https://www.scmp.com/rss/325327/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Fan Chen Fan Chen US confrontations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz point to future American attempts to contain China via maritime chokepoints, a Chinese policy adviser has warned, suggesting that Beijing boost its naval presence in the region. In a policy recommendation addressed to Beijing, Gu Dingguo, an East China Normal University research fellow in neighbourhood diplomacy and security, said the Iran war reflected Washington’s greater emphasis on implementing its maritime security strategy. “By... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351104/undeniable-reality-why-china-should-be-wary-us-focus-global-maritime-chokepoints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351104/undeniable-reality-why-china-should-be-wary-us-focus-global-maritime-chokepoints?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang First, it was the Panama Canal, then came the Strait of Hormuz. What could be next? America’s actions in the two major shipping channels have grabbed headlines, and global attention is shifting to the strategic importance and potential risks of other critical trade waterways. Some of the chokepoints were examined in a US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) investigation in March last year of unfavourable shipping conditions, signalling America’s heightened focus on international routes and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350772/beyond-panama-and-hormuz-8-critical-waterways-under-global-microscope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350772/beyond-panama-and-hormuz-8-critical-waterways-under-global-microscope?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Any “mischief” in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger “a chain-reaction response” in more critical shipping lanes, including the Malacca Strait in Southeast Asia, an adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has warned. The warning from Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs adviser to Khamenei, came hours after Iran declared another full closure of Hormuz – days before a fragile ceasefire with the US was due to expire. “The era of imposing security from across the oceans has... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350691/malacca-strait-risk-hormuz-chain-reaction-after-warning-iranian-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350691/malacca-strait-risk-hormuz-chain-reaction-after-warning-iranian-adviser?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthi movement has threatened to besiege a second key Middle East waterway as Iran launched drone attacks against US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after a diplomatic effort to end the war appeared to collapse. A closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, would effectively sever Saudi Arabia’s only remaining oil export route. The kingdom has been shipping up to 7 million barrels of crude per day through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350671/iran-war-escalates-houthis-threaten-sever-saudi-oil-exports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350671/iran-war-escalates-houthis-threaten-sever-saudi-oil-exports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:42:32 +0000 Flavio Romero Macau Flavio Romero Macau If you had never heard of the Strait of Hormuz before, you probably have by now. Iran’s effective closure of the waterway, which usually carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas, has put severe pressure on the global economy. Now, some analysts are warning a new flashpoint could emerge: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. That’s because on March 28, the Houthis, a military group that controls large parts of northern Yemen and is aligned with Iran, entered the war, launching missiles towards... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3348969/why-gate-tears-may-yet-make-whole-world-weep?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3348969/why-gate-tears-may-yet-make-whole-world-weep?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Iran has demanded explanations from two Gulf states equipped with Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones after one was reportedly shot down in the war with the United States and Israel. Both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are known to have the reconnaissance and precision strike drones in their arsenals. The drone was shot down over the city of Shiraz on Thursday, according to Esmail Baqaei, a spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry. Baqaei posted photos of drone wreckage on social... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349036/iran-demands-explanations-saudis-and-uae-after-chinese-made-drone-was-shot-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349036/iran-demands-explanations-saudis-and-uae-after-chinese-made-drone-was-shot-down?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 09:51:34 +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 Cao Li Cao Li Hong Kong stocks dropped on Monday as escalating tensions in the Middle East sent oil prices to recent highs. Over the weekend, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched attacks directly on Israel, which intensified strikes on Tehran. The US has also deployed additional military forces to the Middle East. The escalation pushed up oil prices, with Brent crude jumping as much as 3.7 per cent to US$116.80 a barrel, its highest in more than a week, while West Texas Intermediate rose to US$101 a... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348360/hong-kong-stocks-fall-asia-iran-conflict-drives-oil-prices-higher?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3348360/hong-kong-stocks-fall-asia-iran-conflict-drives-oil-prices-higher?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:10:13 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Top diplomats from key regional powers were gathering in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the US kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region. Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were taking part in the talks in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held “extensive... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348296/regional-diplomats-gather-pakistan-talks-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348296/regional-diplomats-gather-pakistan-talks-end-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 09:59:55 +0000 Alcott Wei,Fan Chen Alcott Wei,Fan Chen As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month, another major shipping lane is at risk of closure but the chances of a prolonged conflict remain slim, according to Chinese analysts. The assessment came on Saturday as Iran-backed Houthi rebels joined the fray by firing missiles at Israel from Yemen. The Israeli military said it intercepted one of the projectiles. Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted a Houthi source as saying the missile attack was meant “as a warning”. The Houthis... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348265/1-month-2-straits-more-strikes-how-long-will-us-israeli-war-iran-last?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:31:19 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Friday he believed Iran would hold talks with Washington “this week” as the US-Israeli war against Tehran entered its second month. The war began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched air strikes across Iran, killing supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sending shock waves across the globe. A month later the conflict showed no sign of ending, with US-Israeli strikes hitting two Iranian nuclear facilities on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348223/us-special-envoy-witkoff-predicts-iran-talks-war-enters-second-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348223/us-special-envoy-witkoff-predicts-iran-talks-war-enters-second-month?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:26:54 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Iran’s leadership is likely to prove resilient despite US-Israeli decapitation tactics, analysts say. Dozens of senior Iranian officials, including the former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and national security chief Ali Larijani, have been killed since the start of the bombing raids on February 28. Tehran has argued these changes do not matter. “Of course, individuals are influential, and each person plays their role – some better, some worse, some less – but what matters is that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347624/not-venezuela-why-iran-likely-survive-us-israeli-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347624/not-venezuela-why-iran-likely-survive-us-israeli-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:15:30 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Three weeks into the Iran war, tit-for-tat escalations on multiple fronts have dragged the Middle East to the brink of the region-wide conflict that its governments have repeatedly warned about – and tried to avert – since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023. Israel has launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon in recent days, after Hezbollah entered the conflict in response to the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iraq has been turned into a shooting range, as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347363/iran-war-nears-3-front-tipping-point-gulf-energy-hubs-burn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347363/iran-war-nears-3-front-tipping-point-gulf-energy-hubs-burn?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Global concerns are rising over the fate of ships and crews trapped in the Strait of Hormuz amid the intensifying Middle East conflict, as reports spread that Iran is rolling out screening processes and steep transit fees for vessels using the waterway. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) called for the establishment of a “safe maritime framework” to ensure the swift evacuation of merchant ships confined within the Persian Gulf, after holding a special session on the Middle East... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347337/strait-hormuz-tensions-flare-iran-tightens-grip-over-shipping-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3347337/strait-hormuz-tensions-flare-iran-tightens-grip-over-shipping-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:00:24 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan By the time this column appears, the world will feel very different from when my previous column appeared earlier this month. In just days, a conflict that some in Washington seemed to believe would quickly topple Iran’s leadership has instead become a potentially long and uncertain war, with little clarity on how or when it will end. The front lines will have shifted, more oil tankers will have been stuck at sea and more flights cancelled, and there will almost certainly have been further... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347056/iran-war-revives-pandemic-era-shocks-and-may-go-further?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347056/iran-war-revives-pandemic-era-shocks-and-may-go-further?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Saudi Arabia is activating its Red Sea “Plan B” to divert crude via the port of Yanbu, allowing tankers – including Chinese very large crude carriers (VLCCs) – to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, though analysts warn the route has limited capacity. The move comes after Iran effectively closed the strait in response to United States and Israeli military strikes, a conflict now in its third week that has rattled global energy markets. New Vista, a VLCC owned by China Merchants Energy Shipping, had... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347045/red-sea-fix-china-bound-oil-tankers-tap-saudi-plan-bypass-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3347045/red-sea-fix-china-bound-oil-tankers-tap-saudi-plan-bypass-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:00:08 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction since February 28, when the US and Israel began military strikes on Iran. Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:30:14 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Since the Iran war began late last month, it has threatened shipping across the Middle East’s two most important maritime chokepoints – the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb – through which much of Asia’s energy imports and manufactured exports flow. For Gulf states and their major trading partners in Asia, the conflict is forcing a hard question: what, if anything, can protect supply chains if US security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted? Analysts say the usual answers –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346627/iran-war-exposes-fragility-gulf-asia-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346627/iran-war-exposes-fragility-gulf-asia-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Xinyi Wu,Carol Yang Xinyi Wu,Carol Yang Ships near the Strait of Hormuz are broadcasting Chinese affiliations in an apparent bid to avoid attack, at a time when Iran’s new supreme leader vows to keep the strategic waterway closed. The crews of at least 11 vessels sitting in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf had their transponders set to announce Chinese links on Friday afternoon, according to Kpler’s MarineTraffic data platform. The broadcasts were a defensive measure, said Cui Shoujun, director of the Institute of International... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346542/strait-hormuz-transiting-ships-flash-china-owner-signals-evade-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346542/strait-hormuz-transiting-ships-flash-china-owner-signals-evade-iran-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:45:56 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press As missiles and drones curtail energy production across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the resource most at risk in the energy-rich but arid region. On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of damaging one of its desalination plants. Earlier, Iran said a US air strike had damaged an Iranian plant. Hundreds of desalination plants sit along the Persian Gulf coast, putting individual systems that supply water to millions within range of Iranian missile or drone strikes. Without... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345897/iran-strikes-desalination-plants-threaten-arab-states-water-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345897/iran-strikes-desalination-plants-threaten-arab-states-water-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:22:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the war in the Middle East. Macron said the Charles de Gaulle carrier will be escorted by frigates and its air wing. In a pre-recorded speech on French television, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defence systems and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East. “And we... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345329/iran-war-macron-orders-frances-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345329/iran-war-macron-orders-frances-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier-mediterranean?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:02:10 +0000 Sameed Basha Sameed Basha Many American wars begin with the assumption that brute force will lead to a swift and decisive victory. While the US military is highly effective at conventional deterrence, it has consistently struggled to defeat adversaries employing asymmetric tactics. In conflicts such as Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen, Washington repeatedly underestimated its adversaries by assessing their strength based on their ability to fight conventionally. Iran represents the most dangerous iteration of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345222/us-war-iran-isnt-likely-go-planned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3345222/us-war-iran-isnt-likely-go-planned?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Since Iran came under US and Israeli attack on Saturday, its retaliatory missile and drone barrages have struck Saudi oil refineries, the world’s largest LNG plant in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates’ trade and transit infrastructure. Now the Gulf is signalling it has had enough of just absorbing the hits. None of the six Arab monarchies of the Gulf Cooperation Council wanted this war, analysts say. They had spent months trying to mediate a way out of the confrontation, warning of precisely... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345259/gulf-states-take-fight-iran-missiles-target-oil-gas-and-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345259/gulf-states-take-fight-iran-missiles-target-oil-gas-and-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 07:47:50 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump has pushed back on reports that the Pentagon was concerned that an extended military campaign against Iran could prove difficult, even as he insisted his preference was still to strike a diplomatic deal. “Everything that has been written about a potential War with Iran has been written incorrectly, and purposefully so,” Trump said in a social media post on Monday. “I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344419/trump-pushes-back-reports-iran-war-risks-clock-ticks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3344419/trump-pushes-back-reports-iran-war-risks-clock-ticks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:42:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bahrain and Egypt are attempting to mend ties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, two sources said, weeks into a diplomatic rift between the Arab world’s most powerful countries. Saudi Arabia and the UAE had a public falling out in December, when the kingdom accused its neighbour of threatening its national security by supporting Yemeni separatists who orchestrated a brief land grab. A source close to the Saudi government insisted there was “no need for mediation” because direct... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343594/uae-saudi-rift-over-security-threats-push-arab-mediators-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3343594/uae-saudi-rift-over-security-threats-push-arab-mediators-act?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:22:44 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The United Arab Emirates is rapidly eclipsing Hong Kong and emerging as a credible rival to Singapore as Asia’s most dynamic trading hub, thanks to an ambitious post-pandemic campaign of economic diplomacy. Defying global headwinds from war and instability across its own region, the UAE’s non-oil trade almost doubled between 2021 and 2025 to reach 3.8 trillion dirhams (US$1.03 trillion), Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum announced on January 31. That surge – powered by an aggressive... