Lucy Hough

Is this pressure from Pakistan?

Is it the markets?

Or is there something else kind of behind the scenes?

Goodness, what a thought.

And in no small part, and in fact, probably mainly to do with this war in Iran, which has so little support from the American public and that opposition increasing.

Meanwhile, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is very febrile, very volatile.

When we last spoke,

Trump had imposed this US blockade on Iranian ports to prevent those Iranian ships leaving, or at least monitor them.

There's now been the seizure of two ships, allegedly by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC.

A third ship has been attacked this morning, reportedly, we understand.

So what's going on?

I mean, this doesn't feel like fertile ground for ceasefire negotiations.

Yeah, and you've written a great piece about how Trump's erratic strategy is really proving an obstruction to the ceasefire process, or at least where it moves from here, given that it's been extended indefinitely, but talks seem to be stalled and very uncertain.

I mean, Trump is posting, as by your reporting, kind of at least seven truth social posts a day, often with incredibly contradictory messages.

What are the sorts of conversations you've been having with diplomats sort of involved in the various engaged parties?

So what next for the peace talks?

Because J.D.

Vance, the vice president, has postponed a planned trip to Pakistan, right?

And Iran says it won't proceed without an end to the blockade.

And, you know, both sides, the US and Iran are kind of trading military threats.