Strait of Hormuz crisis: US Iran talks in Pakistan as shipping and oil price risks rise

US President Donald Trump said US negotiators will be in Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran. The move follows Iran’s new warning on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said transit will stay blocked while the US blockade of Iranian ports continues. The standoff is adding to supply pressure and lifting oil prices again.

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy said on Saturday night that the strait is closed until the US blockade is lifted. Earlier, two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker in the waterway. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said the tanker and crew were safe. The vessel and destination were not named.

Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions and oil flows

MarineTraffic data showed ships trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz turning back. Iran’s navy has tightened transit rules while the US blockades Iranian ports and waters. Hundreds of vessels are waiting on both sides for permission. About one-fifth of global oil normally passes through this route, deepening market strain.

Kpler said 19 vessels crossed on Friday after Iran and the US announced a reopening. That announcement came late last week under an understanding between both governments. The situation shifted again by Saturday. US Central Command said it had sent 23 ships back to Iran since the blockade began.

US Central Command also said at least three vessels were attacked by Iran on Saturday. The attacks happened while vessels tried to cross the strait. That added to a wider shipping halt in the Persian Gulf. Energy supply limits were already pushing prices higher in global markets.

Strait of Hormuz standoff and Iran-US conflict risks

The fast-growing dispute over the choke point has raised fears of a wider conflict. It is also worsening an energy crisis affecting the global economy. Even so, mediators said a new deal is still possible. Talks in Pakistan are expected to resume after Iran reversed its earlier decision to reopen the strait.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Sunday that the US blockade is aggression. Baghaei said it also breaks a fragile Pakistani-mediated ceasefire between the two states. "By deliberately inflicting collective punishment on the Iranian population, it amounts to war crime and crimes against humanity,\" Baghaei said on social media.

Strait of Hormuz tensions amid regional fighting and truce

A 10-day truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon appeared to be holding. The wider Middle East fighting is nearing two months. At least 3,000 people have been killed in Iran, and nearly 2,300 in Lebanon. Israel reported 23 civilian deaths and 15 soldiers killed.

More than a dozen people have been killed in Gulf Arab states, and 13 US service members have died. In Gaza, a health official at Awda hospital said Israeli fire killed one Palestinian in central Gaza. Three others were wounded in the strike. The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.

Palestinians in Gaza have reported stronger Israeli strikes in recent days across the enclave. Since a fragile ceasefire deal was reached in October, strikes have remained a near-daily threat. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said more than 775 Palestinians have been killed since that deal.

Strait of Hormuz news as Israel outlines Lebanon defence line

The Israeli military said it has set up a new forward defence line in southern Lebanon. It released a map showing troops operating south of the line. The deployment has been described elsewhere as a Yellow Line. Israel said five divisions are working to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.

The line was not mentioned in ceasefire terms published by the United States. The map showed dozens of villages inside the zone. The zone stretches several kilometres into Lebanon. Residents in those areas would likely be blocked from returning, and Lebanese officials did not immediately comment.

Strait of Hormuz crisis as Pope Leo XIV comments on peace

Pope Leo XIV spoke about the Lebanon ceasefire during Mass near Angola’s capital on Sunday. The Vatican said about 100,000 people attended. Leo praised the cease-fire as a hopeful sign for lasting peace in the Middle East. \"We wish to build a country where old divisions are overcome once and for all, where hatred and violence disappear, and where the scourge of corruption is healed by a new culture of justice and sharing,\" Leo said.

Trump also renewed threats linked to Iran’s next steps in the conflict. Trump said the US could knock out every Iranian power plant and bridge. Some experts in military law said strikes on civilian sites can be war crimes. They said legality may depend on proportionality and efforts to limit civilian harm.

When asked about war crimes risks, US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz called it an escalation issue. \"that would be an escalatory ladder.\" Waltz added, \"Iran and its proxies have a long history of actually deliberately hiding military infrastructure in hospitals, schools, neighborhoods and … and other civilian assets. … They have no ground to stand on,\" and said, \"Its perfectly acceptable in the rules of land warfare,\" plus, \"So this is just a ridiculous argument,\"

The Strait of Hormuz remained central to the crisis, with ships waiting for clearance and oil flows disrupted. Iran kept linking access to an end of the US blockade of ports and waters. Trump said the next step will be negotiations in Pakistan on Monday. Officials on both sides continued to trade accusations as mediation efforts carried on.

With inputs from PTI