Mediators push for lasting peace even as Hormuz blockade begins, reports Axios

With a U.S. naval blockade of Iran now underway, Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators are pressing both sides to narrow differences and revive talks before a ceasefire deadline on April 21, Axios reported. A U.S. official said the blockade is part of negotiations aimed at limiting Iran’s leverage in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump is weighing renewed strikes if the blockade fails to change Iran’s course, and he said on X that the Hormuz blockade has begun. The UK Maritime Organisation confirmed enforcement at Iranian ports. A regional source called the bargaining a bazaar.