Strait of Hormuz remains a fault line as Iran and US drift back into war

Strait of Hormuz remains a fault line as Iran and US drift back into warImage source, ReutersByLyse DoucetChief International CorrespondentPublished5 minutes agoThe fragile "no war, no peace" situation since the US and Iran signed a tentative deal last month now seems to have tipped into war.This on-again off-again truce could again wobble back into life through the efforts of increasingly exasperated Arab and Pakistani mediators, and the preference of both sides to avoid a return to a drawn out, all-out war.But its biggest fault line is the status of the strategic Strait of Hormuz - and Iran is again making it clear that its control over this vital maritime corridor is a big, bright red line that neither military, economic nor diplomatic pressure can break."We told you: keep your word or pay the price," is how Iran's lead negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf recently phrased it on social media, quoting the agreement.Why the Strait of Hormuz matters so much in the Iran warPublished3 hours agoTehran has found backing for that word in the very vague details of the deal - known as a memorandum of understanding - which was drafted in haste in June.It has been understood differently by both sides from the start.Iran sees in point five of the 14-point plan a green light, which gives it sway over the management of this critical maritime corridor. Point five reads: "The Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels."The US reads that as saying Tehran has to open this strategic strait to the free flow of global oil and gas supplies, along with other vital commodities, including ingredients to produce fertiliser."You can drive a truck through those clauses," an Arab oil executive working in the region said.While the new leadership, which emerged in Tehran from weeks of all-out war and waves of US-Israeli assassinations, appears to be aligned on their broad strategic...