https://www.scmp.com/rss/322264/feed The latest news, politics and current affairs from the Middle East. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Liu Zhen Liu Zhen One crew member from a US fighter jet shot down over Iran has been rescued by US forces, multiple news outlets reported on Friday, citing two US officials, while a second crew member remains missing. Iran on Friday claimed to have shot down an American fighter jet, releasing photos of apparent wreckage of an F-15E, while the United States reportedly launched a search-and-rescue operation for the crew. Earlier, Iranian state media released photos and videos purported to be the debris of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349006/one-us-pilot-rescued-another-missing-after-iran-says-it-downed-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3349006/one-us-pilot-rescued-another-missing-after-iran-says-it-downed-fighter-jet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:47:43 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A French container ship and a Japanese-owned tanker have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, in what appear to be the first such transits since the war in Iran closed the crucial waterway. The CMA CGM Kribi container ship exited the strait on Friday, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and two people familiar with the situation. That is the first ship linked to western Europe that is known to have made it through since the war began more than a month ago. Japan’s Mitsui OSK Lines... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349004/iran-war-french-and-japanese-owned-ships-make-first-strait-hormuz-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349004/iran-war-french-and-japanese-owned-ships-make-first-strait-hormuz-crossings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:32:11 +0000 Agencies Agencies President Donald ⁠Trump on Friday said the ⁠US can open the Strait of Hormuz with a little more time, as pressure mounts for his administration to find a ‌quick resolution to a war against Iran. “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE,” he said in a post on Truth Social. Nearly ⁠five weeks after it started with a joint US-Israeli aerial ‌assault, the war in Iran continues to spread chaos across the region and roil ‌financial markets, raising... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348991/us-can-take-strait-hormuz-more-time-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348991/us-can-take-strait-hormuz-more-time-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:18:26 +0000 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang The dust and debris of the US-Israeli war on Iran have yet to settle, but its strategic shock waves have reached East Asia. From Tokyo to Taipei, a reassessment is under way. The conflict, intended to project American resolve, has been a brutal stress test for the US-led order – with catastrophic results for Washington’s credibility. Far from cementing its primacy, America’s misadventure has revealed a superpower that is overstretched, vulnerable and seen as an unreliable partner. This erosion... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348665/east-asias-crisis-confidence-us-militarising-chinas-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348665/east-asias-crisis-confidence-us-militarising-chinas-backyard?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Human remains have been found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last month, the vessel’s owner said on Friday, after three crew members were reported missing following the attack. US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil supplies. The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck in March while travelling through the strait after departing Khalifa port in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348975/human-remains-found-thai-ship-attacked-iran-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3348975/human-remains-found-thai-ship-attacked-iran-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:22:56 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the month since fighting with the Hezbollah militant group began. Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive. The Israeli military said on Friday it had killed about 1,000... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348961/israel-strikes-over-3500-lebanon-targets-month-says-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348961/israel-strikes-over-3500-lebanon-targets-month-says-military?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:26:29 +0000 dpa dpa Iran on Friday said it shot down an F-35 fighter jet. A statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran’s elite military force, said the fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace by a new, advanced defence system. There was no initial confirmation of the incident from the United States, which has been waging war against Iran alongside Israel since February 28. The IRGC said the F-35 was the second to have been shot down. “Due to the complete destruction of the aircraft,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348936/iran-says-shot-it-down-f-35-fighter-jet-new-defence-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348936/iran-says-shot-it-down-f-35-fighter-jet-new-defence-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:56:58 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen From controlling the weight of aircraft to sending more flights to Europe via Russian airspace, Chinese airlines have adopted a range of measures in response to the surge in oil prices resulting from the Middle East conflict that threatens to crimp their razor-thin margins. A number of carriers, including China Eastern Airlines, have been enforcing more precise and complex cost management measures in recent weeks to save fuel, according to industry insiders. They include stricter load and weight... