Pakistan, April 24 -- The world watches as the Strait of Hormuz turns into a lever of raw power, with traffic through the narrow waterway now far below normal levels and fuel prices in the United States having already crossed $4 a gallon in recent weeks.

US President Donald Trump insists he will not lift his naval blockade, even as he prolongs the ceasefire and waits for Tehran to produce a "unified proposal" for peace. Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has seized two vessels for what it described as maritime violations, and Britain is convening military leaders from thirty nations to discuss reopening the strait. Even as Washington calls its strategy pressure and Tehran calls it war, what no one disputes is that the disru...