US-Iran Talks Fail, Tankers Retreat from Hormuz Strait

Two empty supertankers reversed course near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, abandoning attempts to enter the Persian Gulf just as negotiations between the United States and Iran collapsed without agreement, escalating tensions over control of the vital oil shipping route.

Ship tracking data indicated that the Iraq-bound Agios Fanourios I and the Pakistan-flagged Shalamar, destined for Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, approached the strait from the Gulf of Oman late Saturday and reached waters off Iran's Larak Island early Sunday. At that point, both vessels executed U-turns and retreated, despite prior approvals from Iranian authorities for ships linked to Iraq and Pakistan. A third very large crude carrier, the Mombasa B, pressed on and successfully navigated the Iran-approved corridor between Larak and Qeshm islands into the Persian Gulf, though it has not signaled a final destination.

The maneuvers coincided with the end of 21-hour talks in Islamabad, where U.S. and Iranian officials failed to resolve disputes over reopening the strait. U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated that discussions showed some progress but yielded no final deal, describing the outcome as worse...