‘No war, no peace’: Can Iran break the deadlock with the US?

As the United States-Iran war drags out and talks stay stalled, Tehran is identified to move beyond a state of “no war and no peace”, parliament speaker and chief arbitrator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has actually informed Al Jazeera.

Iran continues to assert control over which vessels might travel through the Strait of Hormuz, where attacks on tankers taking “unauthorised” paths have actually interfered with shipping.

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Ghalibaf states Tehran stays open up to a handle the United States to concur a ceasefire and the resuming of the strait, and has actually been awaiting Washington to react to its terms for this to take place. “The ball is now in the American court,” he stated.

Confronted with the possibility of rebooting an out of favor war or making concessions to Iran in order to protect an offer, specialists state United States President Donald Trump has actually for now selected to ratchet up financial pressure. To this end, Washington has actually tightened up sanctions, preserved its blockade on Iranian ports and revealed an operation that Trump states will cut off overland paths Iran utilizes to transfer innovative weapons and innovation.

In the meantime, major combating stays on hold, however an official peace offer is still out of reach, with a delicate stalemate that might not hold for long, professionals state.

“The existing balance is naturally unsteady,” Ali Vaez, deputy program director for the Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group, informed Al Jazeera. “Because what Washington thinks about a sustainable stalemate, Tehran views as a slow-motion strangulation. Both sides are relying on the other’s discomfort limit being lower than their own.”

“That is an unsafe wager,” he included.The length of time can Iran hold out?

Tehran has actually put down 7 conditions before it will consent to a ceasefire and the resuming of the Strait of Hormuz, then reboot peace talks through a Qatari conciliator, and has actually been awaiting a main United States reaction to its needs. They consist of the lifting of the United States marine blockade on Iranian ports, sanctions relief, launching frozen Iranian funds, ending hostilities on all fronts and officially stating the war over.

Ghalibaf stated these conditions had actually currently formed part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) reached with the United States in Islamabad in June and should be executed before Iran will return to settlements with the United States.

Tehran’s push for an offer shows the pressure the blockade and sanctions are putting on its economy, experts state. The longer that pressure lasts, the more difficult it might end up being for Iran’s leaders to consent to terms they might have a hard time to safeguard in your home.

“Iran desires remedy for the siege, however after paying such a heavy cost … its leaders can not pay for a settlement that appears like surrender,” Vaez stated. “The more Washington requires capitulation, the more evasive an offer ends up being.”

There are still indications of motion. Qatar stated on Tuesday it was “working relentlessly” to solve the crisis which both sides had actually made favorable declarations about diplomacy. A day previously, after hosting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House, Trump stated there was “momentum towards completion of this dispute”. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, nevertheless, has actually explained Iran’s needs as “undesirable”.

daily news updates epa13178257 Iranians drive near an anti-Trump billboard in Tehran, Iran, 19 August 2026. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States lifts its blockade and ends sanctions. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH RESTRICTIONS: NO Access Israel Media/Persian Language TV Stations Outside Iran/Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV. (As mandated by Iran's Directorate General for Foreign Media) --

Iranians drive near an anti-Trump signboard in Tehran, Iran, on August 19, 2026. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf states the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed till the United States raises its blockade and ends sanctions

Gerd Nonneman, a teacher of worldwide relations and Gulf research studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, informed Al Jazeera that the expense of maintaining this pressure might narrow Washington’s space for manoeuvre.

“The United States side might really momentarily believe the status quo is more effective to making substantial concessions now, however that will never ever be a sustainable method as it is excessively pricey, both in regards to total financial results and of the expense of the military operation,” he stated.

Iran’s primary source of take advantage of in the standoff is the Strait of Hormuz, experts state. By looking for to determine which ships can pass and which paths they can take, Tehran can raise the expense of the stalemate for Washington and its Gulf partners. Ghalibaf informed Al Jazeera the waterway would “never ever return” to its pre-war status.

That take advantage of was on display screen last weekend, when delivering slowed dramatically following attacks on tankers. Simply 5 product vessels crossed on Saturday, November 7, while trade intelligence company Kpler tape-recorded none on Sunday, November 8. That compares to 31 crossings over the previous weekend, the Reuters news company reported, mentioning the company’s ship-tracking information.

In a declaration brought by the Tasnim news firm, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated a “huge surge” on Wednesday night brought 2 supertankers to a grinding halt as they took a trip along a path it stated was unauthorised. The IRGC stated the vessels were bring more than 4 million barrels of oil in between them.

Experts state periodic attacks on tankers permit Iran to destabilise shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining its primary source of take advantage of over Washington.

“Washington has the high-end of waiting, however it does not have the high-end of choosing how Tehran acts while it waits,” Vaez stated. “The paradox is that the more efficient America’s pressure project ends up being, the higher Iran’s reward to break the deadlock by force.”

The length of time can Washington wait?

Trump’s consultants are supposedly divided over what to do next. Rubio has actually argued that the financial pressure project is working, while United States Vice President JD Vance has actually promoted a worked out offer, according to Axios. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Trump’s consultant and son-in-law Jared Kushner have actually backed preserving financial pressure, the outlet reported.

“While neither want to go back to a state of war, I believe the United States is a little more eager than Iran on the existing stalemate, as an outcome of the financial pressure caused by the marine blockade,” Albert Vidal, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, informed Al Jazeera.

The United States midterm elections recently might likewise impact Trump’s estimations. When the brand-new Congress takes workplace in January, Democrats might utilize their newfound control over costs to make it harder for the administration to sustain military operations, Vidal stated.

“At the very same time, the Trump administration’s window to perform significant operations might be closing, too, as Democrats may select to utilize the power of the handbag in the brand-new Congress in January,” he stated.

Vidal stated lacks of ballistic rocket interceptors might press Washington to restrict any restored battling.

Iran, on the other hand, has actually indicated that it might strike back versus civilian facilities in addition to United States military bases in the area, he stated. A choice to resume hostilities might for that reason draw Gulf nations even more into a war whose financial and human expenses they are currently bearing.

“The catastrophe is that both sides understand how to begin another round of hostilities, however neither understands how to manage or end it,” Vaez stated.


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