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348919/chinese-airlines-shed-weight-add-flights-over-russia-trim-fuel-costs-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348919/chinese-airlines-shed-weight-add-flights-over-russia-trim-fuel-costs-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:02:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Threatening to destroy Iran’s electricity grid and to reduce the country of 90 million to destitution, US President Donald Trump is shattering precedent by not just accepting but gloating about acts seen as potential war crimes. The consequences for Trump, at least in the near term, are probably none, experts say, as his administration works hard to undermine international institutions tasked with keeping norms. The Geneva Conventions governing the laws of war, agreed following World War II,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348912/trumps-stone-age-threats-against-iran-spark-war-crimes-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348912/trumps-stone-age-threats-against-iran-spark-war-crimes-alarm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:26:47 +0000 Junjie Wang Junjie Wang – https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3348877/strait-hormuz-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/article/3348877/strait-hormuz-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:26:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country “back to the Stone Ages”. Ghodratollah Seif, the deputy governor of Alborz province, where the B1 bridge is located, said the strike had killed eight people and wounded 95 others, according to state TV and Fars news agency. Due to reporting restrictions, Agence France-Presse is not able to access the sites of strikes nor to independently verify tolls in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348868/trump-hails-destruction-irans-tallest-bridge-warns-much-more-follow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348868/trump-hails-destruction-irans-tallest-bridge-warns-much-more-follow?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:52:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In a leafy Tehran park on Thursday, Iranians gathered for picnics on the final day of the Persian new year holidays, shrugging off US President Donald Trump’s threats to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages”. The country has been at war for more than a month and Trump – who launched the conflict alongside Israel on February 28 – has vowed to strike Iran hard for another “two or three weeks”. Powerful blasts shook the Iranian capital on Thursday. Still, hundreds of families sat out under mild,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348860/iran-war-music-and-barbecues-tehran-despite-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348860/iran-war-music-and-barbecues-tehran-despite-trump-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:11:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A UK-led meeting of some 40 countries on the Strait of Hormuz crisis wrapped up on Thursday with a demand for the “immediate and unconditional” reopening of the vital shipping route but no immediate breakthrough. “Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz. They must not prevail,” British foreign minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement. “To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348854/britain-says-40-countries-discuss-reopening-strait-hormuz-after-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348854/britain-says-40-countries-discuss-reopening-strait-hormuz-after-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:09:08 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Iran’s exiled prince Reza Pahlavi plans to flip the script on Beijing Allies of exiled Iranian royal Reza Pahlavi signalled a potential reset in Tehran’s ties with China and Russia, as the 65-year-old increasingly positioned himself as a central figure in Iran’s political future – a claim that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348584/chinas-iran-war-strategy-trumps-hormuz-ask-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz is “unrealistic”, while lamenting Donald Trump’s differing daily statements on the Iran war and Nato. “There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” Macron said during a visit to South Korea. “I say sometimes because it has varied, it is never the option we have chosen... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348842/frances-macron-says-military-operation-liberate-strait-hormuz-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348842/frances-macron-says-military-operation-liberate-strait-hormuz-unrealistic?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:51:47 +0000 Hao Nan Hao Nan A month into the Iran war, Washington still says it expects to achieve its objectives in weeks, not months. That may prove optimistic. The terms on offer from the United States and Iran barely overlap, and markets remain unconvinced a durable settlement is close. But one fact is clear: the war’s most consequential effects may be felt not only in the Middle East but across East Asia. It would be a mistake to see this as only an oil story. It is also about hierarchy. In East Asia, the war is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348429/how-east-asia-being-quietly-reordered-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348429/how-east-asia-being-quietly-reordered-us-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:30:07 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump tried to sell the war on Iran to sceptical Americans in a televised address, saying that the conflict was “nearing completion” and that there was no need to worry about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. The US would hit Iran “extremely hard over the next two to three weeks”, Trump said on Wednesday from the White House. “We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages,” he said. He didn’t give a specific deadline for the end of operations during the... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/article/3348804/trump-sends-crude-surging-iran-speech-fails-allay-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/us/article/3348804/trump-sends-crude-surging-iran-speech-fails-allay-war-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has reached unprecedented levels since the start of the war with Iran, with NGOs and opposition figures denouncing an environment of impunity. While so-called “Jewish terrorism” has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. Assaults by violent settlers against Palestinians have been carried out for years, often to the indifference of mainstream Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348798/surging-jewish-terrorism-west-bank-condemned-goes-unpunished?