ASEAN’s top diplomats meet in shadow of US-Iran conflict

July 21, 2026 9:01 AM

ASEAN’s top diplomats meet in shadow of US-Iran conflict

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are likely to cast a shadow over a diplomatic gathering in Southeast Asia this week, injecting additional uncertainty into a region grappling with maritime tensions with China and a faltering regional effort to end Myanmar's civil war. Foreign ministers from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and major partners will gather in Manila against a backdrop of instability beyond the region since the U.S. and Iran resumed open conflict, raising conc...

Trump says US will take over Hormuz, become its ‘guardian angel’

July 14, 2026 1:35 AM

Trump says US will take over Hormuz, become its ‘guardian angel’

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States would take control of the Strait of Hormuz and could permanently oversee its security after accusing Iran of breaking a military agreement and continuing to send drones into the strategic waterway. "We're taking over the Strait. They have nothing. They've got nothing," Trump said in an interview with Fox News. Trump said the US had struck Iranian military assets overnight and would continue to respond forcefully to any new drone activi...

US strikes Iran as Doha peace talks hang in balance

May 26, 2026 12:25 PM

US strikes Iran as Doha peace talks hang in balance

US forces have carried out what Washington is calling "self-defence strikes" in southern Iran, even as top Iranian negotiators sit down in Doha in a bid to end the war between the two countries. US Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed the strikes on Monday, saying they targeted missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to lay mines near Bandar Abbas - home to Iran's main naval base. "US Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ong...

Small‑cap Indian stocks show strong April returns despite weak macro narrative: Report

May 2, 2026 4:49 PM

Small‑cap Indian stocks show strong April returns despite weak macro narrative: Report

Indian equities delivered robust returns across market segments in April with smaller companies leading the surge, despite worsening macro indicators due to US-Iran conflict, a report said on Saturday. The report from OmniScience Capital said Nifty Smallcap 250 index delivered impressive 13.4 per cent returns, while Nifty Microcap 250 delivered 16.2 per cent returns, the report noted. The company said its “Bharat Vectors” framework — covering about 1,500 investible companies — showed t...

Iran Rial hits record low as US blockade tightens pressure

April 30, 2026 11:47 AM

Iran Rial hits record low as US blockade tightens pressure

Tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, with Washington signalling it is prepared to sustain a naval blockade of Iranian ports for an extended period, even as the financial cost to the US has crossed 25 billion dollars, according to a Pentagon assessment. US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning on social media, urging Iran to “get smart,” effectively rejecting a recent peace proposal conveyed through backchannel contacts. Deadlock Over Nuclear Programme ...

Satellite images indicate severe damage to Fordow, but doubts remain

June 23, 2025 10:15 AM

Satellite images indicate severe damage to Fordow, but doubts remain

Commercial satellite imagery indicates the U.S. attack on Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant severely damaged - and possibly destroyed - the deeply-buried site and the uranium-enriching centrifuges it housed, but there was no confirmation, experts said on Sunday. “They just punched through with these MOPs,” said David Albright, a former U.N. nuclear inspector who heads the Institute for Science and International Security, referring to the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-busting bombs that the...