Israeli strikes on Friday left Lebanon out of sync with a cautious optimism taking hold elsewhere in the Middle East.
With more than 500 ships still stranded in the Persian Gulf, pressure on the shipowners and sailors is growing by the day.
Since announcing a nominal cease-fire two months ago, Iran, Israel and the U.S. have remained locked in low-intensity violence that has become a new normal.
Analysts saw little prospect of either President Trump or Tehran backing down after days of exchanging fire.
President Trump said that the Iranians were taking “too long to negotiate” a deal to end the conflict launched by the United States and Israel four months ago.
As the Iran war drags on, Oman — a U.S. ally and mediator with Iran — has found itself at odds with the Trump administration and some of its own neighbors.
The retaliatory U.S. attacks came on Tuesday as Israeli forces pounded southern Lebanon while targeting Hezbollah.
The measures aim to “disrupt the flows of finance” supporting attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, said the British government, which coordinated them with France and other nations.
Washington and Tehran would need to defend any potential deal as a win for their side. And each has a leader whose approach to talks is vexing mediators.
The Iran war is pushing countries to prioritize domestic energy in order to protect themselves from volatile oil and natural gas markets.