Iran and US at impasse over ceasefire talks as fears grow of conflict escalation

President Donald Trump listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House (Alex Brandon/AP)

Iran and the United States appear at an impasse over the possibility of ceasefire talks, setting the stage for another escalation in the Middle East war.

Thousands more US troops have neared the region, Israel poured more troops into southern Lebanon to fight the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Tehran tightened its grip on the crucial Strait of Hormuz.