran peace talks has left President Donald Trump with several unpalatable options, as analysts say his order to blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz could further complicate his next move.
Any hopes that US Vice President JD Vance would emerge from the marathon day of negotiations with top Iranian officials with a deal to end a war that has rippled across the Middle East were dashed when he left Pakistan emptyhanded.
kAm!C@EC24E65 E2=<D H@F=5 F?56C>:?6 %CF>AVD :?D:DE6?46 E92E xC2? 92D Q?@ 42C5DQ =67E E@ A=2J[ H9:=6 C2>A:?8 FA >:=:E2CJ 24E:@? H@F=5 6IA@D6 &$ 7@C46D E@ 96:89E6?65 C:D< 2?5 4@F=5 2=:6?2E6 G@E6CD \\ 2=C625J 2?8CJ H:E9 DFC8:?8 82D AC:46D \\ 29625 @7 >:5E6C> 6=64E:@?D]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96 3=@4<256 @7 E96 DEC2:E E9C@F89 H9:49 2 7:7E9 @7 E96 H@C=5VD @:= >@G6D H@F=5 5@ =:EE=6 E@ 62D6 8=@32= 64@?@>:4 ;:EE6CD]k^Am
kAmu@C qC:2? z2EF=:D[ 2 D6?:@C 76==@H 2E E96 |:55=6 t2DE x?DE:EFE6[ %CF>AVD AC@A6?D:EJ E@ E2=< @77 E96 4F77 2?5 >2<6 E9C62ED \\ H92E 96 42==65 E96 AC6D:56?EVD Q42C?:G2= 32C<6CQ DEJ=6 \\ =62G6D 9:D 4=@D6 2:56D D4C2>3=:?8 E@ 492CE 2 A2E9 7@CH2C5]Â k^Am
kAmQw6 >2J 36 D:>A=J 3FJ:?8 >@C6 E:>6 E@ >@G6 :? >@C6 >:=:E2CJ 2DD6ED @C 3642FD6 96 5@6D?VE <?@H H92E 6=D6 E@ 5@] x H@F=5?VE 42== :E 2 DEC2E68Jj :E :D 2 >:=:E2CJ\46?EC:4 2AAC@249 H:E9@FE DEC2E68J[Q z2EF=:D E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm$9:3=6J %6=92>:[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 A6246 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |2CJ=2?5 2?5 2 76==@H 2E E96 qC@@<:?8D x?DE:EFE:@? E9:?< E2?<[ D2JD E96 E9C62E @7 2 3=@4<256 H2D Q36H:=56C:?8 2?5 D66>D D6=7\56762E:?8]Qk^Am
kAmQxC2? 2=C625J 92D ?@ ECFDE :? %CF>A[Q %6=92>: E@=5 pu!] Qw2C5 E@ F?56CDE2E6 H92E E9:D >2<6D @7 H92EVD =67EÂ @7 p>6C:42VD 8=@32= 4C65:3:=:EJ]Qk^Am
k9am\ V&?ECFDEH@CE9J 2?5 5FA=:4:E@FDV \k^9am
kAmxC2?VD A@H6C7F= #6G@=FE:@?2CJ vF2C5D @? $F?52J A=65865 E92E %69C2?VD 6?6>:6D H@F=5 36 EC2AA65 :? 2 Q5625=J G@CE6IQ :7 E96J H6C6 E@ >2<6 2 HC@?8 >@G6 :? E96 DEC2:E]k^Am
kAms2??J r:EC:?@H:4K[ 2 76==@H 2E xDC26=VD x?DE:EFE6 7@C }2E:@?2= $64FC:EJ $EF5:6D[ D2:5 2 ?2G2= 3=@4<256 H@F=5 :?5665 6IA@D6 &$ 7@C46D E@ :?4C62D65 C:D<]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 :D =:EE=6 C62D@? E@ 36=:6G6 E92E 2 3=@4<256 H@F=5 7@C46 xC2?:2? 42A:EF=2E:@?] x7 2?JE9:?8[ xC2?VD 56>@?DEC2E65 C6D:=:6?46 E9FD 72C DF886DED E96 @AA@D:E6[Q r:EC:?@H:4K HC@E6 @? )]k^Am
