US and Iran keep talking as Trump's blockade takes effect

The United States and Iran are continuing to negotiate through Pakistani intermediaries despite the implementation of a new US blockade. A fragile ceasefire is holding even though recent high-stakes talks in Islamabad ended without a formal agreement on issues like Iran's nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has initiated a naval blockade to exert economic pressure, which Iran has labeled as "piracy." Tehran maintains control over the strategic waterway, blocking most western ships and demanding a toll system, while warning of retaliation if its ports are threatened.