Joe Khalil Updated: May 11, 2026 / 07:46 AM CDT

(NewsNation) — Iran and the United States remain deadlocked Monday over how to end the war, even as a fragile ceasefire showed increasing signs of strain. Both sides have exchanged fire in recent days, with ships and Gulf states being targeted and fighting between Israel and Hezbollah threatening to pull the region back toward broader conflict.

The growing instability risks reigniting full-scale warfare across the Middle East and deepening the global energy crisis sparked by the conflict. Iran’s continued control over the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remain major flashpoints.

President Donald Trump is expected to use a trip to China this week to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Iran to make concessions and end the current limbo. Beijing is the biggest buyer of the Islamic Republic’s sanctioned crude oil, giving it leverage.