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343514/uae-surpassing-hong-kong-challenging-singapore-global-trade-crown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343514/uae-surpassing-hong-kong-challenging-singapore-global-trade-crown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:00:22 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The United States and Iran may be inching towards a renewed nuclear accord, following intensive behind-the-scenes diplomacy by Gulf monarchies and Turkey aimed at averting a new regional war. With US President Donald Trump indicating a clear preference for negotiation over confrontation, Washington appears to have quietly abandoned earlier talk of regime change in Tehran and efforts to assist Iranians caught in last month’s bloody protests. “If the Iranian people want to overthrow the regime,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343257/us-iran-eye-tentative-nuclear-talks-regional-diplomacy-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3343257/us-iran-eye-tentative-nuclear-talks-regional-diplomacy-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s increasing engagement with Gulf nations is driven more by trade and energy security, even as it seeks to forge a defence partnership with the United Arab Emirates amid deepening rivalries in the region, according to analysts. Last week, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a brief stop in New Delhi, where both sides pledged to deepen trade ties and defence cooperation. The trip has fuelled speculation that the UAE is seeking to diversify its strategic partnerships amid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341287/why-indias-focus-middle-east-trade-despite-defence-ties-uae?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341287/why-indias-focus-middle-east-trade-despite-defence-ties-uae?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:17:51 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The arrival of 2026 has brought anything but peace to the Middle East, caught in the gravitational pull of rival ambitions and with the uneasy sense that the next war may already be under way. From Gaza to Syria, conflict hotspots are flaring as the region finds itself at the epicentre of a global order in flux. The result is a landscape in which rivalries are multiplying, former partners are pitted against each other and more violence appears inevitable, analysts say. “While it is still early... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341039/saudi-uae-rift-risks-tearing-middle-east-apart-anything-can-happen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3341039/saudi-uae-rift-risks-tearing-middle-east-apart-anything-can-happen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Yemeni politicians met on Sunday in Saudi Arabia’s capital in their first public gathering since a southern separatist group backed by the United Arab Emirates was disbanded following weeks of clashes. The meeting in Riyadh discussed the future of southern Yemen ahead of a Saudi-sponsored conference, the dates of which have not yet been announced. The separatist demands in southern Yemen are one element in a complex civil war that has gripped the country since 2014, when Houthi rebels backed by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340348/yemens-leaders-meet-saudi-arabia-after-defeat-uae-backed-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3340348/yemens-leaders-meet-saudi-arabia-after-defeat-uae-backed-group?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 15:53:11 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), its next-generation fighter project in collaboration with the United Kingdom and Italy, may be given a boost now that the development of a similar aircraft has been put on hold. Germany, France and Spain have indefinitely postponed the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), prompting suggestions that some or all participants may instead turn to the rival GCAP. On December 30, German defence media outlet Hartpunkt reported that the “faltering” project, long... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340031/japans-next-generation-fighter-jet-project-set-boost-european-rival-stalls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340031/japans-next-generation-fighter-jet-project-set-boost-european-rival-stalls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Washington’s allies in the Middle East and beyond are facing the prospects of joining rival blocs in alignment with the different visions of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following a rare clash between the two countries over war-torn Yemen. The Saudi bombing of an arms shipment reportedly provided by the UAE to separatists in southern Yemen last week has exposed the two Arab heavyweights’ divergent foreign policy approaches in the strategically important Red Sea and Horn of Africa,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339089/us-allies-saudi-arabia-uae-risk-split-middle-east-over-competing-visions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339089/us-allies-saudi-arabia-uae-risk-split-middle-east-over-competing-visions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In the wake of last weekend’s US military action in Venezuela, the US news media got something it has seldom heard from the Trump administration: a “thank you”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio credited news organisations that had learned in advance about last Saturday’s strike that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with not putting the mission in jeopardy by publicly reporting on it before it happened. Rubio’s acknowledgement was particularly noteworthy because US Defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338899/trump-team-praises-us-media-keeping-its-venezuela-raid-plan-secret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338899/trump-team-praises-us-media-keeping-its-venezuela-raid-plan-secret?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 07:38:28 +0000 Agencies Agencies The leader of Yemen’s presidential council said on Saturday that pro-Saudi forces had retaken control of the resource-rich province of Hadramout, recently seized by the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC). Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, said in a statement that Saudi-backed National Shield forces had achieved “record success” in “retaking all military and security positions in the province” bordering Saudi Arabia after the operation was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338642/yemen-presidential-council-chief-says-pro-saudi-forces-regain-province-separatists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338642/yemen-presidential-council-chief-says-pro-saudi-forces-regain-province-separatists?