Iran Economy

US-Israel-Iran war: Where the conflict stands after 10 days of fighting

Ten days of strikes, naval deployments, fears over the Strait of Hormuz and oil market volatility have pushed the Iran conflict beyond the battlefield. Here's where the crisis stands now

Oil over $100: How the Strait of Hormuz crisis is shaking the world economy

Within days of the US-Israel attacks on Iran, crude oil prices have surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since the early fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Who's driving the US-Israel-Iran conflict and who holds power in Tehran now

US and Israeli strikes killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top commanders, reshaping Tehran's power structure as questions mount over who will lead next

US futures, Asian shares open lower, oil prices soar amid Iran crisis

The US and Israeli attacks on Iran rattled world markets on Monday, with US futures initially falling more than 1 per cent and oil prices soaring, though both moderated as trading picked up. The futures for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down about 0.8 per cent by mid-morning in Bangkok. Asian shares opened lower. Japan's Nikkei 225 index initially fell more than 2 per cent, but by midday Tokyo time it was down 1.5 per cent at 57,981.54. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng lost 1.6 per cent to 26,215.91, and the Shanghai Composite index was flat at 4,163.01. Taiwan's benchmark lost 0.6 per cent and Singapore's dropped 1.9 per cent. In Bangkok, the SET fell 2.1 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.3 per cent to 9,173.50. Markets were closed in South Korea for a holiday. The price of gold, usually viewed as a safe haven for investment in times of uncertainty, rose 2.4 per cent to about USD 5,371 per ounce. Traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and ...

West Asia oil output may need to stop if Hormuz closed for 25 days

Around 19 million barrels a day of liquid fuel exports, including 16 million barrels a day of crude, transit the strait

Khamenei's killing complicates planned summit between Trump, Xi Jinping

While Iran, Venezuela aren't considered important partners for China, Trump's campaign of regime change raises the question of whether the next target could be a leader with much closer links to Xi

More LNG tankers divert from Strait of Hormuz amid widening Iran crisis

At least 13 empty LNG tankers that were on the eastern side of the chokepoint have diverted away, according to ship-tracking data

Iran foreign minister to meet UN nuclear chief ahead of talks with US

Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to head the US delegation

Death toll in Iran protest crackdown rises over 7,000, say activists

The death toll from a crackdown over Iran's nationwide protests last month has reached at least 7,002 people killed with many more still feared dead, activists said Thursday. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which offered the latest figures, has been accurate in counting deaths during previous rounds of unrest in Iran and relies on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. The slow rise in the death toll has come as the agency slowly is able to crosscheck information as communication remains difficult with those inside of the Islamic Republic. Iran's government offered its only death toll on January 21, saying 3,117 people were killed. Iran's theocracy in the past has undercounted or not reported fatalities from past unrest. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll, given authorities have disrupted internet access and international calls in Iran. The rise in the death toll comes as Iran tries to negotiate with the United Sta

Iran's protests, bloody crackdown in focus amid internet blackout

The bloodiest crackdown on dissent since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution is slowly coming into focus, despite authorities cutting off the Islamic Republic from the internet and much of the wider world. Cities and towns smell of smoke as fire-damaged mosques and government offices line streets. Banks have been torched, their ATMs smashed. Officials estimate the damage to be at least USD 125 million, according to an Associated Press tally of reports by the state-run IRNA news agency from over 20 cities. The number of dead demonstrators reported by activists continues to swell. Activists warn it shows Iran engaging in the same tactics it has used for decades, but at an unprecedented scale - firing from rooftops on demonstrators, shooting birdshot into crowds and sending motorcycle-riding paramilitary Revolutionary Guard volunteers in to beat and detain those who can't escape. "The vast majority of protesters were peaceful. The video footage shows crowds of people - including children an

Iran issues 1st official death toll from protests, saying 3,117 were killed

Iranian state TV has issued the first official death toll from recent protests, saying 3,117 people were killed in the demonstrations that began December 28. The figure is lower than the 4,560 people activists say died. State television on Wednesday night carried a statement by the Martyrs Foundation providing the toll. It said that of those killed, 2,427 were civilians and security forces. It did not elaborate on the rest. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Wednesday put the death toll at 4,560. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.

