Middle East conflict

May 13, 2026 9:23 AM

Asia markets falter as hot US inflation, shaky Iran ceasefire weigh

Stocks started the Asian session on the back foot on Wednesday, with talks between Washington and Tehran at a standstill as hotter-than-expected U.S. inflation underscored the growing economic toll of the Middle East conflict. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.6%, down for a second day as Korean shares fell as much as 3.2% before rebounding. The Korean market has been on a tear in recent weeks, breaching records regularly on an AI-led rally that some traders s...

May 13, 2026 9:13 AM

Trump says he does not need China’s help to end Iran war, Tehran tightens grip on Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not think he will need China's help to end the war with Iran, even as hopes for a lasting peace deal dwindled and Tehran tightened its grip over the Strait of Hormuz. Ahead of a high-stakes summit in Beijing, Trump said he did not think he would need to enlist Chinese President Xi Jinping to resolve the conflict, which has continued to block maritime traffic that normally provides one-fifth of the world's oil supply. "I don't think we need an...

May 13, 2026 12:37 PM

US-Iran ceasefire under strain as Trump rejects Tehran proposal, regional tensions escalate

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran appears increasingly unstable after President Donald Trump rejected Tehran’s latest peace proposal, describing the agreement as being on "massive life support" and dismissing Iran’s counter-offer as "garbage." The sharp exchange has deepened uncertainty over efforts to prevent a wider conflict in West Asia. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the country’s armed forces were "prepared to deliver a lesson-...

May 5, 2026 9:56 AM

Iran strikes Fujairah oil zone as UAE intercepts missiles and shifts schools online

A large fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone on Monday after what authorities described as a drone attack originating from Iran - the first such strike to cause significant damage on UAE soil since a ceasefire took hold last month. Civil defence teams were deployed immediately to contain the blaze, with three Indian nationals reported to have sustained moderate injuries and been taken to hospital. Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi said it is in contact with local authorities to ensure the ...

May 4, 2026 10:29 AM

US rejects key elements of Iran’s 14-point plan as Israel-Hezbollah clashes intensify despite fragile ceasefire

The United States and Iran appear no closer to a breakthrough, as Washington pushes back on key elements of Tehran’s proposed roadmap to end the conflict, even as a fragile ceasefire remains under pressure across West Asia. Iran’s government spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the United States has responded to Tehran’s 14-point plan aimed at ending the war, adding that the response is currently under review. US President Donald Trump, speaking to Israeli media, said he had examined the prop...

April 30, 2026 10:42 PM

Pivotal US-Iran war deadline approaches with no end in sight for conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump faces a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date is most likely to pass without altering the course of a conflict that has lapsed into a standoff over shipping routes. Ending the war appears highly unlikely. Instead, analysts and congressional aides said they expect Trump to either notify Congress that he plans a 30-day extension or disregard the deadline, with his administration arguing that a current ceasef...

April 30, 2026 10:40 PM

Man accused in Trump assassination attempt agrees to remain in custody

The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a black-tie press gala in Washington agreed on Thursday to remain in custody while his case moves forward. The suspect, Cole Allen, 31, would not immediately contest prosecutors' arguments that he was a danger to the community and should remain in jail, his attorney, Tezira Abe, said during a court hearing. Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on ...

April 30, 2026 10:39 PM

Iran threatens painful response if US resumes attacks, oil prices seesaw

Iran said on Thursday it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on U.S. positions if Washington renewed attacks, and also reasserted its control over the Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. plans for a coalition to reopen the waterway. Two months into the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, the vital sea channel remains closed, choking off 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies. That has sent global energy prices surging and heightened concerns about the risks of an economic downturn. Efforts ...

April 30, 2026 10:37 PM

Trump criticizes Germany’s Merz, tells him to stop interfering over Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, saying he should focus on trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war and spend "less time on interfering" with the effort to tackle "the Iran nuclear threat". Trump has been sparring with Merz over the war in Iran in recent days. On Tuesday, he said Merz didn't know what he was talking about after the German leader said the Iranians were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end the two-month-old war. Trump made...

April 30, 2026 10:35 PM

Iranian economic collapse may come too late for Trump

Weeks of conflict have aggravated Iran's dire economic problems, risking calamity after the war, but the Islamic Republic looks able to survive a standoff in the Gulf for now, despite a U.S. blockade that has cut off energy exports. With major fighting paused by an April 8 truce, Iran is locked in a stalemate with the U.S. and Israel, with talks for a lasting ceasefire stalled while Tehran keeps the Strait of Hormuz shut and Washington blockades Iranian Gulf ports. Despite bad damage to infras...