The United States is preparing additional economic sanctions on Iran as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies and attacks on ships around the Strait of Hormuz (a vital oil shipping route) renew fears over global supply. Bloomberg reported on Aug. 16 that the Israel Defense Forces killed senior Hezbollah commander Abu Hassan Alla in a southern Lebanon airstrike on Aug. 15 that left 11 people dead, the deadliest attack since a ceasefire was agreed in early June, while President Donald Trump's administration considers tighter pressure on Tehran. Trump said in a recent Fox News interview that he plans to tighten pressure on Iran's economy and would not mind if the conflict remains unresolved until the US midterm elections in November. With China buying more than 90% of Iran's oil, Washington has limited room to escalate unless it turns to secondary sanctions (penalties on third countries), a step that could provoke Beijing, weigh on the US economy and add volatility to energy prices after Brent crude rose about 6% last week. US-Iran talks, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, remain stuck over reopening the strait, while Iran and Oman are discussing a separate shipping map that Tehran says would not fully reopen the waterway.