Page 29 - Latest Updates on West Asia Conflict

Trump warns of 'Project Freedom plus' to escort vessels if Iran talks fail

If a deal is not reached with Iran, Trump added that the renewed effort would be expanded into what he called 'Project Freedom plus'

US fires on, disables 2 more Iranian tankers as tensions rise in Hormuz

US forces have fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz overnight. The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, reported another Iranian missile and drone attack. The attacks on Friday cast more doubt on a tenuous month-old ceasefire that the United States has insisted is still in effect. Washington is awaiting an Iranian response to its latest proposal for a deal to end the war, reopen the strait and roll back Tehran's disputed nuclear program. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hopes to receive "a serious offer" from Iran later Friday. The US military said Friday that its forces had disabled two Iranian tankers that were trying to breach an American blockade of Iran's ports. Hours earlier, the military said it thwarted attacks on three Navy ships and struck Iranian military facilities in the strait. Iran has mostly blocked the critical waterway for global energy since the US and Israel launched the war on Feb.

Marco Rubio urges Europe to act on Iran during Italy, Vatican visit

He also stressed the importance of continued US troop presence in Europe amid concerns about possible reductions

US expects Iran's response to peace plan aimed at ending Gulf war

Araghchi accuses the US of undermining diplomatic efforts to end war

Toyota expects $4.3 bn hit from Iran war fallout amid supply disruptions

Toyota posted an operating profit of 569.4 billion yen ($3.6 billion) for the three months ended March 31, compared with 1.1 trillion yen a year earlier

West Asia conflict tests Wall Street firms' addiction to Mideast money

Private equity and asset managers are reassessing fundraising expectations from Gulf sovereign wealth funds as the Iran conflict triggers caution despite assurances from major Middle Eastern investors

Brent up 1% on renewed Iran clashes as AI drives Asia stocks to weekly rise

Benchmark Brent crude futures were up ​about 1 per cent to $101 a barrel, while European stocks fell 0.9 per cent

Global food prices hit 3-year high as Iran war disrupts supply chains

United Nations' index of food-commodity prices gained 1.6 per cent in April, led by higher vegetable oil, meat and cereal prices

First Chinese product tanker attacked near Strait of Hormuz amid Iran war

According to the report, the vessel's deck caught fire and the ship had the words "CHINA OWNER & CREW" marked on it

US proposal to Iran more detailed than a simple 'one-page offer': Trump

The US President clarified the scope of the diplomatic outreach, as Tehran continues to evaluate communications from Washington transmitted via Pakistani mediators

UAE reports drone, missile attack as Iran war ceasefire challenged again

The United Arab Emirates' Ministry of Defence announced that the country's air defences are "actively engaging" with a missile and drone attack as the Iran war's shaky ceasefire was again challenged. The ministry advised residents not to approach, photograph or touch "any debris or fragments that have fallen as a result of successful air interceptions.

Handed Trump Brazil-Turkey brokered 2010 Iran nuclear agreement: Prez Lula

Speaking during a press conference in Washington following his meeting with the US President, Lula said it was the second time he had personally handed Trump the agreement negotiated in 2010

Asia's heat waves spell double trouble for economies hit by oil price shock

Inflation accelerated to multiyear highs across much of Asia, latest figures showed, led by higher transport, logistics and utility costs

Strikes against Iran just a 'love tap': Trump says ceasefire going on

The comments come amid heightened regional tensions following exchanges of fire involving US naval assets and Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz

Trump-Xi summit stays on track despite China's hesitation over Iran crisis

Trump and Xi Jinping are slated to meet May 14-15 after their summit was rescheduled once due to the war, which has triggered an energy crisis and restricted supplies to importers of West Asia crude

Oil prices jump over 1% after renewed hostilities between US, Iran

Brent crude futures were up $1.41, or ‌1.41 per cent, at $101.47 a barrel as of 0123 GMT

Iran, US discuss 30-day framework to halt hostilities, reopen Hormuz

Discussions between the two sides remain ongoing, with negotiators exchanging proposals on the wording and structure of a possible long-term framework

Iran creates new govt agency to control shipping in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has created a government agency to vet and tax vessels seeking passage through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a shipping data company has reported, as Tehran said it was reviewing the latest US proposals for ending the war. The Iranian effort to formalise control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Thursday said the Islamic Republic was reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace negotiations, but Iran "as not yet reached a conclusion, and no response has been given to the US side", Iranian state TV reported. Late in the day, Iranian state media said the country's armed forces exchanged fire with "the enemy" on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It is the largest Iranian island in the Persia

US strikes Iran after attack on destroyers; Trump pressures Tehran for deal

Trump told reporters the ceasefire was still in effect despite the back-and-forth, downplaying Iran's actions while warning of consequences if a deal wasn't struck

Best of BS Opinion: Vodafone must quickly raise capital, improve services

From Vodafone Idea's financial struggles and Bengal's political tensions to oil market reactions during the Iran conflict, here are the top opinions of the day