India, April 15 -- Tensions across the Middle East deepened further as the Iran war entered its seventh week, with the United States enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports while Lebanon and Israel held rare direct talks in Washington. The dual developments highlight a region balancing between escalation and diplomacy while military pressure intensifies in the Gulf, Washington is simultaneously pushing for negotiations aimed at reducing conflict across multiple fronts.

The blockade, now in its second day, targets Iranian access to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping corridor that handles nearly 20% of the world's oil supply. At the same time, the first direct Lebanon-Israel diplomatic engagement in more than three decades o...