U.S., IRAN STILL FAR FROM PEACE AS HORMUZ TENSIONS EASE The U.S. and Iran remained deadlocked on Saturday as Washington awaited Tehran’s response to a proposal to formally end the war and begin peace talks. After days of clashes, the Strait of Hormuz was relatively calm. A Qatari LNG tanker headed toward the waterway in what sources called a confidence-building move approved by Iran. The conflict, triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, has disrupted oil markets and threatened global trade. Iran has largely restricted shipping through Hormuz, which carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. Britain said it was deploying a warship to the region for a possible mission to protect shipping, while the U.S. announced new sanctions targeting Iran-linked entities in China and Hong Kong. Iran accused Washington of sabotaging diplomacy, while U.S. officials said they still expected a response from Tehran.(*Walter Bloomberg)