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348798/surging-jewish-terrorism-west-bank-condemned-goes-unpunished?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:45:00 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Andrew Tilton, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Goldman Sachs, speaks to the South China Morning Post about the long-term future of China’s economy after the “two sessions” in Beijing and ahead of an expected Xi-Trump summit – all during an oil crisis sparked by the US-Israel war against Iran. SCMP Plus readers get early access to articles in the Open Questions series. What impact will the oil shock arising from the Iran war have on the growth of Asian economies this year? Asia is greatly... https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3348772/goldman-sachs-economist-sees-iran-war-testing-chinas-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/economy/china-economy/article/3348772/goldman-sachs-economist-sees-iran-war-testing-chinas-self-reliance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:30:04 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang Khushboo Razdan,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared the US‑Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on targets in the country. “We are going to hit them extremely hard. Over the next two to three weeks, we are going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong. In the meantime, discussions are ongoing,” he said in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3348727/trump-declares-decisive-overwhelming-victory-iran-war-signals-end-operations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 01:22:04 +0000 dpa dpa Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised the US war against his country in an open letter to the people of the United States on Wednesday, calling it an absurd operation that is costly for their nation. “Today, the world stands at a crossroads,” the president wrote in his message. “Continuing along the path of confrontation is more costly and futile than ever before.” While Iran had seen many aggressors throughout its history, “All that remains of them are tarnished names in history, while... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348721/irans-president-sends-message-americans-unusual-open-letter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348721/irans-president-sends-message-americans-unusual-open-letter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:38:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Iran’s leader wanted a ceasefire, in a social media post that Tehran called “false and baseless”. Trump claimed that “Iran’s New Regime President” was seeking a ceasefire, which he said would happen only once the Strait of Hormuz was “open, free, clear”. It was not immediately clear who Trump was referring to in Iran, which still has the same president. The US president, who is scheduled to address the nation later in the day, had earlier said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348704/trump-claims-iran-president-wants-ceasefire-no-response-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348704/trump-claims-iran-president-wants-ceasefire-no-response-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:32:08 +0000 Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa The United States attacked Iran without consulting its European allies. President Donald Trump assumed the operation would be a quick win, over before anyone had to take a position. Instead, Washington answered a question Western governments had long avoided. After years of pushing Nato towards confrontation with China, would the transatlantic alliance fight a war it had not chosen together? The answer was no. Iran and Taiwan are different cases. One sits on Europe’s wider periphery and carries... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348047/what-iran-war-reveals-about-natos-appetite-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3348047/what-iran-war-reveals-about-natos-appetite-conflict-over-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The risks of environmental calamity in the Strait of Hormuz are mounting with each passing week of the Iran conflict, conservationists have warned, as giant tankers filled with fuel are trapped in a small area and Iran continues to fire missiles and drones at Gulf oil assets. The potential for catastrophe in the waterway was sharpened on Monday when a Kuwaiti crude tanker was set ablaze at Dubai Port in an Iranian attack that damaged its hull, sparking warnings of a possible oil spill. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348680/environmental-risks-grow-iran-war-traps-oil-tankers-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348680/environmental-risks-grow-iran-war-traps-oil-tankers-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Lawmakers in the United States have urged the administration of US President Donald Trump to take action against China’s alleged sanctioned oil imports by blacklisting port operators and blocking complex settlement networks. Despite Washington’s temporary easing of sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil to relieve price pressures from the US-Israeli war in Iran, the “House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party” has released a 41-page... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348668/us-house-committee-calls-major-crackdown-chinas-alleged-sanctioned-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348668/us-house-committee-calls-major-crackdown-chinas-alleged-sanctioned-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:10:31 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said attacks on Iran could stop within two or three weeks even without an agreement, leaving a question mark over the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ll be leaving very soon,” US President Donald Trump told reporters in the White House on Tuesday. “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal.” The president was scheduled to address the nation and “provide an important update on Iran” at 9pm New York time on Wednesday (9am on Thursday in Hong Kong). Brent crude held... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3348666/trump-eyes-iran-exit-hormuz-shutdown-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3348666/trump-eyes-iran-exit-hormuz-shutdown-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:01:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse At a petrol station in the Washington suburbs, drivers confronted the harsh domestic repercussions of the war on Iran, as spiking fuel prices hit household budgets hard. Jeanne Williams, 83, had just driven 160km from Richmond, Virginia, where she was visiting her elder sister. “That is horrible,” she said, stunned by the prices visible on the Liberty petrol station’s LED board. “I’m not angry. I’m just bewildered, confused, unhappy,” she said. “Because we didn’t ask for the war.” On Tuesday,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348644/how-us-stupid-war-iran-torched-fuel-price-stability-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348644/how-us-stupid-war-iran-torched-fuel-price-stability-america?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the global economic system into turmoil, yet Israel, which launched attacks on Tehran alongside the United States, has emerged as a rare exception. Since Israel and its US ally started the Middle East war on February 28, economies from Asia to Europe and the US have come under pressure from surging oil and natural gas prices that have driven up fuel and electricity costs. Israel, however, has remained largely insulated from the shock. Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348629/how-israel-dodged-hormuz-energy-crisis-while-others-reel-blow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348629/how-israel-dodged-hormuz-energy-crisis-while-others-reel-blow?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 06:43:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is hoping that its role in building a diplomatic off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran will enable it to become a key actor in the Middle East after the conflict ends, analysts say. If Islamabad can deliver without being sucked into the maelstrom, it can capitalise on its position as peacemaker by signing defence deals with Gulf monarchies and attracting investment from them to strengthen its weak economy. This will help finance Pakistan’s military expansion for its envisioned new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:21:16 +0000 Haining Gao Haining Gao China and Pakistan unveiled a joint five-point plan on Tuesday to restore peace in the Persian Gulf after five weeks of US-Israeli bombardment of Iran. China, Pakistan five-point initiative for restoring peace in the Middle East by scmp https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348601/china-pakistan-five-point-plan-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348601/china-pakistan-five-point-plan-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:56:41 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Why didn’t China develop its own scientific and industrial revolutions when it made so many discoveries and advances over millennia? That is often called “Needham’s question”, named after the historian of Chinese science and tech Joseph Needham. Why didn’t China develop capitalism during the Song dynasty when it was so close to achieving a breakthrough with trade, commerce, currency and semi-industrialisation, and an emerging merchant class? The Hungarian-French sinologist Etienne Balazs, among... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3348381/why-china-always-misunderstood-and-misrepresented?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Global oil supplies are expected to be hit twice as hard this month as in March, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, underlining the urgent need to resolve the conflict ‌over Iran that US President Donald Trump said could end soon. While Trump signalled he could wind down the war within weeks even without a deal, he also scaled up threats to pull the United States out of the Nato defence alliance if European states did not help stop Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz. “I was never... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348593/trump-says-us-could-end-war-iran-2-3-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348593/trump-says-us-could-end-war-iran-2-3-weeks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:33:48 +0000 Jawad Khalid Jawad Khalid As with any conflict, the war in Iran has driven people to choose sides and adopt partisan positions. This includes the view that, despite the acts of aggression by the US and Israel, the Islamic Republic somehow “deserves” the attacks due to years of regional instability caused by its Axis of Resistance. This is not to suggest that the Iranian regime has always been a victim. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ transgressions through the Quds Force have been well documented. But let’s be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348165/how-selective-outrage-over-iran-war-exposes-limits-realpolitik?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3348165/how-selective-outrage-over-iran-war-exposes-limits-realpolitik?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran has the “necessary will” to end the war with the US and Israel, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday, stressing that Tehran was seeking guarantees the conflict would not flare up again. The comment by the head of state – which boosted markets in the US – came after a day of heavy strikes on Iran and followed a tough warning from the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Guards threatened to retaliate against leading US tech firms such as Google, Meta and Apple from... