https://www.scmp.com/rss/325388/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ruqiya Anwar Ruqiya Anwar While the United States and Iran exchange peace proposals in Islamabad, the Middle East remains trapped in a cycle of escalation. Ships burn in the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon absorbs strikes by Israel and the nuclear gap remains unbridgeable. Calling this moment a ceasefire might be in line with diplomatic language, but on the ground it has the familiar look of war, just repackaged. While US President Donald Trump might have negotiated some sort of ceasefire agreement, the American naval blockade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3351561/us-iran-ceasefire-cant-paper-over-fires-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3351561/us-iran-ceasefire-cant-paper-over-fires-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Thalassaemia is the world’s most common genetic blood disorder. China currently has 30 million thalassaemia gene carriers, while the global total reaches 350 million. Patient with severe thalassaemia could confront a stark reality: regular blood transfusions, potential organ transplants, and even the risk of premature death. If two carriers of the gene marry, their children have a 25 per cent chance of developing the disease. China’s latest original therapy, which integrates gene editing and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351284/chinas-thalassaemia-jab-raises-hope-common-inherited-blood-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351284/chinas-thalassaemia-jab-raises-hope-common-inherited-blood-disorder?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:31:25 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Following high-level mediation efforts in Islamabad over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday. The diplomatic surge comes as US President Donald Trump convened his senior national security team to evaluate a fresh Iranian peace proposal, delivered via Pakistan, aimed at ending the months-long Middle East crisis and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The White House confirmed the proposal called... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351617/trump-weighs-irans-red-lines-tehrans-top-diplomat-engages-russias-putin?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:18:25 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is on a week-long visit to China with a focus on economics and trade. Zardari arrived in China on Saturday. The Pakistani foreign ministry said he would be visiting Changsha in the central province of Hunan before heading to Sanya in the southern island province of Hainan on Tuesday, where he would stay until heading home on Friday. “During the visit, the president will hold meetings with provincial leadership to review the full spectrum of Pakistan-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351587/pakistani-president-seeks-bolster-full-spectrum-ties-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351587/pakistani-president-seeks-bolster-full-spectrum-ties-china-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:30:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi India has reportedly signed a deal to buy Russian missiles that target support aircraft as its arch-rival Pakistan and China continue to integrate their aerial weapons profiles. Russia has cleared the export of around 300 R-37M ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles in a US$1.2 billion deal, according to media reports. Malaysia-based news platform Defence Security Asia said deliveries of the missiles could begin within 12 to 18 months. India is also developing its own Astra Mk 2 and Mk 3 missiles,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351452/could-russian-missiles-help-india-counter-its-arch-rivals-chinese-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad again on Sunday, just hours after US President Donald Trump told his special envoys not to go to Pakistan for ceasefire talks. Araghchi had left Pakistan’s capital on Saturday night after meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. Pakistan has been trying to get US and Iranian officials back to the negotiating table after Trump last week announced that a two-week... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351442/trump-cancels-envoys-trip-pakistan-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351442/trump-cancels-envoys-trip-pakistan-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 17:16:19 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou In a prelude to a possible second round of peace talks in Pakistan, Iran ramped up its rhetoric against the United States on Saturday, warning of retaliation if the US kept up its shipping blockade. Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the operational centre of the Islamic Republic’s armed forces, warned of a “severe reaction” if the US continued its “naval blockade, maritime piracy and robbery in the region”. Iran’s defence ministry also said that much of the country’s missile strength... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351431/trapped-gulf-ship-crews-run-low-food-water-and-mental-health-reserves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351431/trapped-gulf-ship-crews-run-low-food-water-and-mental-health-reserves?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:13:04 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India and Germany’s new defence road map could give New Delhi fresh momentum in its long-running push to modernise its undersea fleet, while helping Europe expand its security role in the Indo-Pacific, experts say. The two countries signed a Defence Industrial Cooperation Road Map in Berlin on Wednesday, with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, agreeing to deepen collaboration in development, production and niche technologies. The agreement was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351377/india-germany-defence-road-map-good-template-wider-eu-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351377/india-germany-defence-road-map-good-template-wider-eu-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:00:20 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Amid the rubble of the US-Israel war on Iran, a new Middle East appears to be taking shape as a constellation of regional powers jockey for a seat at the table. Led by Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the grouping stretches from the Gulf across the Caucasus to Central and South Asia, binding together countries with overlapping interests, interlocking partnerships and a shared conviction: that the post-war order should not be dictated exclusively by the US-Israel alliance or Iran and its battered but... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351335/middle-easts-new-power-brokers-pakistan-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt-unite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351335/middle-easts-new-power-brokers-pakistan-turkey-saudi-arabia-egypt-unite?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Michael Vatikiotis Michael Vatikiotis The fog of war is getting thicker. The world is beset by conflicts, yet we are increasingly in the dark regarding their causes. Without this understanding, we lack the insight necessary to resolve them. Understanding conflict is a basic tool of mediation. It helps us define who the main actors are, the context in which they operate and the positions they hold. These data points are vital precursors to resolving conflict through mediation, of any kind. Yet in today’s world, the basic information... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3351339/blinding-world-lies-makes-peacemaking-impossible-task?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3351339/blinding-world-lies-makes-peacemaking-impossible-task?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 03:00:21 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi China would see India’s attempt to expand defence industry cooperation with South Korea in artillery and anti-aircraft guns as “inevitably sensitive” given Beijing’s border dispute with New Delhi in the Himalayas, according to analysts. After meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as part of his three-day visit to India, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung announced that Seoul and Delhi had agreed to upgrade their economic cooperation, focusing on vital sectors such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351324/why-china-will-see-indias-latest-defence-deal-south-korea-inevitably-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3351324/why-china-will-see-indias-latest-defence-deal-south-korea-inevitably-sensitive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:00:20 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Holly Chik Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier,Holly Chik US President Donald Trump is sending special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Pakistan for talks with “representatives from the Iranian delegation” this weekend, the White House confirmed on Friday. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Trump-friendly Fox News that the “America first” president will be “dispatching” the duo “tomorrow morning to engage in direct talks” and “hear the Iranians out”. Though she did not mention who would be representing Tehran, Pakistan... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351355/irans-foreign-minister-expected-pakistan-raising-hopes-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351355/irans-foreign-minister-expected-pakistan-raising-hopes-talks-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:39:19 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A suspected Chinese underwater drone hauled out of Indonesian waters this month has sharpened global focus on a security race that analysts say has been years in the making across South and Southeast Asia: undersea surveillance. The torpedo-shaped device was found near the Lombok Strait, one of the few deepwater channels through which submarines can transit submerged between the Pacific and Indian oceans and a passage closely watched by the United States and Australia. Beijing said it did not... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351348/chinese-drone-discovery-sharpens-focus-asias-undersea-security-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351348/chinese-drone-discovery-sharpens-focus-asias-undersea-security-race?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:27:31 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet. The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was conducting a formal review of Dhaka’s extradition request. The announcement – a significant shift... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:46:34 +0000 Zohaib Altaf Zohaib Altaf On Sunday, the US Navy seized the Iranian-flagged cargo vessel Touska. It happened in the middle of a US pressure campaign on Tehran after Washington had expanded blockade enforcement and warned that vessels suspected of carrying goods that provide support to Iran could be stopped. The ship, travelling from China via Malaysia, was suspected of carrying components deemed dual-use. In the immediate context, the label served a wartime purpose, but the significance of the episode goes beyond one... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350875/flexible-dual-use-claims-could-be-new-global-trade-chokepoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3350875/flexible-dual-use-claims-could-be-new-global-trade-chokepoint?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In the latest cycle of threats and concessions that have marked US President Donald Trump’s approach to the war that he and his Israeli counterpart started against Iran, the mercurial leader said on Thursday he would destroy any boat attempting to lay mines in the blocked Strait of Hormuz. His focus on diminutive vessels followed his oft-repeated messaging that Iran’s larger naval vessels no longer exist as he renewed his effort to muscle Tehran’s frustratingly resilient regime to concede... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351209/trump-says-navy-will-shoot-and-kill-boats-laying-mines-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351209/trump-says-navy-will-shoot-and-kill-boats-laying-mines-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:15:37 +0000 Holly Chik Holly Chik China has named the two Pakistani astronauts selected to train for a mission to its space station this year. After undergoing assessments, one of the men would serve as a payload specialist on a space mission alongside the Chinese crew to become the first foreign astronaut to enter the Tiangong space station, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will soon arrive in China for their training, according to the China Manned Space Agency. They were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351043/china-names-2-pakistani-astronauts-chosen-train-tiangong-space-station-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3351043/china-names-2-pakistani-astronauts-chosen-train-tiangong-space-station-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:41:50 +0000 Wang Huiyao Wang Huiyao The Iran crisis loomed large in discussions when Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu ‌Dhabi, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met President Xi Jinping on separate visits to Beijing last week. Both meetings focused on the need for a comprehensive and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East. This week, on a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Xi reiterated China’s support for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350462/how-chinas-patient-diplomacy-can-help-secure-peace-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3350462/how-chinas-patient-diplomacy-can-help-secure-peace-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asia is entering a dangerous summer for food production as scientists warn of a “super El Nino” suppressing rainfall while the war on Iran drives up energy and fertiliser costs for farmers. India’s Meteorological Department has forecast a below-average monsoon, after two successive years of above-normal rains, while in Australia – a major wheat producer and exporter – a shortage of farm inputs and persistent dryness has reportedly pushed planting acreage to a seven-year low. Farmers across South... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350988/asia-braces-food-shortages-super-el-nino-iran-war-effects-collide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350988/asia-braces-food-shortages-super-el-nino-iran-war-effects-collide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:38 +0000 Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen Alyssa Chen,Fan Chen The Iran conflict is pushing Saudi Arabia to reconsider its US-led security strategy, with China emerging to play a limited, but functional role, analysts say. However, deep US ties in defence would restrict Saudi Arabia’s broader cooperation with China, they added, as one expert predicted Riyadh was likely to deepen ties with regional powers such as Pakistan and Turkey. In a rare alignment, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East, initiated a phone... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350919/shifting-saudi-ties-what-role-could-china-take-after-iran-war-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350919/shifting-saudi-ties-what-role-could-china-take-after-iran-war-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones into northern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the Israeli military of violating a ceasefire ahead of US-mediated talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments this week. The Israeli military earlier said Iran-aligned Hezbollah had fired several rockets towards its troops operating in southern Lebanon, in what it described as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. It was not immediately clear if the incidents were the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350943/israel-and-hezbollah-exchange-fire-testing-lebanon-truce-talks-loom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350943/israel-and-hezbollah-exchange-fire-testing-lebanon-truce-talks-loom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:55:14 +0000 Lawrence Chung Lawrence Chung Half of Taiwanese not only doubt the US would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a cross-strait conflict but also question whether American weapons would prove effective, a poll this week has revealed. The results highlighted mounting scepticism on the island over Washington’s security guarantees, according to the survey released on Monday by the Taipei-based Democracy Foundation. The poll found that 57 per cent of respondents did not believe the US would send troops to defend the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350926/trump-effect-taiwan-poll-reveals-deep-doubts-about-us-military-protection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3350926/trump-effect-taiwan-poll-reveals-deep-doubts-about-us-military-protection?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The world breathed a sigh of relief as US President Donald Trump announced he would extend the ceasefire with Iran hours before it was set to expire. But the relief proved short-lived. Trump issued fresh war threats on social media – heightening uncertainty as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked and a second round of Pakistan-mediated peace talks hangs in limbo. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. Last-minute extension Trump indefinitely extended the two-week ceasefire... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350936/iran-war-latest-trumps-ceasefire-reversal-and-tensions-simmer-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350936/iran-war-latest-trumps-ceasefire-reversal-and-tensions-simmer-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:03:57 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Nvidia supplier Victory Giant surged 50 per cent on its first day of trading following the biggest Hong Kong initial public offering this year, as investor appetite for artificial intelligence stocks weathers uncertainty in the Middle East. The printed-circuit board maker closed at HK$315.00 compared with the HK$209.88 price of shares in its HK$20 billion (US$2.6 billion) IPO. The Guangdong-based company has also jumped fourfold in a year in Shenzhen trading. Victory Giant is the latest in a... https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/banking-finance/article/3350873/victory-giant-skyrockets-after-biggest-hong-kong-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/business/banking-finance/article/3350873/victory-giant-skyrockets-after-biggest-hong-kong-ipo-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:12:30 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang As the clock ticks down to the end of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, all eyes are on whether they can return to the negotiating table in Pakistan, while the stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz continues. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump defended his war against Iran in a series of social media posts. He said he would not lift the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “until there is a ‘DEAL’”. “I read the Fake News... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350798/trump-iran-and-strait-hormuz-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350798/trump-iran-and-strait-hormuz-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:40:33 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States and Iran both warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked down on a ceasefire on Tuesday, with uncertainty over whether talks that US President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan. The White House said US Vice-President J.D. Vance was ready to fly back to Islamabad, which was preparing for a second round of talks on ending the war that has engulfed the Middle East and shaken global markets. However, Tehran’s government declined to confirm that it would... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350796/us-and-iran-warn-they-are-ready-war-pakistan-ceasefire-talks-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350796/us-and-iran-warn-they-are-ready-war-pakistan-ceasefire-talks-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:18:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that planned talks with Israel aimed to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, even as Hezbollah and its supporters rejected the negotiations. Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has sharply criticised the Lebanese government’s negotiations with Israel, which were set to enter a second round on Thursday. After the first round of talks last week, US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day truce pausing more than six weeks of war... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350795/lebanons-president-aoun-says-aiming-end-hostilities-israel-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350795/lebanons-president-aoun-says-aiming-end-hostilities-israel-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 22:46:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan moved ahead on Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place. Over the weekend, the US attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, known as the Touska, that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports. The US Navy ordered the ship to evacuate its engine room before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350742/us-iran-talks-air-high-seas-ship-seizure-reignites-hormuz-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350742/us-iran-talks-air-high-seas-ship-seizure-reignites-hormuz-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:16:01 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan Risks of conflict in the Gulf of Oman are rising after the US Navy fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, though analysts say both Washington and Tehran have shown a reluctance to prolong the war. US President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed that the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance opened fire on the Touska after its crew reportedly ignored repeated orders to halt. The incident, occurring in the strategic waters connecting the Persian Gulf to the open sea via the Strait of Hormuz, marks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350738/what-does-us-and-irans-fight-talk-dynamic-mean-their-ceasefire-expires?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350738/what-does-us-and-irans-fight-talk-dynamic-mean-their-ceasefire-expires?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:55:42 +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 Zuraidah Ibrahim Zuraidah Ibrahim The economic toll of war is pushing Iran to find a resolution to the hostilities beyond its fragile two-week truce with the US, according to a Middle East-focused think tank leader and businessman who is familiar with the status of the negotiations. However, as the two long-time enemies tried to stare each other down, the Iranian regime believed that their country’s “pain tolerance” was much higher than the Americans’ and this made it unlikely to blink first, he said. In an interview with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3350617/iran-keen-deal-end-war-has-higher-pain-tolerance-think-tank-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3350617/iran-keen-deal-end-war-has-higher-pain-tolerance-think-tank-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:00:15 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday urged the United States and Iran to guard against any provocations by Israel and use their current ceasefire to push for lasting peace. “We must not allow weapons to again replace words,” he told the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. “Let it not be forgotten, the shortest path to peace is dialogue and diplomacy. Peace is not a one-winged bird.” His remarks came as Washington and Tehran weighed the next steps after a temporary halt in fighting,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350539/turkeys-erdogan-urges-iran-us-use-ceasefire-push-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350539/turkeys-erdogan-urges-iran-us-use-ceasefire-push-lasting-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:16:46 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier In an apparent sign that Tehran blinked first in the blockade showdown between Iran and the US, the two sides announced on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was open and operational after nearly seven weeks that have seen hundreds of ships blocked and sent energy prices soaring worldwide. “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” US President Donald Trump said on social media, using an unofficial name for the strategic waterway. Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3350530/iran-us-say-strait-hormuz-fully-open-commercial-vessels?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:51:26 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Thursday was the final turn in the diplomatic maze leading to a breakthrough in Pakistan-mediated peace talks between Washington and Tehran, analysts say. Arranged by Pakistan with help from Saudi Arabia, the 10-day cessation of hostilities in Lebanon was a key Iranian condition for a second and potentially conclusive round of talks in Islamabad on a date yet to be set. Marathon talks between high-powered... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350522/lebanon-becomes-key-iran-us-peace-talks-amid-fears-israels-hegemony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:07 +0000 Holly Chik,Victoria Bela Holly Chik,Victoria Bela The three astronauts stationed on China’s Tiangong space station will extend their stay by around a month, state broadcaster CCTV said on Friday. The crew lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on October 31 on board the Shenzhou-21 vessel and were expected to return to Earth at the end of this month after a standard six-month mission. In November, a crack was discovered in a window of the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, forcing the space station’s previous crew to extend their stay for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350472/chinas-space-station-crew-maximise-opportunities-spending-extra-month-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3350472/chinas-space-station-crew-maximise-opportunities-spending-extra-month-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:02:40 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A Pakistan-flagged tanker that entered the Persian Gulf over the weekend has become the first carrier to exit through the Strait of Hormuz with a crude cargo since a US blockade began on Monday, underscoring just how limited traffic through the vital chokepoint remains. The Shalamar sailed just south of Iran’s Larak Island and out into the Gulf of Oman late Thursday with around 450,000 barrels of crude loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, according to ship-tracking data. The Aframax... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3350440/pakistan-oil-tanker-becomes-first-exit-through-hormuz-us-blockade-began?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3350440/pakistan-oil-tanker-becomes-first-exit-through-hormuz-us-blockade-began?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 07:38:21 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado China has assured the United States that it will not supply weapons to Iran during the current ceasefire in the Middle East conflict, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as Washington stepped up pressure on Tehran to agree to a broader peace deal brokered by Pakistan. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said Beijing had conveyed the assurance directly, amid heightened concerns in Washington about external support for Iran during the fragile pause in fighting. “Trump has a... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350365/us-says-china-pledged-not-arm-iran-during-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3350365/us-says-china-pledged-not-arm-iran-during-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:42:45 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts The lead-up for the consequential Trump-Xi summit has been compressed and rather disjointed given the Middle East war and Trump’s preference for making last-minute decisions based on his “gut”. One source told the South China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350227/trump-xi-summit-worries-tariffs-tested-diaspora-drama-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350227/trump-xi-summit-worries-tariffs-tested-diaspora-drama-7-us-china-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:00:11 +0000 Neeta Lal Neeta Lal The quiet conclusion of US and Iranian backchannel engagements in Islamabad left more than diplomatic ambiguity. It crystallised a striking image: a financially strained, politically volatile Pakistan briefly positioning itself as a facilitator in one of the world’s most combustible rivalries. Substantive or symbolic, the episode underscores a deeper churn in West Asian geopolitics – one in which agility trumps credibility. Pakistan’s role was not incidental. Islamabad offered itself as a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350023/why-india-rankled-pakistan-playing-mediator-us-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3350023/why-india-rankled-pakistan-playing-mediator-us-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Europe has “maybe 6 weeks or so [of] jet fuel left”, the head of the International Energy Agency said on Thursday in a wide-ranging interview, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. IEA executive director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the global repercussions of what he called “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced”, stemming from the pinch-off of oil, gas and other vital supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. “In the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350352/europe-running-low-jet-fuel-stoking-fears-flight-cancellations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3350352/europe-running-low-jet-fuel-stoking-fears-flight-cancellations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:44:20 +0000 Wasi Mirza Wasi Mirza With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this series, SCMP Fact-Check, the South China Morning Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A video circulating online amid the US-Israel war on Iran falsely claims to show a downed American pilot captured alive by Iranians. “Iranians Captured F35 Pilot alive,” read the caption of a Facebook reel. The video appeared to show a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350286/video-iran-capturing-us-pilot-was-filmed-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350286/video-iran-capturing-us-pilot-was-filmed-pakistan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:20:07 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China’s top diplomat Wang Yi sought guarantees of freedom and safety of international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Wednesday. The call is Beijing’s latest diplomacy effort on the Iran war as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports intensifies global energy disruptions and adds uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway off Iran’s coast that Tehran effectively closed in response to US-Israeli strikes. