Iran and the United States failed to reach a nuclear agreement before Monday's deadline, leaving key disputes unresolved and tensions in the region running high. President Donald Trump responded by calling on Tehran to raise the "white flag of surrender," while also asserting that the US had achieved "total control" over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route that has remained effectively blocked.

Trump claimed the US Navy had imposed a "wall of steel" blockade, cutting maritime traffic through the strait to under ten per cent of pre-war levels, and suggested Washington could even declare the waterway US territory. Iranian officials rejected these claims of total control and warned the standoff could develop into a prolonged conflict, as international shipping continues to face severe disruption amid the deadlock.