US President Donald Trump is about to take a critical decision on Iran, with his top aides making plans to resume air strikes if he chooses to break the diplomatic deadlock through military force. Trump has just returned from China. Other nations are trying to broker a compromise that would reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and allow Trump to claim a political victory ahead of the US election, but he has remained firm.

China is Tehran’s key strategic partner, relying heavily on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. PICS/PTI