The focus of US-Iran negotiations has clearly shifted from Trump’s grand objectives of “total surrender” to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The US president is betting that sustained sanctions and a blockade on Iran will place enough economic pressure on it to make concessions. For its part, Tehran is banking on the rising cost of the war and energy prices to pressure Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections into making a deal favourable to Iran.

If reached, will a deal finally bring an end to the US-Iran war, or will it pave the way for another round of conflict? Given how much is at stake, Al Majalla chose this topic as its weekly cover story, offering political and economic analysis about how we got here and what the future could have in store.