kAmQxC2?VD 86@8C2A9:4 D42=6 2?5 >:=:E2CJ 42A23:=:E:6D >62? E92E DFDE2:?:?8 DF49 2? @A6C2E:@? H@F=5 56>2?5 DF3DE2?E:2= 2?5 AC@=@?865 2==@42E:@? @7 p>6C:42? C6D@FC46D]Qk^Am
kAmp?5 DF49 2 AC@=@?865 >:=:E2CJ 6?8286>6?E >2J ?@E D:E H6== H:E9 p>6C:42?D H9@ D2J E96J 2C6 H@CC:65 2?5 DEC6DD65 23@FE E96 4@?7=:4E[ H9:49 3682? :? =2E6 u63CF2CJ]Â k^Am
kAmp rq$ }6HD A@== AF3=:D965 $F?52J C6G62=65 E92E H@CCJ[ DEC6DD 2?5 2?86C 72C @FEH6:89 D276EJ 2?5 4@?7:56?46[ H96? E9@D6 A@==65 H6C6 2D<65 9@H E96J 766= 23@FE E96 H2C]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? g_ A6C46?E @7 C6DA@?56?ED D2:5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D D9@F=5 D66< E@ C6@A6? E96 DEC2:E 2?5 :>AC@G6 8=@32= 2446DD E@ @:=[ H9:49 H@F=5 3C:?8 82D AC:46D 5@H?[ 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 E92E E96 xC2?:2? A6@A=6 2C6 Q7C66]Qk^Am
kAmqFE 76H6C E92? `_ A6C46?E D2:5 E96J 36=:6G65 E9@D6 8@2=D 925 366? 249:6G65]k^Am
kAmQx 5@?VE D66 9@H[ c_\A=FD 52JD :?E@ E9:D H2C[ E92E H6 2C6 D276C[ E92E @FC 2==:6D 2C6 D276C] xV> ?@E 6G6? DFC6 xDC26= :D D276C[Q s6>@4C2E:4 &$ $6?2E@C |2C< (2C?6C D2:5 $F?52J @? r}}VD Q$E2E6 @7 E96 &?:@?Q E2=< D9@H]k^Am
kAmQx 5@?VE F?56CDE2?5 9@H 3=@4<25:?8 E96 DEC2:E :D 8@:?8 E@ D@>69@H AFD9 E96 xC2?:2?D :?E@ @A6?:?8 :E] x 5@?VE 86E E96 4@??64E:@? E96C6]Qk^Am
kAm$@ :7 E96 3=@4<256 :D ?@E 2? 2?DH6C[ H92E 23@FE >@C6 ?68@E:2E:@?Dnk^Am
kAms6>@4C2E:4 $6?2E@C %:> z2:?6 DF886DE65 E92E H@F=5 ?@E 36 2? 62DJ A2E9[ 8:G6? E92E %CF>A C6>@G65 E96 &$ 7C@> 2 a_`d 244@C5 C624965 3J %69C2? 2?5 H@C=5 A@H6CD @? C6DEC:4E:?8 :ED ?F4=62C AC@8C2> :? 6I492?86 7@C D2?4E:@?D C6=:67]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 36 2? 62DJ ?68@E:2E:@? 3642FD6 E96 =2DE ?68@E:2E:@? E92E =65 E@ 2 4@?EC@= @7 xC2?VD ?F4=62C AC@8C2>[ E96 &$ >256 E96 564:D:@? E@ E62C :E FA 2?5 H2=< 2H2J 7C@> E96 562=[Q z2:?6 E@=5 r}}]k^Am
kAmz2EF=:D 649@65 E92E :562]k^Am
kAmQxC2?:2? @77:4:2=D 2C6 2=D@ F?ECFDEH@CE9J 2?5 5FA=:4:E@FD[ 3FE E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D AC@G:5:?8 E96 >:CC@C :>286 @7 E92E[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQx7 x H6C6 2? xC2?:2? @77:4:2= =62G:?8 xD=2>2325[ x H@F=5 H@?56C :7 x 2> 324< @? E96 xDC26=: <:== =:DE]Qk^Am
kAmD4E\DDE^>=>k^Am
