The nuclear deal's fragile state
The prospect of a US-Iran nuclear agreement has been hanging by a thread for years. The latest escalation in tensions makes any breakthrough look even more remote. While neither side has walked away from the table, the climate is hardly conducive to trust or compromise. For Iran, an economy already running hot under sanctions, the lost opportunity is a heavy one.
Strait of Hormuz on the line
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway that handles a sizeable chunk of the world's oil shipments. Any disruption to that traffic would be felt in every corner of the global energy market. The mere threat of trouble in the strait has historically sent shivers through traders. With
