West Asia conflict

July 11, 2026 12:42 PM

US issues fresh Iran-related sanctions as conflict flares

The U.S. issued new Iran-related sanctions on Friday targeting a key financier for Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and 13 other individuals and entities, following Tehran's resumed attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, the Treasury Department said. The sanctions took aim at Ali Ansari, an Iranian banker and businessman based in Dubai who had previously been sanctioned by Britain for his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran's Revolutionary Guards a...

July 11, 2026 12:37 PM

Trump says US, Iran agree to continue talks but ceasefire over

President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran had agreed to continue talks despite an escalation of hostilities this week but he declared that the ceasefire reached between the two sides last month was over. The United States also stepped up demands on Friday that Iran stop attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, where recent hostilities have pushed oil prices higher, a politically sensitive issue for Trump ahead of November congressional elections. Trump's comments came on a day of relative...

June 30, 2026 12:57 PM

Doha diplomacy faces early test as U.S. and Iran differ on talks

Diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in West Asia have encountered an early hurdle as the United States and Iran offer conflicting accounts of the next stage of discussions in Doha. Uncertainty has grown over the future of U.S.-Iran engagement after President Donald Trump indicated that fresh talks could be held in Doha. However, Tehran has firmly rejected the claim, saying no negotiations with the United States are currently planned. Iranian officials maintain that their immediate focus is on...

June 26, 2026 11:02 AM

Explainer: US Congress backed an Iran war powers resolution. Now what?

This week both the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed a resolution directing President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities with Iran, reflecting growing concern among members of his party about the conflict that began on February 28. The U.S. Senate passed the War Powers concurrent resolution on Tuesday directing President Trump to halt U.S. military activity against Iran, weeks after the measure was approved by the House. It is the first time...

June 26, 2026 10:03 AM

UN halts escort of ships through Hormuz after vessel comes under attack

The U.N. International Maritime Organization paused its operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a vessel reported an attack, reigniting concerns about whether a preliminary deal to end the Iran war will hold. The cargo ship said it was hit close to Oman by a projectile, British navy agency UKMTO said, hours after Tehran warned vessels against taking routes that it had not approved. Two U.S. officials told Reuters that Iran had fired on the ship, while Iran'...

June 26, 2026 9:54 AM

Rubio wraps up Gulf tour as allies share concerns over Iran peace accord

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Gulf allies on Thursday that any deal with Iran would take their interests into account, as he wrapped up a Middle East trip aimed at winning over regional partners with deep reservations about the preliminary accord. Speaking at a meeting of Gulf Arab foreign ministers in Bahrain - home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet - Rubio said Washington was seeking an enduring peace with long-time foe Iran that would not come at the expense of the security of allies...

June 23, 2026 12:34 PM

US Eases Iran Sanctions to Allow Oil Sales Amid Peace Talks

The United States has temporarily lifted major sanctions on Iran, authorizing the production, delivery and sale of Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum and petrochemical products. The 60-day general license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department remains in effect through August 21 and aligns with the timeline of an interim agreement aimed at securing a final peace deal between Washington and Tehran. The sanctions relief covers associated services, including banking transactions, insurance and ma...

June 23, 2026 11:18 AM

Rubio faces tough task of selling Iran reset to wary Gulf allies

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio faces a delicate mission this week pitching Washington's Iran peace deal to Gulf Arab leaders who fear excessive concessions will strengthen Tehran and reshape the region's security balance and oil flows. Rubio will meet them in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, before traveling to Kuwait and Bahrain, where he will meet officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping of monarchies that also includes Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman. At issue are eleme...

June 23, 2026 10:45 AM

US waives Iran sanctions, Trump says he will ‘do what I have to’ if Tehran misbehaves

The United States waived sanctions on Iran for 60 days from Monday after the first talks under a nascent peace deal, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying he will "do what I have to do" if Iran does not stick to its side of the agreement. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland had laid a good foundation for a final peace deal, although Iran denied that it had begun discussions of its nuclear program. The two sides, trying to build on the interim deal th...

June 22, 2026 11:01 AM

Shipping slows after Iran says it has again shut the Strait of Hormuz

The number of ships that passed through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Sunday after Iran announced it had again closed the waterway, citing Israeli and U.S. violations of the interim peace deal, shipping data showed. Five vessels passed the strait on Sunday, from 26 ships spotted a day earlier, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. These included three Very Large Crude Carriers carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi crude and fuel oil each, one of which was heading to Japan. The data may ex...