Impasse over Iran war

IRAN and the United States seem to have reached a fresh impasse over how to end their war.

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The current ceasefire is increasingly shaky, with the two sides exchanging fire in recent days with ships and Gulf states being targeted, and fighting flaring between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The volatility could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict, with Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and America’s blockade of Iranian ports still in place.

US President Donald Trump is expected to use a trip to China this week to urge China's President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran into making concessions and end the current deadlock.

Beijing is the biggest buyer of the Islamic Republic’s sanctioned crude oil, giving it leverage. However, achieving any deal remains tough work.