Hormuz at standstill, denting U.S.-Iran peace deal hopes

Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill early Sunday after Iran reversed its decision to reopen the waterway and fired on vessels attempting to pass, warning it would block transits as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained.

The standoff over Hormuz — through which about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas transited before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran — threatens to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and undermine expectations of an imminent peace deal touted by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hormuz is one of several unresolved issues in peace talks, including Iran's nuclear program and Israel's ongoing invasion of Lebanon.

"Ships are awaiting instructions from Iran's armed forces to determine whether they can pass through the route," Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,

quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.

SUBSCRIBE NOW