The ceasefire between Iran and the US is unravelling

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Donald Trump has told Iran it will “pay the price” for taking too long to negotiate a deal to end the war in the Gulf. His comments came after an exchange of fire that was sparked by the downing of an American Apache helicopter near Oman. In response to US airstrikes, Iran targeted American bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain. It was the most serious breach yet of a ceasefire that now exists in name only. Trump claimed as recently as Sunday that a deal with Iran is imminent, but the two countries cannot agree on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The US president has also been unable to rein in Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign in Lebanon, which provoked a separate round of tit-for-tat strikes between Israel and Iran.