https://www.scmp.com/rss/503314/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to rally support for Tehran’s war against the US during the Brics foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, amid a fragile ceasefire with its adversary. India, which holds the Brics chair this year, is hosting the gathering from the expanded bloc that now includes Iran and the United Arab Emirates – countries at odds over the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353511/irans-anti-american-rhetoric-tests-indias-balancing-act-brics-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353511/irans-anti-american-rhetoric-tests-indias-balancing-act-brics-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 05:20:23 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li Some European companies operating in China are shifting more production to the country as part of broader supply chain adjustments in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to a new survey by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. The flash survey of European companies found that more than a quarter of firms had adjusted their supply chain strategies in China following the Middle East conflict, as higher energy and logistics costs weigh on operations. Six in 10 chemicals and petroleum... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353423/european-firms-china-rethink-supply-chains-iran-war-drives-costs-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353423/european-firms-china-rethink-supply-chains-iran-war-drives-costs-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 10:30:06 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As trade wars and deadly conflicts expose Asia’s vulnerability to geopolitical shocks, Chinese policymakers and advisers are warning of an “urgent need” for the world’s biggest trading bloc to reshape regional energy and manufacturing supply chains. Members of the Beijing-backed Asia-Pacific framework must reduce their reliance on vulnerable shipping routes and use the certainty of collaboration to offset growing geopolitical uncertainty, the experts urged at a forum in China’s southern island... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353401/reshaping-rcep-china-advisers-urge-trade-overhaul-shield-bloc-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353401/reshaping-rcep-china-advisers-urge-trade-overhaul-shield-bloc-global-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 07:11:11 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese satellite imagery firm MizarVision, which rose to fame with its analysis of American military deployments in the US-Israel war on Iran, is treating its addition to the US sanctions list as a badge of honour in its hiring campaign. The open-source intelligence (OSINT) start-up, formally known as Meentropy Technology Hangzhou Co Ltd, specialises in analysing data from commercial satellites and has conducted several observations of US military movements in recent months. It was added to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353282/chinese-company-tracked-us-bombers-over-iran-wears-sanctions-pride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353282/chinese-company-tracked-us-bombers-over-iran-wears-sanctions-pride?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Leopold Chen Jeffie Lam,Leopold Chen Hong Kong will halve tolls for all commercial vehicles using public tunnels for two months from Sunday, in the government’s latest effort to ease business costs after a previous surge in fuel prices driven by the war in the Middle East. Buses, goods vehicles, light buses and taxis registered with the Transport Department will benefit from the measure, while private cars and motorcycles are excluded, according to a government announcement on Wednesday. The temporary 50 per cent discount will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353359/hong-kong-halves-tunnel-tolls-commercial-vehicles-amid-surging-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3353359/hong-kong-halves-tunnel-tolls-commercial-vehicles-amid-surging-fuel-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 03:53:33 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Vietnam’s state oil company urged the US to let a supertanker pass through an American naval blockade outside the Persian Gulf, saying the shipment is critical to the Asian country’s economy. The very large crude carrier Agios Fanourios I, managed by Athens-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, performed a mid-ocean U-turn on Monday at around the point where the US blockade begins. It had only just cleared the Strait of Hormuz, holding 1.99 million barrels of Iraq’s Basrah Medium crude, when it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353350/vietnam-asks-us-allow-extremely-important-oil-tanker-slip-past-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3353350/vietnam-asks-us-allow-extremely-important-oil-tanker-slip-past-hormuz-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 03:04:35 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim China’s foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged Pakistan to ramp up mediation efforts in the Iran crisis, as the war threatens to overshadow US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. In a call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang lauded Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating negotiations between Washington and Tehran and helping to extend the ceasefire. But he also called for Pakistan to “step up its mediation efforts to contribute to … the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353333/china-presses-pakistan-deepen-iran-mediation-ahead-trump-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353333/china-presses-pakistan-deepen-iran-mediation-ahead-trump-xi-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 19:40:55 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said a month-long ceasefire with Iran was on “massive life support” as he rejected Tehran’s response to a peace proposal. The Iranian reply was a “piece of garbage”, Trump told reporters in the White House on Monday. “I didn’t even finish reading it.” The comments helped to push the price of Brent crude oil above US$106 a barrel on Tuesday. Trump is expected to discuss the war with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a Beijing summit on Thursday, as Iran’s 10-week shutdown... