https://www.scmp.com/rss/503314/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 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 Li Xing Li Xing Geopolitics, at its core, examines how geography shapes international politics, power distribution and security dynamics. One enduring idea is geographer Halford Mackinder’s “heartland” theory, which situates Eurasia as the central arena of global power competition. In 1904, Mackinder argued that the vast land mass of Europe and Asia – what he called the “world island” – contained a pivotal core, the “heartland”, rich in resources, population and strategic depth. His dictum – “Who rules Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, announced on Friday, makes good on the Trump administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on companies and countries that do business with Iran. It is also part of the Republican administration’s overall ramped-up campaign to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue – its oil exports. Hengli on Sunday denied... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351389/us-sanctions-china-based-oil-refinery-and-40-shippers-over-iran-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351389/us-sanctions-china-based-oil-refinery-and-40-shippers-over-iran-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:47:34 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump’s order for the US to attack Iranian gunboats is the latest sign that an asymmetrical war-fighting strategy is stymieing the world’s mightiest navy, with US aircraft and destroyers forced to track swarming speedboats in a vital energy waterway. “I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be,” Trump said Thursday in a social media post, claiming that those vessels are laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The target –... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351295/trump-kill-order-highlights-threat-irans-small-fast-attack-boats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351295/trump-kill-order-highlights-threat-irans-small-fast-attack-boats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:12:27 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele US interceptions of Iranian-linked tankers in Asian waters suggest Washington’s maritime pressure campaign may be spreading eastward, raising new risks for Southeast Asian states overseeing crucial sea lanes. Analysts said that although Southeast Asian nations were not parties to the war, countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore were not insulated from rising US-Iran maritime tensions. For these states, the bigger risk may not be a Gulf conflict spilling directly into their waters,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351281/why-us-interception-iran-tankers-asian-waters-pose-new-risk-asean-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351281/why-us-interception-iran-tankers-asian-waters-pose-new-risk-asean-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:10:33 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump’s close ally, Senator Steve Daines, will lead a bipartisan delegation to China next week, according to sources, even as Washington steps up pressure on Beijing over trade, technological competition, and its ties to Iran, ahead of a closely watched leaders’ summit on May 14-15. According to people familiar who requested anonymity, the five-member delegation led by Daines, a Republican from Montana, will begin its visit on May 1, with stops in Shanghai and Beijing. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351219/trump-ally-visit-china-us-turns-pressure-may-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351219/trump-ally-visit-china-us-turns-pressure-may-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:18:18 +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 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen As key allies turn away and war costs soar, the US military campaign against Iran is spurring a growing consensus among Chinese observers and state media – that Washington’s unrivalled global dominance is crumbling. Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily issued a sharp critique on Thursday, warning that the United States’ shift from an “international rule-builder” to a “predatory hegemon” would ultimately undermine its prosperity and influence. “In the post-Cold War era, while the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351155/why-iran-war-surest-sign-us-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351155/why-iran-war-surest-sign-us-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Meredith Chen Meredith Chen As the US-Israeli war with Iran chokes off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the “Middle Corridor” is being held up as a critical alternative lifeline linking East Asia to Europe. Also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the Middle Corridor is a multimodal logistics route that connects China and Europe via Kazakhstan in Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and Turkey. Waqar Ahmad, president of Kazakhstan’s Nazarbayev University,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351191/us-iran-war-chokes-hormuz-can-central-asias-middle-corridor-rise-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351191/us-iran-war-chokes-hormuz-can-central-asias-middle-corridor-rise-rescue?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:30:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid on Thursday as he left a building in Berlin. Pahlavi had just departed a news briefing, during which he criticised the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, when the incident occurred outside Germany’s federal press conference building. He appeared unhurt by the liquid coating the back of his blazer and neck, and waved to his supporters before he got into a car that drove away. Police said the liquid appeared to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351193/irans-exiled-crown-prince-pahlavi-splashed-red-substance-berlin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351193/irans-exiled-crown-prince-pahlavi-splashed-red-substance-berlin?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:10:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had ⁠agreed not to ⁠execute eight women protesters in a ⁠sign of respect for him, while officials in Tehran denied the executions had been planned and accused the US president of spreading falsehoods. “Very good news,” Trump said in a social media post a day after granting a ‌unilateral ceasefire in the war started by the US and Israel on February 28. Trump said four of the eight women would be released immediately and four would be sentenced... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351138/how-iran-responded-trumps-claimed-role-saving-8-women-execution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351138/how-iran-responded-trumps-claimed-role-saving-8-women-execution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:28:41 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz as the world waits for a new round of US-Iran peace deal talks to ease the global energy crisis, while the extended ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump remains up in the air. These are the main takeaways from what happened overnight. Peace talks? It remains unclear when the two sides will return to the negotiating table. Trump on Wednesday said there was “no time frame” for when the war on Iran might come to an end. During an interview with Fox... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351064/iran-war-latest-trump-has-no-time-frame-world-waits-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351064/iran-war-latest-trump-has-no-time-frame-world-waits-peace-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:48:03 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Chinese President Xi Jinping’s phone call with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in which he called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, was his second conversation in a week with Middle Eastern leaders calling for a de-escalation of the regional conflict. What set this call apart, however, was that it was initiated by the Saudi leader. This is both highly symbolic and significant. Riyadh has long been Washington’s anchor ally in the Middle East. Turning to China in the midst... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351003/saudi-leaders-phone-call-xi-jinping-shows-shifting-global-power-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3351003/saudi-leaders-phone-call-xi-jinping-shows-shifting-global-power-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters A top envoy to ⁠US President Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the coming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The plan is an effort to repair ‌ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (Fifa president ⁠Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351060/trump-envoy-seeks-replace-iran-italy-world-cup-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351060/trump-envoy-seeks-replace-iran-italy-world-cup-report-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:07:43 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The on-again, off-again US-Iran peace talks are casting doubt on whether Donald Trump will make his planned visit to Beijing in a few weeks, though the war could raise the diplomatic stakes of the trip if it does go ahead, Chinese observers say. Hours before a two-week ceasefire was set to end, the US president announced on Tuesday that he was prolonging the fragile truce with Iran. That came after Vice-President J.D. Vance’s trip to Pakistan for a second round of peace negotiations was first... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351041/iran-talks-go-nowhere-will-donald-trump-still-go-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351041/iran-talks-go-nowhere-will-donald-trump-still-go-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:00:13 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu Chinese battery cell manufacturers are poised to benefit from the US-Israeli war in Iran, according to Fitch Ratings, even as fierce competition, overcapacity and thin margins weigh on some downstream firms. Global demand for energy storage was set to rise, driven by high oil prices and rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, said Wang Ying, a managing director at the credit rating agency. “We believe that China’s leading energy storage cell manufacturers will be the bigger... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351035/chinas-battery-makers-stand-gain-iran-war-reshapes-energy-storage-demand-fitch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351035/chinas-battery-makers-stand-gain-iran-war-reshapes-energy-storage-demand-fitch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway. The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining an American blockade of Iranian ports. The stand-off between the US and Iran has effectively choked off nearly all exports through the strait – where 20 per cent of the world’s traded oil passes in peacetime – with no end in sight. Iranian media said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351022/iran-fires-3-ships-strait-hormuz-after-trump-extends-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3351022/iran-fires-3-ships-strait-hormuz-after-trump-extends-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:25:08 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute indefinite extension of a ceasefire with Iran and downplayed reports about an intercepted ship carrying a “gift from China” to Tehran. The US would avoid military action against Iran “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal”, Trump said on social media on Tuesday. He cited a request from Pakistan as a reason for reversing earlier threats to resume bombing if no deal was reached. Prospects for new... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3351006/trump-extends-iran-war-ceasefire-strait-shutdown-drags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/world/middle-east/article/3351006/trump-extends-iran-war-ceasefire-strait-shutdown-drags?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:16:45 +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 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 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s shipyards are emerging as beneficiaries from the US-Israeli war on Iran, securing new orders as crude transport bottlenecks worsen and global demand for large oil tankers rises. With the United States and Iran effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint that handles about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil – shipping companies are racing to expand capacity, particularly in very large crude carriers (VLCCs) capable of transporting about 2 million barrels of oil per... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350872/chinas-shipyards-secure-wave-oil-tanker-orders-iran-war-drives-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350872/chinas-shipyards-secure-wave-oil-tanker-orders-iran-war-drives-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:20 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute extension of the ceasefire with Iran following a request from Pakistan’s top leadership, even as he appeared to suggest that American forces had intercepted a potentially lethal “gift from China” to Tehran. Describing the Iranian government as “seriously fractured”, Trump said on social media that he agreed to hold off military operations against Iran at the behest of Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Trump added... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350915/us-forces-intercepted-gift-china-iran-donald-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3350915/us-forces-intercepted-gift-china-iran-donald-trump-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:54:30 +0000 Frank Chen Frank Chen Beijing is putting its power strategy under the microscope as China navigates the impact of a shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz that risks becoming a long-term economic liability. Calling energy security a pillar of national stability, Premier Li Qiang on Monday convened a high-level study session of the State Council, China’s Cabinet, according to Xinhua. The meeting, focused on coordinating energy security and the sector’s transformation, was the latest in a series of policy discussions... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350896/china-confronts-middle-east-supply-shock-state-council-mulls-energy-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350896/china-confronts-middle-east-supply-shock-state-council-mulls-energy-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:00:14 +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