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US-Iran tensions

US-Iran tensions
The latest news, analysis and opinion on US-Iran tensions. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The torpedo-shaped AJX002 drone was revealed during the Victory Day military parade in Beijing in September. Photo: AP
China's military weapons

Could the PLA use minelaying drones in a blockade over Taiwan?

Japan’s islands and the waters of the Philippines could be targeted in a cross-strait operation, according to military magazine.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iranians fear ‘pressure will 100% increase’ after US, Israeli strikes stop

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

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China exports

Iran war energy shock threatens Southeast Asia’s supply chains. A win for China?

US and European importers are shifting some orders back to China – but not everyone is optimistic.

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Workers at an auto parts factory in Sihong, in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, on March 3. Photo: AFP
United States

Iran has opened Strait of Hormuz but will the US ease its economic squeeze?

Chinese analysts say Tehran has long shown resilience in the face of sanctions and other US tactics.

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China-Middle East relations

Exclusive | Hong Kong-flagged tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz in test of US blockade

AVA 6 passage marks at least the second transit of a China-linked tanker through the waterway since the US military operation began.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Europe tests ‘third way’ on Hormuz without the US, Israel and Iran. Will it work?

Coalition of more than 30 nations to meet in Paris for a summit to find a ‘credible proposal’ to restore shipping through the strait.

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Some 34 per cent of the global oil trade passed through the Strait of Hormuz last year. Photo: Reuters
Business of climate change

Asia-Pacific firms face credit pressure from Iran war energy shock, S&P says

Higher energy prices ratchet up pressure on manufacturing businesses to maintain their profit margins amid rising raw material costs.

US, Israel war on Iran

Israel and Lebanon begin 10-day ceasefire as US pushes broader deal

A pause in fighting may help ease tensions with Iran, as Trump eyes a White House meeting between the leaders of Israel and Lebanon.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Will China arm Iran during the ceasefire?

Pentagon says Beijing offered assurances as US tightens blockade and warns Tehran talks could quickly give way to renewed strikes.

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An Iranian woman walks past a large-scale billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz as ‘Forever on Iran’s hand’, at a square in Tehran, Iran, 15 April 2026. Photo: EPA
Africa

In Cameroon, Pope Leo assails ‘tyrants ravaging’ world amid Trump row

‘The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,’ Leo says.

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Pope Leo releases a white dove at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
India

Opinion | Why India feels exposed by Pakistan’s diplomacy in Iran war

Pakistan, with its contested reputation, leapt into diplomatic action while India, despite its heft and concerns, was absent from the frame.

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United States

Lula blasts Trump’s fear-based rule, calls for ‘great maturity’

‘Trump has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country,’ Brazil’s president says.

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China-EU relations

Open Questions | Europe lacks China strategy, needs new US approach, Biscop says

Sven Biscop, director at the Royal Institute for International Relations in Brussels, on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US, Israel war on Iran

Lebanon’s president refuses talks with Israel amid Trump’s peace push

The Lebanese leader said Beirut’s position is that a ceasefire should ⁠precede negotiations.

Israeli army vehicles and bulldozers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, on Wednesday. Photo: AP
US, Israel war on Iran

US cites optimism over a deal even as Iran threatens to close Red Sea shipping

US Treasury to end Iran oil waivers, warning China – top buyer – that banks risk secondary sanctions as American pressure intensifies.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Chinese tanker retreats twice from US’ Hormuz blockade in 48 hours

While the Rich Starry didn’t visit an Iranian port, it is on a US blacklist for allegedly helping Tehran evade sanctions.

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China energy security

US officials claim China is ‘hoarding’ oil. What does the data say?

While US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China is stockpiling crude amid the Iran war, the numbers suggest Beijing is facing a supply crunch.

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A woman walks past a giant billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran. Photo: TNS
Pakistan

Pakistan seeks to shield Gulf states as US-Iran talks set to resume

A senior official involved in Islamabad’s diplomacy says it is trying to defuse the crisis ‘in any way we can’.

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US, Israel war on Iran

China cements Russia ties as both win from US war

Russia is boosting oil exports, including to China, as the Iran war upends Middle East supplies, while Chinese renewables companies will benefit from efforts to diversify away from fossil fuels.

US, Israel war on Iran

Hormuz blockade: shipping body slams transit fees as 20,000 seafarers stranded

A ‘retrograde’ toll proposal by Tehran risks similar charges in other vital waterways, warns global association for merchant shipowners and operators.

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A person points at a website tracking marine traffic and showing commercial vessels on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast last month. Photo: TNS
US, Israel war on Iran

After ‘wonderful’ talks with Lebanon, Israel envoy says more dialogue coming

Sides commit to more engagement as Trump urges disarming Hezbollah, but analysts warn a durable Israel-Lebanon deal remains unlikely.

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Israeli air strikes on Lebanon have complicated the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Photo: AFP
China trade

China’s exports slow as Iran war impact begins to bite

Disruptions from conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz contributed to a worse-than-expected slowdown in Chinese exports and a jump in imports.

Asia travel

Lack of fuel reserves forces Southeast Asian flight cuts amid Hormuz crisis

Airlines are cutting flights, as dependence on Middle Eastern fuel hits operators from Pakistan to New Zealand.

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Middle East

Dozens detained in New York City protest over US arms sales to Israel

Whistle-blower Chelsea Manning was among those held in a protest led by the anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace.

A protester with Jewish Voice for Peace being detained. Photo: AP
Middle East

Hezbollah leader asks Lebanon to cancel meeting in US with Israel

Amid a surge in Israeli ground operations, Naim Qassem calls for a ‘heroic stance’ to scrap Tuesday’s planned summit.

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A man who said he survived an Israeli strike sits among piled damaged cars in Beirut. Photo: Reuter
US, Israel war on Iran

US begins blockade of Iranian ports amid fragile ceasefire

Trump says Beijing ‘would like to see this ended’ as the US moves to stop vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports.

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2026 Trump-Xi summit

Could Trump’s Hormuz blockade derail China summit with Xi Jinping?

US president’s move forces China into political dilemma and could create a flashpoint ahead of his meeting with Chinese leader, analysts say.

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