US and Iran Vie for Hormuz Control After Peace Efforts Stall

US forces patrol the Arabian Sea near the Touska cargo ship, on April 20.Source: US Navy

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By Eltaf Najafizada, Weilun Soon, Omar Tamo, and Jennifer A Dlouhy

April 22, 2026 at 2:58 PM UTC

Updated on

April 23, 2026 at 1:37 AM UTC

The US and Iran are locked in a battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz after failing to meet for a fresh round of peace talks, with both sides blocking the waterway to gain leverage during an extended ceasefire.

President Donald Trump said the truce agreed to on April 7 would stay in place indefinitely while Washington waits for Iran to submit a new peace proposal, though Tehran says it has no plans to take part in negotiations imminently. Vice President JD Vance was set to fly to Islamabad on Tuesday to resume discussions, before it became clear Iran would not send its own delegation.