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353252/trump-rejects-garbage-iran-peace-plan-heading-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353252/trump-rejects-garbage-iran-peace-plan-heading-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 09:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Treasury Department wants US banks and other financial institutions to monitor for suspected Iranian money-laundering networks that use their funds to smuggle sanctioned oil through shell companies and cryptocurrency networks. The move, which effectively deputises the global financial system to help disrupt Iran’s sanctions-evasion infrastructure, comes as the US and Iran reached another impasse over how to end their war while their ceasefire has grown increasingly shaky. US President Donald... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353200/us-treasury-department-tells-banks-flag-suspected-iranian-money-laundering-networks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3353200/us-treasury-department-tells-banks-flag-suspected-iranian-money-laundering-networks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 21:56:25 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin Teresa Elena Frontado,Lucy Quaggin US President Donald Trump’s coming visit to China is being closely watched by business leaders, policymakers and Chinese-American groups hoping for signs that Washington and Beijing can stabilise one of the world’s most consequential relationships, even as expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited. The trip comes against the backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing war involving Iran and disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz, as well as continued friction... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353195/trumps-china-visit-watched-us-signs-stability-and-tangible-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3353195/trumps-china-visit-watched-us-signs-stability-and-tangible-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 20:23:01 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US-Israel war against Iran has now entered its 10th week and there has been little progress on the stalled peace talks. These are the major takeaways from what happened overnight. What did Trump say? Iran reportedly sent a response to Washington’s latest proposal – a one-page memo aimed at ending the war – but it was rejected by US President Donald Trump. “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” he wrote on social media on Sunday. Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing an “informed source”, reported that Tehran’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353073/trump-tehran-and-qatari-tanker-transit-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3353073/trump-tehran-and-qatari-tanker-transit-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 00:46:25 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran sent its response to the latest US proposal to end the Iran war via Pakistani mediators on Sunday, but US President Donald Trump quickly rejected it in a social media post as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” – the latest setback to efforts to resolve the stand-off in the Persian Gulf that has throttled shipping and sent energy prices soaring. Iranian state television reported that Tehran rejected the US proposal as amounting to surrender, insisting instead on “war reparations by the US, full Iranian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353071/trump-calls-irans-response-us-peace-proposal-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353071/trump-calls-irans-response-us-peace-proposal-unacceptable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 21:16:25 +0000 Amber Wang Amber Wang US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In the latest instalment of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, Amber Wang looks at the prospects for joint progress on military use of AI. China and the United States are facing calls to discuss the safe military use of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353035/could-military-ai-use-be-agenda-when-chinese-and-us-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3353035/could-military-ai-use-be-agenda-when-chinese-and-us-leaders-meet?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 14:00:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran has sent its response to a US proposal to begin peace talks to end the war, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, as two carriers were allowed to pass through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. The response, sent to mediator Pakistan, focused on ending the war on all fronts, especially Lebanon, and on the safety of shipping through the strait, Iranian state television said, without indicating how or when the vital waterway might reopen. It followed a US proposal to end fighting before... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353029/trump-awaits-irans-response-amid-relative-calm-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3353029/trump-awaits-irans-response-amid-relative-calm-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 06:58:24 +0000 Amin Saikal,Amitav Acharya Amin Saikal,Amitav Acharya US President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran since the war began have targeted not just the country’s military capabilities, but its entire civilisation. In recent days, he has threatened that Iran would be “blown off the face of the Earth” if it attacks US ships trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He has previously pledged to send Iran back to the “Stone Age” and warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”. These statements show not only extreme... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352928/trumps-threats-against-iran-are-historically-illiterate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3352928/trumps-threats-against-iran-are-historically-illiterate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 07:30:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial In recent years, it has become a pattern for the United States to launch anti-China measures just before major negotiations. Sure enough, ahead of a presidential summit this month, Washington put five Chinese refineries on a blacklist. Dozens of smaller Chinese shipping firms and vessel operators are already on the sanctions list as part of a campaign to squeeze Iran and disrupt its oil revenue. The latest additions include Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refinery, one of the largest and most... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352851/us-shouldnt-try-bully-china-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3352851/us-shouldnt-try-bully-china-ahead-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters The United States and Iran exchanged fire on Thursday in the most serious test yet of their month-long ceasefire, but Iran said the situation returned to normal while the US said it did not want to escalate. The renewed hostilities broke out as Washington was awaiting Iran’s response to a US proposal that would stop the fighting but leave the most contentious issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now. Iran’s military ‌said the US targeted two ships entering the Strait of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352823/us-military-says-it-carried-out-retaliatory-strikes-over-unprovoked-hostilities-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352823/us-military-says-it-carried-out-retaliatory-strikes-over-unprovoked-hostilities-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 22:44:37 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Beijing’s study of the wars in Iran and Ukraine could sharpen its ability to wage information warfare against Americans during a Taiwan Strait conflict, exposing vulnerabilities in US preparedness, experts said on Wednesday. S. Clinton Hinote, a retired US Lieutenant General, said he was “impressed” with the propaganda coming out of Iran since the outbreak of the war in February, warning that Beijing would deploy similar tactics if conflict erupts over Taiwan. “That’s coming,” he told a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352811/chinas-use-propaganda-may-outwit-us-if-taiwan-conflict-arises-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 17:00:29 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said conflict in the Middle East would be “over quickly”, as Iran considered a peace proposal that could lead to the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. “We’ve had very good talks over the last 24 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll make a deal,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, according to Reuters. The president has repeatedly played up the possibility of an agreement with Iran since the war began on February 28, without reaching an... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352743/us-iran-peace-optimism-fuels-asian-stock-market-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352743/us-iran-peace-optimism-fuels-asian-stock-market-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 09:00:25 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday rebutted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that a South Korean-operated vessel was attacked as it was acting on its own without US protection in the Strait of Hormuz – a focal point of the ongoing Iran war. “For several days before the fire broke out, the ship had been anchored in the relevant waters near the United Arab Emirates on the inner side of the Strait of Hormuz,” the ministry said in a statement. The remarks followed an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352720/south-korea-rejects-trumps-claim-ship-was-hit-because-it-decided-go-it-alone?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352720/south-korea-rejects-trumps-claim-ship-was-hit-because-it-decided-go-it-alone?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 07:18:26 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is strengthening gas storage capacity in Hainan as part of an expanding energy security strategy aimed at reducing exposure to external supply shocks, including disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Israeli war in Iran. Against this backdrop, the second phase of a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the southern island province has reached a crucial milestone, with construction nearly 50 per cent complete and full completion expected by 2027, state broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352611/chinas-energy-security-strategy-expands-south-how-hainan-becoming-lng-storage-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352611/chinas-energy-security-strategy-expands-south-how-hainan-becoming-lng-storage-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The scheduled summit next week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will almost certainly include proclamations about cooperation, friendship and respect between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies, but beneath the surface, major trade conflict is building, said trade experts on Wednesday. In the past, a weaker China was forced to grit its teeth and grudgingly accept US tariffs, export restrictions and other restrictions, but Beijing has quietly and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352674/trump-xi-summit-hides-simmering-trade-tensions-under-surface-industry-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352674/trump-xi-summit-hides-simmering-trade-tensions-under-surface-industry-experts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 21:11:48 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US forces struck an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, even as Washington and Tehran appeared to move closer to a tentative agreement to end their two-month war, with US President Donald Trump warning that renewed bombing could begin if Iran rejects the proposed deal. A US fighter jet disabled the tanker by targeting its rudder as the vessel attempted to breach an American naval blockade of Iranian ports, US Central Command said in a social media post. The strike highlighted... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352671/us-strikes-iranian-tanker-amid-reports-washington-and-tehran-near-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352671/us-strikes-iranian-tanker-amid-reports-washington-and-tehran-near-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 19:57:00 +0000 Vanessa Cai,Orange Wang Vanessa Cai,Orange Wang Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his visiting Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi voiced support for a new Gulf security framework during talks in Beijing on Wednesday, as Wang called for a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Countries in the Gulf and Middle East “should take their future into their own hands”, the top Chinese diplomat said, adding that China backed “the establishment of a regional peace and security framework led by regional countries”. “Regarding the strait issue, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352590/chinese-fm-wang-yi-calls-swift-reopening-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352590/chinese-fm-wang-yi-calls-swift-reopening-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 07:33:23 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday pressed China to ramp up diplomatic pressure on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz even as he stressed that the US has “absolute control” over the strategic waterway. “Let’s see [China] step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait,” Bessent said in a Fox News interview. “Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and China has been buying 90 per cent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352414/us-bessent-urges-china-help-open-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352414/us-bessent-urges-china-help-open-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 17:42:44 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The US-Israel war on Iran could bolster Beijing’s leverage on issues such as hi-tech supply chains and Taiwan during the coming Trump-Xi summit, according to American experts. US President Donald Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next week. “He’s not going to move to reschedule it,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, after Trump confirmed on Friday that his visit would take place as scheduled. The summit, expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352399/iran-war-could-give-xi-upper-hand-meeting-trump-us-experts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352399/iran-war-could-give-xi-upper-hand-meeting-trump-us-experts?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 15:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Seoul said on Monday that an “explosion and fire” had struck a South Korean ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial Middle Eastern waterway effectively blocked following US-Israeli attacks on Iran. The foreign ministry said that, at around 8.40pm in Seoul, “an explosion and fire occurred on a vessel operated by a South Korean shipping company … anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates inside the Strait of Hormuz”. There had been “no casualties to date” among the 24 crew members on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352405/seoul-says-explosion-and-fire-south-korean-ship-hormuz-strait?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:55:30 +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. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US stock market is holding tentatively near its record heights on Monday, while oil prices climb with uncertainty about when oil tankers can resume crossing the Strait of Hormuz and restore the world’s flow of crude. Duelling claims about a possible Iranian strike on a US Navy vessel in the strait heightened the tensions. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 216 points, or 0.4 per cent, as of 9.35am Eastern time, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352398/wall-street-dips-oil-prices-rise-reports-strike-us-navy-vessel-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352398/wall-street-dips-oil-prices-rise-reports-strike-us-navy-vessel-near-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 12:44:31 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran has continued into its third week. There are signs of a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz looming on the horizon. These are the major takeaways from what happened overnight. What did Trump say? President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US would “help free up” ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz within hours. No details were provided. “This process, Project Freedom, will begin Monday morning, Middle East time,” Trump said in a social media... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352300/glimmer-hope-hormuz-strait-fragile-ceasefire-holds-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352300/glimmer-hope-hormuz-strait-fragile-ceasefire-holds-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 00:33:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, as two ships around the strait reported attacks. Trump gave few details about what could be a sweeping attempt to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Iran quickly denounced the move as a ceasefire violation. Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that “neutral and innocent” countries have been affected by the Iran war, and “we have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352291/cargo-ship-near-strait-hormuz-reports-being-attacked-iran-makes-new-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352291/cargo-ship-near-strait-hormuz-reports-being-attacked-iran-makes-new-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 17:04:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A senior Iranian military officer said on Saturday that renewed fighting with the US was “likely”, hours after President Donald Trump said he was not satisfied with an Iranian negotiating proposal. Iran delivered the new draft to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening, state media reported, without detailing its contents. The war, launched by the United States and Israel in late February, has been on hold since April 8, with one failed round of peace talks having taken place in Pakistan since... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352237/iran-will-not-accept-imposed-peace-trump-not-satisfied-negotiations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3352237/iran-will-not-accept-imposed-peace-trump-not-satisfied-negotiations?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 13:00:18 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Not a sudden, major crash but a series of mini-crises. That, according to some, is the prospect facing the global economy and financial system in the wake of conflict in the Middle East. But what if these mini-crises cascade into a collective collapse? And what if the Trump administration emerges as the only winner in the conflict by virtue of the fact that it has, in engineering the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, locked Europe and Asia into a desperate dependence on US oil and gas, especially... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352013/mini-crises-sparked-iran-war-may-add-big-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352013/mini-crises-sparked-iran-war-may-add-big-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim The United States on Friday announced fresh sanctions on entities and individuals it said were involved in trading Iranian petroleum, including a China-based oil terminal operator and a Chinese national, as it ramped up pressure on Tehran to end the conflict. The State Department said the operator, Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co., Ltd, “imported tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil”. Also on the sanctions list are Li Xinchun, a Chinese national who is the president of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3352195/us-sanctions-china-based-operator-others-over-alleged-iran-oil-trade-links?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/3352195/us-sanctions-china-based-operator-others-over-alleged-iran-oil-trade-links?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 19:08:21 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Yuanyue Dang Teresa Elena Frontado,Yuanyue Dang US President Donald Trump told Congress on Friday that the hostilities in Iran “have terminated” following the ceasefire starting April 7, with the deadline for a congressional authorisation of the war looming. “There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote in letters sent to the House and the Senate. Trump’s claims echoed previous remarks from senior officials in... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352193/trump-not-satisfied-irans-latest-peace-proposal-talks-stall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3352193/trump-not-satisfied-irans-latest-peace-proposal-talks-stall?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 17:34:57 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The world’s eyes have been fixed on the oil tankers clogging the Strait of Hormuz. But the US-Israel war on Iran has exposed a quieter vulnerability: the undersea cables that form the digital backbone of the Middle East. Last week, a media outlet affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps highlighted that the strait functioned not only as a crucial chokepoint for oil and gas shipments but also as an essential corridor for internet communications. The outlet warned that damage to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352129/could-prolonged-conflict-between-us-and-iran-threaten-another-vital-link?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352129/could-prolonged-conflict-between-us-and-iran-threaten-another-vital-link?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:30:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval. The statement furthers an argument laid out by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352134/facing-60-day-deadline-trump-administration-claims-iran-war-terminated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352134/facing-60-day-deadline-trump-administration-claims-iran-war-terminated?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 07:22:19 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen The US-Israeli war on Iran enters a third month and efforts for Washington and Tehran to resume talks remain stalled. These are major takeaways from the events overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that Iran is “dying to make a deal”. When asked whether talks with Tehran have stalled, Trump said only a few people know the status of talks with Iran. He also pointed to uncertainty over the Iranian leadership: “We have a problem... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352092/iran-dying-make-deal-us-war-costs-soar-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352092/iran-dying-make-deal-us-war-costs-soar-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 00:40:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US economy accelerated at the start of 2026, expanding at a modest 2 per cent pace from January through March after recovering from last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown. But the outlook is clouded by the Iran war. The Commerce Department reported on Thursday that gross domestic product – the nation’s output of goods and services – rebounded from a lacklustre 0.5 per cent expansion the last three months of 2025. The federal government’s spending and investment grew at a 9.3 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352072/us-economy-grows-2-january-march-iran-war-clouds-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3352072/us-economy-grows-2-january-march-iran-war-clouds-outlook?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:50:09 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on May 1 because of China’s Labour Day holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, May 4. Crude oil prices jumped to a four-year high after US President Donald Trump suggested that a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last for “months”. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged as much as 7.3 per cent, surpassing US$126 a barrel, following reports that Trump met oil executives on Tuesday to discuss ways of extending the blockade and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352007/oil-surge-trump-blockade-warning-tests-stocks-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3352007/oil-surge-trump-blockade-warning-tests-stocks-resilience?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:00:19 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran has continued to shatter global markets. These are the major takeaways of what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, discussing the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Trump said that the conversation was “very good” and that the US was “going to come up with a solution relatively quickly” over its continuing conflict with Iran. He also said that the US was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351924/trump-putin-talk-iran-and-ukraine-us-energy-exports-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351924/trump-putin-talk-iran-and-ukraine-us-energy-exports-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:42:57 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The United Nations is bloated, costly, badly in need of reform, and too often works against US interests, but pulling out of the international organisation would see China expand its influence and leave Washington at a major disadvantage, according to testimony before a House oversight committee on Wednesday. The hearing came as the administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed an “America first” overhaul of international funding, leaving the UN, over the past 18 months, at what... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351920/un-bloated-costly-china-fears-should-keep-us-involved-house-committee-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351920/un-bloated-costly-china-fears-should-keep-us-involved-house-committee-told?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:39:41 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, discussing the wars in Ukraine and Iran even as Washington pressed ahead with its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Trump told reporters as he met with astronauts from the Artemis II mission ‌in the Oval Office that the conversation was “very good” and that the US was “going to come up with a solution relatively quickly” over its ongoing conflict with Iran. “He told me he’d like to be involved with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351913/trump-says-he-had-good-talk-putin-iran-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3351913/trump-says-he-had-good-talk-putin-iran-and-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:53:41 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The two-month war with Iran has cost about US$25 billion, a Pentagon official told lawmakers on Wednesday, as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a record US$1.5 trillion military budget that faces backlash from Democrats. At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Jules Hurst, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer, offered the first official estimate of the cost of the war in Iran. He said that most of the US$25 billion in spending went towards ammunition, but the US... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351905/iran-war-price-tag-hits-us25-billion-hegseth-defends-record-pentagon-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3351905/iran-war-price-tag-hits-us25-billion-hegseth-defends-record-pentagon-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:14:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said that a US naval blockade against Iran could last months, leading oil prices to spike to their highest level in more than four years which held into Thursday. With diplomacy between Iran and the United States at a standstill after false starts, Trump spoke by phone Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned him of “damaging consequences” if the United States and Israel resume their war on Iran. Meeting oil executives, Trump contended that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351904/trump-says-us-blockade-could-last-months-warns-iran-get-smart-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351904/trump-says-us-blockade-could-last-months-warns-iran-get-smart-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:59:59 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen The economic divide between the United States and China is projected to widen to US$11 trillion by the end of the decade, yet escalating geopolitics – specifically the war in Iran and the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis – could inadvertently act as a stabilising force for bilateral ties, according to a prominent global strategist. Kishore Mahbubani, former president of the UN Security Council and once a top diplomat from Singapore, has forecast that the gross-domestic-product disparity between... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351732/us-economic-gap-over-china-widen-iran-might-bring-them-closer-former-un-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3351732/us-economic-gap-over-china-widen-iran-might-bring-them-closer-former-un-official?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:00:18 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters a third month, there is no sign of a break in the deadlock between Washington and Tehran. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. What did Trump say? US President Donald Trump told his aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported in Asian early trading hours on Wednesday, citing US officials. And after welcoming Britain’s King Charles in Washington on Tuesday, he lashed out at German Chancellor... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351769/wartime-iran-trumps-fury-and-uae-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351769/wartime-iran-trumps-fury-and-uae-heres-what-happened-overnight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:43:43 +0000 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 Carol Yang Carol Yang China is stepping up efforts to secure critical sea lanes and protect its overseas assets, as crises at maritime chokepoints – including the Strait of Hormuz – expose growing vulnerabilities in global trade. In response, Beijing has tasked leading industrial enterprises and academic institutions with spearheading research to safeguard strategic trade corridors and overseas port holdings, amid escalating geopolitical tensions linked to the US-Israeli war in Iran and legal disputes over Panama... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351712/china-orders-maritime-security-research-strait-hormuz-crisis-exposes-trade-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351712/china-orders-maritime-security-research-strait-hormuz-crisis-exposes-trade-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:30:14 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Lebanon’s social affairs minister has backed calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, but cautioned the process would take time before a “political settlement” could be reached, noting that the group is also a “community”. Haneen Sayed told a discussion in Washington on Monday that disarming Hezbollah – an Iran-backed militant group – was a demand of her government and its people, and that it “must happen”. “Of course, we understand that implementation is not easy. It’s not instant coffee. It... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351621/hezbollah-disarmament-must-happen-senior-lebanese-minister-tells-us-think-tank?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:33:04 +0000