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348588/iran-says-it-has-will-end-war-trump-zigzags-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348588/iran-says-it-has-will-end-war-trump-zigzags-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:10:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday that they would target leading US technology firms like Apple, Google and Meta if more Iranian leaders were killed in “targeted assassinations”. “These companies, starting from 8pm Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1, should expect the destruction of their relevant units in exchange for every assassination in Iran,” the Guards said in a statement listing the names of 18 companies it alleged were complicit in the killing of officials. “We advise the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348585/iran-says-will-target-apple-google-and-meta-if-more-its-leaders-are-killed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348585/iran-says-will-target-apple-google-and-meta-if-more-its-leaders-are-killed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:23:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters President ⁠Donald Trump on Tuesday urged countries that did not help in the US-Israeli strikes on Iran to buy American oil and go to ‌the Strait of Hormuz and “just TAKE it”. Trump singled out Britain and France as unhelpful in the month-long war that has roiled global markets, driven up energy prices and seen Iran effectively close oil ⁠tanker traffic through the Strait. “All of those countries that can’t ‌get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which ‌refused... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348566/trump-urges-countries-go-strait-hormuz-and-just-take-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348566/trump-urges-countries-go-strait-hormuz-and-just-take-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:22:42 +0000 Mandy Zuo,Carol Yang Mandy Zuo,Carol Yang As global energy supplies are put under strain by Iranian disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, state-owned Chinese oil giant PetroChina has said its overall operations remain stable because most of its imports do not pass through the strait. However, the company’s investment operations in the Middle East had been “impacted to varying degrees”, as crude oil and natural gas imported through the strait accounted for about 10 per cent of its total operating volume, PetroChina... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348534/3-chinese-ships-exit-strait-hormuz-petrochina-stresses-operations-stable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3348534/3-chinese-ships-exit-strait-hormuz-petrochina-stresses-operations-stable?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran has not been weakened enough by the month-long US-led bombing campaign, according to US, Gulf and Israeli officials. After private grumbling at the start of the war that they were not given adequate advance notice of the US-Israeli attack and complaining the US had ignored their warnings that the war would have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348490/gulf-allies-want-trump-prolong-us-bombardment-iran-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348490/gulf-allies-want-trump-prolong-us-bombardment-iran-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:16:08 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US may need to reassess its relationship with Nato after the Iran war is finished, calling the military alliance’s alleged lack of support during the Middle East conflict “very disappointing”. Rubio assailed Nato members for denying access to military bases, following prior criticism from US President Donald Trump that partners in the security bloc are “cowards” and that the alliance is a “paper tiger”. “The president and our country will have to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348486/us-may-reassess-nato-ties-after-iran-war-ends-rubio-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348486/us-may-reassess-nato-ties-after-iran-war-ends-rubio-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:33:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Iran is pushing the Houthis to prepare for a renewed campaign against Red Sea shipping, contingent upon any further escalation by the US in its war on the Islamic Republic, according to European officials familiar with the matter. Leaders of the Yemen-based Houthis, a militant group backed by Iran, are weighing options for more aggressive action after launching ballistic missiles at Israel, the people said, asking not to be named discussing sensitive matters. There are divisions within the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348469/iran-pressuring-houthis-attack-red-sea-ships-european-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348469/iran-pressuring-houthis-attack-red-sea-ships-european-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 02:55:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Monday that Iran’s Islamic republic would eventually fall, though he again said that was not the objective of the US-Israeli war on the country. “I think this regime will collapse internally. But at the moment, right now, what we’re doing is just degrading their military capacity, degrading their missile capacity, degrading their nuclear capacity and also weakening them from the inside,” Netanyahu told conservative US broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:36:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A man who crashed his pickup truck into a Detroit-area synagogue earlier in March was carrying out an attack inspired by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah and had sought to inflict as much damage as possible, the FBI said on Monday. Ayman Ghazali made a video before the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, saying he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can”, said Jennifer Runyan, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Detroit, who announced new information more... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348458/fbi-says-man-who-crashed-his-truck-michigan-synagogue-was-inspired-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348458/fbi-says-man-who-crashed-his-truck-michigan-synagogue-was-inspired-hezbollah?