US moves to blockade Strait of Hormuz after talks fail

In today’s episode of Trending Middle East, the US moves to enforce a blockade around Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran ended without a deal. We break down what happened in Islamabad, where both sides made progress but failed to bridge key differences over Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the strait. Meanwhile, Israel signals that a peace deal with Lebanon could be possible under certain conditions. In Saudi Arabia, efforts are under way to restore oil production capacity after attacks on key facilities. And in the UAE, Dubai is expanding its flood protection systems, completing a major phase of infrastructure upgrades aimed at strengthening resilience after recent extreme weather. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.