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 22:44:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Yemen’s separatist movement on Friday announced a constitution for an independent nation in the south and demanded other factions in the war-torn country accept the move in an escalation of a confrontation that has pitted Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against each other. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) depicted the announcement as a declaration of independence for the south. But it was not immediately clear if the move could be implemented or was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338592/yemens-separatists-announce-constitution-uae-withdraws-all-its-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338592/yemens-separatists-announce-constitution-uae-withdraws-all-its-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 02:58:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Seven separatist fighters died in air strikes on Friday as the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen hit back against a sweeping advance by the UAE-backed Southern Transition Council (STC) that threatens to spiral into a major confrontation. The deaths are the first from coalition fire since the secessionist STC seized swathes of Hadramawt and Mahra provinces last month. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have for years supported rival factions in Yemen’s government-run territories, but the STC’s offensive has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338567/7-dead-saudi-jets-strike-uae-backed-separatists-peaceful-yemen-operation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338567/7-dead-saudi-jets-strike-uae-backed-separatists-peaceful-yemen-operation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 13:33:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse For years, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia projected geopolitical and economic power across the Gulf and beyond, seemingly in tandem. But a growing rivalry and struggle for influence has come to a head - most recently in Yemen - following years of divergence over a tangle of competing interests that reach from regional waterways to the corridors of power in Washington, analysts say. The once-close relationship between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338476/saudi-uae-rivalry-explodes-view-after-strike-war-torn-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338476/saudi-uae-rivalry-explodes-view-after-strike-war-torn-yemen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 05:31:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it ‌was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for UAE forces to leave within 24 hours, deepening a crisis between the two Gulf powers and oil producers. Hours earlier, Saudi-led ‍coalition forces had attacked the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla. The air strike on what Riyadh said was a UAE-linked weapons shipment was the most significant escalation to date in a widening rift between the two Gulf monarchies. In... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338206/uae-withdraw-forces-yemen-after-saudi-ultimatum-over-mukalla-air-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338206/uae-withdraw-forces-yemen-after-saudi-ultimatum-over-mukalla-air-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:33:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates. The kingdom later directly linked the UAE to the separatists’ recent advances in Yemen and warned Abu Dhabi its actions were “extremely dangerous”. The attack signals a new escalation in tensions between the kingdom and the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338110/saudi-arabia-bombs-port-yemen-over-shipment-weapons-separatists-uae?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338110/saudi-arabia-bombs-port-yemen-over-shipment-weapons-separatists-uae?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:55:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on ‍Monday he will discuss Iran’s nuclear activities during his visit next week with US President Donald Trump. Speaking at a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel was aware Iran had been conducting “exercises” recently, without elaborating. Earlier on Monday, Iranian state media reported Iran had held missile drills in various cities... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337396/netanyahu-discuss-irans-nuclear-activities-next-phase-gaza-plan-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337396/netanyahu-discuss-irans-nuclear-activities-next-phase-gaza-plan-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Dec 2025 20:33:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press New investigative reports into a series of high-profile and costly US Navy mishaps during a US-led campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels reveal that the most intense running sea battle that the military service has faced since World War II took a toll on ships and personnel. The four reports released on Thursday cover a “friendly fire” incident in December 2024 that saw the cruiser USS Gettysburg shoot at two fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, downing one, as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335299/combat-stress-key-factor-costly-us-navy-mishaps-investigations-reveal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335299/combat-stress-key-factor-costly-us-navy-mishaps-investigations-reveal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 05:57:28 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Houthi rebel groups in Yemen signalled in November they would halt attacks on commercial ships passing through the Red Sea if the Gaza ceasefire held, allowing a possible end to two years of costly detours for cargo shipping between Asia and Europe. Dutch financial services group ING called the potential reopening of Red Sea shipping lanes a “key thing to watch for in container shipping” next year. And it would have particular significance for China: the world’s biggest merchandise... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335200/return-red-sea-shipping-3-scenarios-chinese-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3335200/return-red-sea-shipping-3-scenarios-chinese-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:30:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iraq will remove Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis from an asset-freeze list, officials said on Thursday, after the Iran-aligned groups were mistakenly included in an earlier government publication, prompting confusion and criticism. The Justice Ministry’s official gazette last month published a list of groups and entities whose funds would be blocked, naming both militant groups, a move that would likely have been welcomed in Washington and increased pressure on Tehran. A letter from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3335239/iraq-removes-iran-aligned-hezbollah-and-houthis-asset-freeze-list-after-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3335239/iraq-removes-iran-aligned-hezbollah-and-houthis-asset-freeze-list-after-mistake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:07:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Pentagon’s watchdog found that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth put US personnel and their mission at risk when he used the Signal messaging app to convey sensitive information about a military strike against Yemen’s Houthi militants, two people familiar with the findings said on Wednesday. Hegseth, however, has the ability to declassify material and the report did not find he did so improperly, according to one of the people familiar with the findings who spoke on condition of anonymity to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335115/hegseths-use-signal-posed-risk-us-personnel-pentagon-watchdog-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3335115/hegseths-use-signal-posed-risk-us-personnel-pentagon-watchdog-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 19:21:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters The Trump administration on Tuesday said it paused all immigration applications, including green card and US citizenship processing, filed by immigrants from 19 non-European countries, citing concerns over national security and public safety. The pause applies to people from 19 countries that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June, placing further restrictions on immigration – a core feature of US President Donald Trump’s political platform. The list of countries includes... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334983/us-pauses-all-immigration-applications-19-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334983/us-pauses-all-immigration-applications-19-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 02:16:14 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The US Department of Commerce said on Wednesday it would add a dozen companies based in China to a restricted trade list for their alleged roles in facilitating the purchase and use of American components and tech found in the weaponised drones said to be operated by Hamas and Houthi militants in Yemen. Ten companies in China were designated for the Commerce Department’s “entity list” for facilitating the purchase of components found in these drones, according to a final rule published in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328288/us-adds-china-based-companies-blacklist-over-drone-parts-tied-hamas-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3328288/us-adds-china-based-companies-blacklist-over-drone-parts-tied-hamas-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:46:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Yemen’s Houthi rebels early on Wednesday claimed the attack that left a Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden, underlining the range of their weaponry and their campaign targeting shipping over the war between Israel and Hamas. The attack on Monday on the Minervagracht was the most serious assault by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Gulf of Aden, some distance from the Red Sea where they have sunk four vessels since November 2023. The attack also came as Israel engaged... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327464/yemens-houthis-claim-missile-strike-dutch-flagged-freighter-gulf-aden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327464/yemens-houthis-claim-missile-strike-dutch-flagged-freighter-gulf-aden?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 03:36:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels set a ship ablaze in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The attack hit the Netherlands-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht, which had been targeted in a failed assault last week by the Iranian-backed Houthis, according to the French military’s Maritime Information, Cooperation and Awareness Center. “At this time, the vessel is reported to be on fire,” the centre said. A “warship is heading to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327287/attack-yemens-houthi-rebels-sets-ship-ablaze-gulf-aden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327287/attack-yemens-houthi-rebels-sets-ship-ablaze-gulf-aden?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:37:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel’s army said it had intercepted a missile on Thursday fired from Yemen, a day after Israeli forces carried out air strikes there that killed 35 people and wounded more than 130. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the missile attack on Israel. But the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325092/israel-attacks-yemens-houthi-rebels-day-after-it-targeted-hamas-qatar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325092/israel-attacks-yemens-houthi-rebels-day-after-it-targeted-hamas-qatar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 15:04:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said Sunday he was issuing a “last warning” to Hamas, saying the Palestinian militant group must accept a deal to release hostages in Gaza. “The Israelis have accepted my terms. It is time for Hamas to accept as well. I have warned Hamas about the consequences of not accepting. This is my last warning,” Trump said on social media, without elaborating further. In a statement released shortly after, Hamas said it was ready to “immediately sit at the negotiating table”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324673/trump-issues-last-warning-hamas-accept-hostage-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3324673/trump-issues-last-warning-hamas-accept-hostage-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 19:55:02 +0000