Why US-Iran tensions could quickly escalate into a crisis

The open rancor between the nations' two top diplomats underscores growing concern that the lack of any established channel for direct negotiation makes a military confrontation more likely in the event of a misunderstanding or a mishap.

US-iran ties, us iran nuclear deal, donald trump, us news, world news — US-Iran ties have plummetted in the past few months owing to the nuclear pact.

Three years ago, when Iran’s military captured 10 U.S. sailors after they mistakenly strayed into Iranian waters, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif jumped on the phone in minutes and worked out the sailors’ release in hours.