‘No war, no peace’: Can Iran break the deadlock with the US?
Sustainable stalemate or slow-motion strangulation? The current ‘equilibrium’ is inherently unstable, experts say.
![Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gives a press conference at an event marking 40 days since the burial of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba Mosque in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on August 20, 2026. [Karar Jabbar/AFP]](https://aljazeeranews.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AFP__20260820__C66784N__v1__HighRes__IraqIranPoliticsDiplomacyReligionIslamShia-1787255506.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Sustainable stalemate or slow-motion strangulation? The current ‘equilibrium’ is inherently unstable, experts say.
![Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf gives a press conference at an event marking 40 days since the burial of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba Mosque in Iraq's central holy shrine city of Karbala on August 20, 2026. [Karar Jabbar/AFP]](https://aljazeeranews.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AFP__20260820__C66784N__v1__HighRes__IraqIranPoliticsDiplomacyReligionIslamShia-1787255506.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)







Incident comes as Iran says four oil tankers attempting to use ‘unauthorised routes’ to cross the waterway were halted.

Argentina’s farmers are evacuating their cattle by boat to higher ground as El Nino raises water levels.

An oil spill from a damaged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz has reached the UAE’s beaches, forcing their closure.
Tehran remains firm on demands despite diplomatic urgency to prevent escalation in the ongoing US-Israeli conflict.

A captain whose cruise liner collided with container ships in strong winds is being investigated by German police.
Al Jazeera tracks the GFS Pride’s final voyage from Karachi to its sinking in the Strait of Hormuz.

An oil slick has been filmed washing up on the UAE shoreline, prompting authorities to close beaches in Umm Al Quwain.

US President Donald Trump sarcastically responded to a reporter asking about possible renewed attacks on Iran.
An oil spill off the UAE coast has prompted beach closures after a vessel reportedly hit a naval mine in early October.
One sailor killed and three others missing after Comoros-flagged Khoryv hit near Romanian waters.