A sharp rally, a sudden dip, and a fragile ceasefire: markets are reacting fast to West Asia tensions. But is the worst really behind us? Or are investors getting ahead of reality?
A surge in oil prices triggered by the Iran conflict is delivering billions to Russia. But beneath the windfall, economic risks still remain.
A US fighter jet shot down over Iran. One airman rescued fast. The other vanished into the mountains. For over 24 hours, he stayed hidden - injured, alone, and being hunted.
Southeast Asian countries urged the United States and Iran on Monday to keep going with peace negotiations, enforce a ceasefire and restore the safe passage of ships, seafarers and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz. The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations made the urgent plea as they held an emergency video conference, the second in recent weeks, to assess the impact of the war in the Middle East, including soaring fuel prices, and how they could cooperate in the face of global crises. The 11-nation bloc reminded "the obligations of all states to resolve their differences through peaceful means, to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in armed conflicts". It called "for the full and effective implementation of the ceasefire, aimed at preventing further suffering and loss of lives, ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation and overflight".
Iran has proposed a 10-point plan to end the ongoing war with the US and Israel, rejecting a temporary ceasefire and demanding a permanent end to hostilities.
India hasn't received Iranian oil since 2019, however, a waiver last month, allowed purchases of crude already on the water, a bid to ease the impact of West Asia on global supply
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump claimed that Iran was in a 'very bad shape' and 'very desperate'
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said any military vessels attempting to approach the Hormuz would be considered a violation of the ceasefire and be dealt with harshly and decisively
The remarks come amid renewed diplomatic engagement involving Iran and regional stakeholders, including discussions hosted in Pakistan
Vance said Iran had chosen not to accept American terms, including not to build nuclear weapons
Indian vessel carrying nearly 20,400 tonnes of LPG crossed Hormuz on April 11
Iran's chief negotiator to the Islamabad talks has blamed the United States for failing to reach a deal. In a series of posts on X, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the Iranian delegation provided "forward-looking initiatives" during the 21-hour talks, but the Americans could not gain Iran's trust. He said now is the time for the US "to decide whether it can gain our trust or not." He didn't elaborate. But Iranian state media reported earlier that major points of disagreement included Iran's nuclear program and transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq's parliament voted Saturday to elect Nizar Amidi, a political official with one of the country's two main Kurdish parties, as president, five months after a parliamentary election that didn't produce a bloc with a decisive majority. His election comes as Iraq is reeling from the fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran. Iraq became caught in the middle of the conflict, with Iran-backed militias launching attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities as well as on critical energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the US and Israel carried out airstrikes targeting the militias, some of which killed members of the Iraqi military. The war and Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz also largely halted the oil exports upon which Iraq's economy depends. Amidi, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, beat out a roster of candidates that included Iraq's current Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, who was the pick of the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party. By ...
US President Donald Trump confirmed in a phone interview with NewsNation that talks among the US, Iran and Pakistan had begun, though he does not know how successful they could be. When asked how negotiations would go, Trump said: "I have no idea." The US president said he would know shortly if he felt Iran was acting in good faith about resolving the war. Trump added that the US knew where mines had been placed in the Strait of Hormuz and that the military was bringing equipment to remove them.
Beijing is preparing to transfer shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, CNN said, citing sources it did not name
Iran's 71-member delegation will be led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati
The delegation came amid speculation making rounds on social media, casting doubts on the visit by the Iranians due to the strikes by Israel in Lebanon
US Vice President J D Vance on Friday warned Iran not to "play" the US as he headed overseas for negotiations aimed at ending the war. President Donald Trump has tasked the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant defender of the six-week-old conflict with Iran to now find a resolution and stave off the US president's astonishing threat to wipe out its "whole civilisation". Vance, who has long been skeptical of foreign military interventions and outspoken about the prospect of sending troops into open-ended conflicts, set off Friday to lead mediated talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. "If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we're certainly willing to extend the open hand," Vance told reporters before boarding Air Force Two to make his way to the talks in Pakistan. But he added, "If they're gonna try and play us, then they're gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive." Vance also said that Trump "gave us
President Donald Trump has expressed confidence ahead of talks between the United States and Iran on a resolution to the conflict, expected to start Saturday in Islamabad, with Vice President J D Vance leading the US delegation. "I wished him luck. He's got a big thing," Trump said in his parting message to Vance before he began his journey to lead the president's delegation for the critical talks. "We'll find out what's going on. They're militarily defeated." Trump, who spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force One to head to a Friday evening fundraiser in Charlottesville, Virginia, also reiterated his confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will soon be opened up. "And now we're going to open up the Gulf with or without them," Trump said, referring to the Iranians, who have effectively shuttered the critical waterway. "But that'll be open," he said.
With Munir at the helm, a social media charm offensive is reshaping Pakistan's image as a peace facilitator