US Shuts Down Iran's Maritime Trade Despite Optimism for More Talks

US shuts down Iran's maritime trade despite optimism for more talks

US Blockade, Diplomatic Efforts, and Ongoing Tensions

US Halts Iranian Maritime Trade

DUBAI/WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday its military had completely halted trade going in and out of Iran by sea, while President Donald Trump said talks with Tehran on ending the war could resume this week, sending oil prices down for a second day.

Trump said negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials could resume in Pakistan in the next two days and Vice President JD Vance, who led weekend talks that ended without a breakthrough, said he felt positive about where things stood.

"I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead," Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, adding he did not think it would be necessary to extend a two-week ceasefire that ends on April 21.

"It could end either way, but I think a deal is preferable because then they can rebuild," Trump said, according to a post by Karl on X. "They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals."

Officials from Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf also said negotiating teams from the U.S. and Iran could return to Pakistan later this week, although one senior Iranian source said no date had been set.    

Despite the optimistic note, more vessels were being turned back under the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, including a U.S.-sanctioned and Chinese-owned tanker Rich Starry that was making its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Persian Gulf.

Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the U.S. Central Command, said American forces had completely halted economic trade going in and out of Iran by sea, which he said fuels 90% of Iran's economy.

"In less than 36 hours since the blockade was implemented, U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea," Cooper said in a post on X.

Earlier the U.S. military said it had intercepted eight Iran-linked oil tankers since the start of the blockade on Monday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Diplomatic Negotiations and Market Impact

Return to Islamabad

RETURN TO ISLAMABAD

Trump, speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday, said his negotiators are likely to be back, thanks largely to the "great job" Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was doing to moderate the talks.

Later on Tuesday, at an event in Georgia, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Trump wanted to make a "grand bargain" with Iran but there was a lot of mistrust between the two countries.

"You are not going to solve that problem overnight," he said.

The signs of diplomatic engagement to end the conflict that began on February 28 helped calm oil markets, pressing benchmark prices below $100 for a second day on Wednesday. Asian stocks rose while the safe-haven dollar stabilised after falling for a seventh straight session overnight.

However, the market stands to lose access to further supply as the U.S. does not plan to renew a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea that expires this week, according to two U.S. officials, and quietly let a similar waiver on Russian oil run out on the weekend.

 The war has prompted Iran to effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global waterway for crude and gas transport, and cut shipments from the Gulf to global buyers, particularly in Asia and Europe, leaving importers scrambling to secure alternate supplies.

About 5,000 people have died in the hostilities, including about 3,000 in Iran and 2,000 in Lebanon.

Key Sticking Points in Negotiations

Nuclear Program Disagreements

STICKING POINTS

Iran's nuclear ambitions were a key sticking point at the weekend talks. The U.S. had proposed a 20-year suspension of all nuclear activity by Iran, while Tehran had suggested a halt of three to five years, according to people familiar with the proposals.

Speaking in Seoul, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said the length of any moratorium on Iranian uranium enrichment was a political decision and it was possible Tehran might accept a compromise as a confidence-building act. 

The U.S. has also pressed for any enriched nuclear material to be removed from Iran, while Tehran has demanded that international sanctions against it be removed. 

One source involved in the negotiations in Pakistan said back-channel talks since the weekend had produced progress in closing that gap, bringing the two sides closer to a deal that could be put forward at a new round of talks.

Regional Tensions and Ceasefire Challenges

Israel-Lebanon Conflict

However, in a major complication for peace prospects, Israel has continued to attack Lebanon as it targets Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group. Israel and the U.S. say that campaign is not covered by the ceasefire, while Iran insists it is.

International Response

On Tuesday, the UK, Canada, Japan and seven other countries condemned the killings of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon and called for "an urgent end to hostilities".   

The statement comes after the deaths of three Indonesian peacekeepers last month. The countries welcomed the ceasefire agreed between the U.S., Israel and Iran.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus, Writing by Jack Kim, Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)