US Senate has also voted down two significant measures related to military policy, including an effort to block arms sales to Israel and another limit to presidential war powers in Iran
Trump is confronting a crisis that is not bending to his narrative of a "pretty reasonable" new regime in Iran and all-but-assured victory for the United States
The commander of Iran's joint military command on Wednesday threatened to halt trade in the Gulf region if the US does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports. No vessels have made it past US naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade, according to the US Central Command. Even so, US President Donald Trump said the war in Iran was "very close to over" in an interview that aired Wednesday. Trump also claimed that China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran as reports circulate that Beijing has considered transferring arms. China's Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied in recent days that the country is providing any form of military support to Iran. Separately, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Wednesday that the US is preparing to ramp up economic pain on Iran by levying secondary sanctions on financial institutions that do business with the Middle Eastern nation. Bessent called the measure the "financial equivalent" of the bombing campaign. Meanwhile, ...
Modi and Trump spoke for 40 minutes on Tuesday, with American Ambassador to India Sergio Gor later indicating that the two sides are poised to conclude several "big-ticket" deals soon
After the SC struck down many of his global tariffs, Trump imposed a temporary 10 per cent tariff that covers many imports. That levy is set to expire on July 24
The diplomatic push came as US and Iranian officials weighed a return to Pakistan for further talks after negotiations there ended on Sunday without a breakthrough
US envoy Sergio Gor and Hardeep Singh Puri discussed access to American energy and strengthening bilateral ties, a day after PM Narendra Modi's call with US President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran as reports circulate that Beijing has considered transferring arms. Trump wrote in a social media post that China is "very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz." He added: "They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran." He seemed to suggest the two are linked. The president had told an interviewer on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had denied sending weapons to Iran. China's Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied in recent days that the country is providing any form of military support to Iran.
An anxious Europe scrambles for solutions after US President Donald Trump has threatened to annex Greenland from Denmark, and called Nato a 'paper tiger'
The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that "very detailed" measures to verify Iran's nuclear activities must be included in a potential US-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for the thorough verification regime for Iran's nuclear programme, as US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks with Iran could happen over the next two days. The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn't developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear programme. Last weekend in Pakistan, an initial round of talks between the two countries failed to produce an agreement. The White House said Iran's nuclear ambitions were a central sticking point. But an Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the closed-door
Trump says ceasefire may not need extension, signals diplomacy as preferred path even as US operations continue and fresh talks with Iran are possible before the truce deadline
US Central Command said no ships managed to pass through the blockade in the first 24 hours, adding that several vessels were instructed to turn back toward Iranian ports
The US says it has enforced a blockade on Iranian ports; Trump says the war is 'close to over', but warns action will continue as talks may resume soon
West Asia crisis: Even as the US President signalled a potential end to the conflict, Trump made it clear that US operations were not yet complete
Trump is seeking to restore his tariff wall using different authorities after the high court ruled that his use of emergency powers to impose those earlier duties was unconstitutional
US envoy Sergio Gor teases 'big-ticket' deals, including on energy
This marked the first interaction between the two leaders since the initial round of peace talks in Islamabad failed without an agreement after nearly 21 hours of negotiations
Shipowners, energy traders and investors across financial markets have been keenly following its route through Hormuz as they try to understand the latest US effort to pressure Tehran
Iran, according to Nomura's estimates, has been the biggest beneficiary since the war broke out in terms oil revenues that rose 36 per cent y-o-y in March 2026 to $5.7 billion
If US enforces the blockade, the Iranian economy will suffer an enormous blow on top of the war destruction and will need to start shuttering oil wells in next few days as its storage tanks fill up