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A ceasefire between the United States and Iran is scheduled to expire next week.
The United States, under President Donald Trump, has initiated a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran are reportedly discussing a second round of negotiations to be held in the coming days.
The U.S. naval blockade significantly increases the risk of military escalation with Iran, threatening an already fragile ceasefire.
U.S. Central Command has defined the naval blockade as targeting all maritime traffic destined for Iranian ports, including those outside the Persian Gulf.
A naval blockade is technically considered an act of war, and it is highly probable that Iran will interpret the U.S. action as such.
Iran could retaliate against the U.S. naval blockade by attacking ports and infrastructure in Gulf countries.
If the U.S. expands its blockade policy, it could lead to interdicting Iranian "dark fleet" oil tankers in the Indo-Pacific region, potentially those en route to China.
The recent peace talks in Pakistan represented the highest-level diplomatic engagement between the United States and Iran in a very long time, featuring the Iranian Speaker of the Parliament and the American Vice President.
Iran has added a demand to negotiations that Israel must cease its attacks on Lebanon.
During the talks in Islamabad, the Iranian delegation only agreed to meet directly with the American delegation after claiming that Israel had reduced some of its strikes on Lebanon.
Iran's long-term negotiation goal is to secure an end to future military aggression against itself and its regional allied militias, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.