Iran protests: US-based activist agency says it has verified 3,919 deaths

A US-based activist agency said Sunday it has verified at least 3,919 deaths during a wave of protests that swept Iran and led to a bloody crackdown, and fears the number could be significantly higher. The Human Rights Activists News Agency posted the revised figure, up from the previous toll of 3,308. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution. The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently confirm the toll. Iranian officials have not given a clear death toll, although on Saturday, the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the protests had left several thousand people dead and blamed the United States for the deaths. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualt

Trump thanks Iran for cancelling executions of political prisoners

President Donald Trump took the unusual step on Friday of thanking the Iranian government for not following through on executions of what he said was meant to be hundreds of political prisoners. Iran cancelled the hanging of over 800 people, Trump told reporters while leaving the White House to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. He added and I greatly respect the fact that they cancelled. The Republican president also suggested on his social media site that more than 800 people had been set to be executed in Iran, but he said they now won't be. Thank you! Trump posted. Those sentiments come after Trump spent days suggesting that the US might strike Iran militarily if its government triggered mass killings during widespread protests that swept that country but now have quieted. The death toll from those demonstrations continues to rise, activists say. Still, Trump seemed to hint that the prospects for US military action were fading since Iran had he

Iran protests appear to fade as crackdown deepens, West weighs sanctions

The nationwide protests challenging Iran's theocracy appeared increasingly smothered Thursday, a week after authorities shut the country off from the world and escalated a bloody crackdown that activists say has killed at least 2,637 people. The prospect of US retaliation for the deaths of protesters still hung over the region, though President Donald Trump signalled a possible de-escalation, saying the killing appeared to be ending. Meanwhile, the US announced new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of suppressing the protests, which began late last month over the country's faltering economy and the collapse of its currency. The Group of Seven industrialised democracies and the European Union said they too were looking at new sanctions to ratchet up the pressure on Iran's theocratic government. The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Iran for Thursday afternoon at the request of the United States. In Iran's capital, Tehran, witnesses said recent mornings show

US renews threats against Iran at UN despite Trump's de-escalation signals

After weeks of escalating tension, US and Iranian officials faced each other Thursday at the UN Security Council, where America's envoy renewed threats against the Islamic Republic despite President Donald Trump's efforts to lower the temperature between the two adversaries. The US was joined by Iranian dissidents in rebuking the government's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests that activists say has killed at least 2,637 people. Colleagues, let me be clear: President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations, Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the UN, said in a statement. He has made it clear that all options are on the table to stop the slaughter. And no one should know that better than the leadership of the Iranian regime. Waltz's remarks came as the prospect of US retaliation for the protesters' deaths still hung over the region, though Trump signaled a possible de-escalation, saying the killing appeared to be ending. By Thursday, the protests ..

Exiled Iranian prince seeks Trump backing, not public support: Experts

No pursuit of nuclear weapons. Confronting drug trafficking. An immediate recognition of the state of Israel. Exporting copious amounts of oil and gas. Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi laid out his aspirations Thursday for Iran if its theocracy is toppled and experts say they sound exactly like what US President Donald Trump wants to hear. That plan likely is aimed at trying to secure support to lead Iran if the nationwide protests succeed in ousting the Islamic Republic. Activists describe a bloody crackdown by security forces that has killed 2,637 people and broadly smothered the demonstrations. But Trump has yet to fully embrace Pahlavi. He's really struggling to win Trump's approval, to give the impression he has that strong support, but it doesn't seem to be working, said Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, a Washington think tank and author of several books on Iran. Many of his goals also dovetail with the wishes of hard-line Israeli Prime Minister

Who are Iran's bazaaris, and why their protests still shake the regime

As Iran's economy buckles under inflation and a weakening currency, Tehran's Grand Bazaar is again turning into a pressure point, with shop closures signalling unrest spreading beyond the market

It now takes 1.65 million Iranian rials for $1. Here's why it crashed

Iran's rial has slid to nearly 1.65 million per dollar, crushing purchasing power and trade options as sanctions, inflation, and the Israel war have converged into a full-blown currency crisis

Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi outlines vision for a free, peaceful Iran

Earlier, US Senator Lindsey Graham on Wednesday (local time) met the exiled crown prince and reiterated Washington's support for the Iranian people against what he described as a "brutal regime"

Trump claims killings in Iran are stopping, executions not planned

Donald Trump claimed he has been assured that Iran will halt killings and not execute protesters, warning of 'very strong action' if hangings resume