US-Iran Talks in the Works Amid Blockade, Threats

0:00Diplomats are hustling through backchannels to set up fresh talks between the United States and Iran, right as Washington rolls out a blockade on. Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran is firing back with threats to hit targets across the region, even though last week ceasefire is still hanging on. President Trump says a second round could kick off in the next two days, maybe right here in Pakistan's capital. Earlier this week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres backed the move, calling it highly probable after chats with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister. The first round last weekend fell apart over Iran's nuclear push, but both sides have now nodded yes to trying again. Spots like Islamabad or Geneva are on the table for hosting. The human tolls brutal. 3,000 dead in Iran, over 2011 on 23 in Israel, plus more than a dozen in Gulf states, and 13 U.S. service members. These are shattered, and the war's seventh week has markets in chaos, with shipping halted

1:01and infrastructure wrecked. On the blockade's first full day, tankers flip course, with no vessels slipping through according to U.S. Central Command. Six merchant ships turned back to Iranian ports on Gulf of Amman orders, and Treasury Secretary Scott Besan made it clear Chinese tankers won't get. Oil passed the Strait. Meanwhile, direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors just started in Washington, the first in decades. With oil prices through the roof were wide, and ceasefire nerves frayed, these moves could either cool things down or spark the next flare-up. I'm Corey with the story, and you've been listening to Tampa Bay News today, AI-powered local news.