Washington, April 14 -- The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz imposed after talks with Iran collapsed over the weekend has raised the risk of widening a war now entering its seventh week, lifted oil prices and increased the prospect of further economic pain around the globe. The developments threatened to prolong and widen a war that has led to thousands of deaths and roiled global energy markets, with higher oil and gas prices threatening to stoke inflation while slowing economic growth. Around the world, there's now a desperate effort among refiners and traders to secure immediately available crude cargoes as physical supplies tighten. The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most important energy chokepoint, accounting for about a fifth of ...