West Asia conflict

October 14, 2026 9:58 AM

Trump says Houthis trying to drive up oil prices ahead of US midterm elections

President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Yemen's Houthi militants of deliberately trying to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections and warned that he would "never forget" their attacks on Saudi Arabia, amid a widening regional conflict fueled by the US war with Iran. "The Houthis are behaving very badly," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, accusing the group of resuming attacks at Iran's behest after a period of relative quiet following US strikes in Yemen last year. Trump als...

October 13, 2026 8:04 PM

Saudi-led coalition warns civilians to evacuate Sana’a oil facility ahead of a planned operation; Houthis threaten Aramco in response

The Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen has urged civilians to evacuate the Yemeni Oil Company’s Al-Sabah Central Station in Sana’a ahead of what it described as a planned “qualitative operation”. The Coalition’s Joint Forces Command issued the warning, asking civilians to leave the designated site in accordance with an illustrative map they shared. Shortly after this statement, the Houthis reportedly warned Saudi Arabia of a tough response if they hit Sana’a. The Hou...

October 4, 2026 5:18 PM

Iran says Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until conditions are met

The Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until seven Iranian conditions set out in a June interim agreement with the US are met, state media reported Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as saying on Sunday. Iran presented a proposal during the UN General Assembly under which the Strait of Hormuz waterway could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days if the conditions were met, with the US replying to this proposal last week via Qatari intermediaries. "The po...

October 4, 2026 5:06 PM

Iraq says it transported 2 million barrels of crude through Strait of Hormuz

Iraq's state-owned Oil Tanker Company transported 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude aboard a very large crude carrier (VLCC) through the Strait of Hormuz, in what its director general described on Saturday as the company's first such operation in decades. The announcement means the company is transporting the crude through the strait rather than delivering it at the port of Basra, giving state oil marketer SOMO greater flexibility in how and where it sells the crude. The company's director gene...

September 30, 2026 10:49 AM

US forces exit Iraq, emboldening Iran’s proxies and Islamic State

US forces withdraw from their remaining bases in Iraq on Wednesday, raising fears they will leave behind a security vacuum, further embolden Iranian-backed militias and give the resurgent Islamic State group an opening to regroup. The departure, celebrated as a victory by Tehran and its allies, was agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump's administration even as it wages war against Iran, which wields influence in Iraq through proxies. It comes 23 years after U...

September 30, 2026 10:44 AM

US imposes sanctions on 13 tied to Iran weapons procurement

The US government announced fresh sanctions on Tuesday against 13 individuals and entities, including some based in Russia, China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, saying they helped Iran procure weapons and components. The sanctions announced by the Treasury and State departments are part of the Trump administration's effort to isolate Iran economically and force it to negotiate an end to the war that began with a US-Israeli strike on Iran on February 28. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Trea...

September 30, 2026 10:29 AM

Trump says he does not know if Iran is going to ‘give up yet’

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not know if Iran is going to "give up yet" but cast the country as doing "very poorly" in its war with the US. DETAILS AND QUOTES: "I don't know if they are going to give up yet but they'll give up," Trump told reporters. "They are doing very poorly," he added. A US blockade has cut Iran's financial lifeline - oil exports, and economic costs of the war have made life tougher for Iranians. Iran's president told the UN General Assembly last we...

September 30, 2026 10:23 AM

Qatari mediators press peace deal between US and Iran

Qatar said on Tuesday it hopes that shuttle diplomacy between Iran and the UScan lead to a breakthrough despite US President Donald Trump's denial of media reports that he was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen funds in exchange for Iranian concessions on its nuclear program. "We are exchanging messages between the parties, and we're working towards establishing a common ground in order to get into a deal that would save all of us from the repercussions of the conflict," Qatari Foreig...

September 29, 2026 1:33 PM

US forces exit Iraq after two decades, leaving opening for Iran

US forces are set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Iraqi security experts say the withdrawal - agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump's administration even as it wages war against Iran - could give Tehran and its powerful allies free rein, while also allowing other US enemies...

September 29, 2026 1:23 PM

Trump denies offering Iran sanctions relief, Tehran says ready for talks

US President Donald Trump said he has offered Iran nothing to end the war, rejecting media reports that cited US officials saying he was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen funds for "concrete" steps regarding Iran's nuclear programme. "This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. Axios and CNN both reported, citing unidentified US officials, that Trump was willing to give Iran sanctions relief and free Iranian funds as part of a final deal on the co...