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:00:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters Two Chinese container ships sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday on their second attempt to leave the Gulf after turning back on Friday, ship-tracking data showed. The critical waterway has effectively been shut since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28. The vessels ‌sailed in close formation out of the strait and into open waters, data on the MarineTraffic platform showed. “Both vessels successfully crossed on a second attempt today, marking the first container vessels to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348455/chinese-container-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-second-attempt-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348455/chinese-container-ships-pass-through-strait-hormuz-second-attempt-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 19:27:59 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel’s parliament on Monday passed a law approving the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis. The bill’s passage marked a major victory for Israel’s far-right, which has pushed hard for the measure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the chamber to vote yes in person. The law makes the death penalty – by hanging – the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted for nationalistic killings. The law also gives Israeli courts the authority to impose... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348454/israeli-parliament-approves-death-penalty-palestinians-convicted-murdering-israelis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348454/israeli-parliament-approves-death-penalty-palestinians-convicted-murdering-israelis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:49:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French authorities are investigating a suspected link to Iran after thwarting a bomb attack outside a Bank of America building in Paris at the weekend, the interior minister said on Monday. The authorities suspect a link to Iran due to similarities to other recent attempted attacks in Europe which a pro-Iran group claimed responsibility for, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. On Saturday morning, Paris police officers spotted two suspects carrying a shopping bag near the Bank of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348451/france-investigates-possible-iran-link-after-bomb-attack-foiled-outside-bank-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3348451/france-investigates-possible-iran-link-after-bomb-attack-foiled-outside-bank-america?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 16:31:44 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi The world is bracing for an aluminium supply shock after two major Middle Eastern smelters were damaged in Iranian attacks over the weekend, a disruption likely to push more production to China in the near term and potentially for years to come, analysts said. Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), a leading regional producer, reported “significant damage” at its Abu Dhabi site following strikes by Iranian missiles and drones, while Aluminium Bahrain said it was assessing the extent of damage at its... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348426/will-irans-strikes-gulf-smelters-strengthen-chinas-aluminium-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3348426/will-irans-strikes-gulf-smelters-strengthen-chinas-aluminium-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Israeli military has suspended a battalion whose soldiers assaulted a CNN crew in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in a rare case of punishment for soldier misconduct. The army announced on Monday it was suspending the Netzah Yehuda battalion after soldiers were filmed assaulting the CNN crew last week. Netzah Yehuda is a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers that has been linked to abuses of Palestinian civilians in the past, including the death of a 78-year-old Palestinian American man after his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348440/israel-suspends-military-unit-assaulted-cnn-crew-west-bank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348440/israel-suspends-military-unit-assaulted-cnn-crew-west-bank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:41:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said on Monday it was striking military targets across Tehran, a day after US President Donald Trump insisted a deal could “soon” be reached, while not ruling out ground operations. Iran also launched fresh strikes on Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia after its electrical facilities came under attack at the weekend, cutting power to parts of Tehran and surrounding areas. Trump also threatened on Monday to destroy Kharg Island, Iran’s oil wells and power plants if it does not agree soon to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348372/trump-claims-regime-change-achieved-iran-war-predicts-deal-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348372/trump-claims-regime-change-achieved-iran-war-predicts-deal-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:31:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Three United Nations peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in ⁠southern Lebanon after a bloody weekend in which Lebanese journalists and medical staff were killed in Israeli strikes. Two peacekeepers were killed on Monday after an explosion from an unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in south Lebanon, the United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL said in a statement. Two other soldiers were wounded in the blast. Earlier, another Indonesian soldier... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348348/indonesian-killed-lebanon-while-un-peacekeeping-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348348/indonesian-killed-lebanon-while-un-peacekeeping-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:40:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s parliament approved the country’s 2026 budget early on Monday, providing for a significant increase in military spending as the country remains engaged in wars on multiple fronts. Lawmakers passed the budget with 62 votes in favour and 55 against. The vote averted an automatic government collapse and snap election that would have followed failure to pass the budget by March’s end, under Israeli law. The proposed total expenditure budget for 2026 amounts to around 850 billion Israeli... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348339/israel-adds-us10-billion-its-war-chest-defence-budget-increase?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348339/israel-adds-us10-billion-its-war-chest-defence-budget-increase?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:26:31 +0000