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350259/chinas-wang-yi-calls-iran-ensure-freedom-and-safe-passage-through-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350259/chinas-wang-yi-calls-iran-ensure-freedom-and-safe-passage-through-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 05:18:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Lebanon’s president will not speak to Israel’s prime minister in the near future, Lebanese officials said on Thursday, dealing a blow to US efforts to expand contacts between the enemy states as Pakistan said peace in Lebanon was vital to ending the Iran war. The US-Israeli war with Iran spilt into Lebanon on March 2, when Iran-backed Hezbollah opened fire in support of Tehran, prompting an Israeli offensive in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major conflict. “Peace in Lebanon is essential... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350251/trump-says-israel-and-lebanon-leaders-hold-talks-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350251/trump-says-israel-and-lebanon-leaders-hold-talks-thursday?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:39:54 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. In 2009, six years after the US invaded Iraq and rewrote its economy, China and Russia (not American companies like ExxonMobil) won Iraq’s most lucrative oil contracts. The United States paid for the invasion; rivals collected the prize. That outcome is likely to have shaped... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3350146/iran-war-not-just-short-term-energy-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3350146/iran-war-not-just-short-term-energy-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 03:30:10 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A stretch of awkward diplomacy is unfolding in the Indo-Pacific. After India’s 2025 term as the Quad’s rotating chair ended without a summit, New Delhi is planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could be framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top leaders do not attend, according to two people familiar with the matter. The move is seen as a way to smooth India’s ruffled feathers on several counts. “It’s akin to putting lipstick on a pig,” said Sourabh Gupta of the Institute... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3350230/quad-summit-plan-turns-uneasy-india-pushes-ahead-without-top-leaders-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:17:13 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The White House on Wednesday dismissed as untrue reports that the US had sought to extend a ceasefire with Iran, while confirming that discussions over a second round of in-person negotiations were under way after marathon talks in Islamabad last week ended without a breakthrough. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that discussions were under way about a further round of talks with Tehran but “nothing is official”, adding that the negotiations would “very likely” be held... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350225/iran-threatens-shut-down-red-sea-shipping-unless-us-lifts-naval-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3350225/iran-threatens-shut-down-red-sea-shipping-unless-us-lifts-naval-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:04:31 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen Donald Trump’s claim that the US war with Iran is nearing an end reflects a desire to break the conflict’s deadlock to ease political pressure at home, according to analysts. Halfway into a two-week ceasefire and with a stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz, the US president was running out of time, they said, adding that a deal was still possible. In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said the United States was “not done” but the six-week-old war was nearing the finish line. “I think it’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350201/trump-says-iran-war-close-over-he-just-out-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350201/trump-says-iran-war-close-over-he-just-out-options?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:10 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain As Islamabad prepares to host a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, Pakistani mediators are seeking ways to extricate the Gulf monarchies from the conflict, according to a well-placed diplomatic source. While the success of those efforts depends largely on the outcome of talks that US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday could resume by the end of the week, Pakistan’s mediation has produced a second confidence-building phone call in a week between the Iranian and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350175/pakistan-seeks-shield-gulf-states-us-iran-talks-set-resume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350175/pakistan-seeks-shield-gulf-states-us-iran-talks-set-resume?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:04 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The US naval blockade of Iranian ports is not a tactic to force China to pressure Iran into a peace deal, according to analysts. Rather, the US aimed to end the war through showing its maritime supremacy over the world’s most vital energy chokepoint, they argued. Washington began to enforce the blockade on Monday, drawing threats of retaliation from Tehran. It remains unclear how fully the blockade can be enforced. The US Navy currently has at least 15 ships in the region, including an aircraft... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350087/us-trying-pressure-china-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350087/us-trying-pressure-china-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 22:00:08 +0000 Syed Munir Khasru Syed Munir Khasru After more than 20 hours of high-level negotiations in Islamabad, US Vice-President J.D. Vance confirmed that Washington and Tehran were walking away without a deal. Iran reportedly refused to accept US terms on its nuclear programme, laying bare the deep strategic divides that continue to stall diplomatic solutions to the conflict. However, the venue tells a larger story. India has long been seen as South Asia’s most globally networked actor and has maintained ties with Washington, Tel Aviv,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349907/how-pakistan-outmanoeuvred-india-iran-war-diplomacy-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349907/how-pakistan-outmanoeuvred-india-iran-war-diplomacy-chinas-help?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000