https://www.scmp.com/rss/516032/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com 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 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The Gulf’s six Arab monarchies, battered by Iranian drones and missiles because of a war they never wanted, are watching with trepidation to see what Pakistan-hosted US-Iran negotiations will yield for their collective future. After China and Russia vetoed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s bid to attain UN Security Council approval for “defensive” measures to force open the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, analysts say the GCC states have little sway over what is about to transpire in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349655/us-iran-talks-leave-gulf-states-edge-about-price-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349655/us-iran-talks-leave-gulf-states-edge-about-price-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:18 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Netanyahu later stressed that there was no ceasefire between them. In a video statement, he said Israel will keep... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349596/israel-plans-talks-lebanon-violence-imperils-iran-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349596/israel-plans-talks-lebanon-violence-imperils-iran-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:55:22 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok The Strait of Hormuz blockage is being felt far and wide. While the world struggles with higher pump prices, key energy exporters such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar face severe economic setbacks. In Gulf states serving as air hubs, expats and affluent locals are scrambling for the exit. The discovery of oil transformed Arabian deserts into rich petro-states. Knowing this wealth would not flow forever, the states leveraged their strategic locations to become air traffic hubs.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349044/gulf-states-geography-both-generous-and-treacherous-patron?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349044/gulf-states-geography-both-generous-and-treacherous-patron?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:30:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi,William Zheng Seong Hyeon Choi,William Zheng The rescue of a missing American crew member after Iran shot down an F-15E fighter jet is proof of the United States’ “comprehensive capability” to mount high-risk rescue operations, according to Chinese analysts. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the missing crew member – one of two on the fighter jet shot down over southern Iran on Friday – had been rescued. It was the first manned US aircraft shot down over Iran since the US-Israel war on the country began on February... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349170/while-trump-hails-daring-airman-rescue-iran-chinese-experts-count-us-wins-and-losses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3349170/while-trump-hails-daring-airman-rescue-iran-chinese-experts-count-us-wins-and-losses?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:13:31 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Critical infrastructure across the Gulf came under attack from Iran on Sunday with damage reported at civilian facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. Gulf countries have faced repeated drone and missile salvoes from Iran over past weeks in response to US and Israeli strikes that began at the end of February. Iran has targeted energy and other industrial infrastructure in the oil-rich Gulf nations, accusing its neighbours of allowing US forces to carry out attacks from their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349084/uae-bahrain-and-kuwait-lose-water-energy-infrastructure-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349084/uae-bahrain-and-kuwait-lose-water-energy-infrastructure-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:53:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait on Sunday, a day after US President Donald Trump said the Islamic republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face “all Hell”. Kuwait and Israel said their air defences were responding to the latest attacks from Iran, part of the war that erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes that triggered retaliation by Tehran. The war has spread conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy. Iran’s forces maintain a tight... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349059/iran-attacks-kuwait-israel-after-trump-sets-deadline-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 03:03:40 +0000 Agencies Agencies President Donald ⁠Trump on Friday said the ⁠US can open the Strait of Hormuz with a little more time, as pressure mounts for his administration to find a ‌quick resolution to a war against Iran. “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE,” he said in a post on Truth Social. Nearly ⁠five weeks after it started with a joint US-Israeli aerial ‌assault, the war in Iran continues to spread chaos across the region and roil ‌financial markets, raising... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348991/us-can-take-strait-hormuz-more-time-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348991/us-can-take-strait-hormuz-more-time-says-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:18:26 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen In a rare condemnation of its strategic partner, China has come out in opposition to Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations, calling for a ceasefire and a guarantee of the safety of shipping lanes. Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “China does not support Iran’s attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council nations and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets. The security of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348986/china-europe-and-why-beijing-took-swing-iran-over-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:00:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down, the Pentagon said on Thursday without giving a reason for the departure as the United States wages a war against Iran. General Randy George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately”, said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman. George has held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348861/hegseth-ousts-armys-top-uniformed-officer-even-us-wages-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348861/hegseth-ousts-armys-top-uniformed-officer-even-us-wages-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:23:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Iran’s leader wanted a ceasefire, in a social media post that Tehran called “false and baseless”. Trump claimed that “Iran’s New Regime President” was seeking a ceasefire, which he said would happen only once the Strait of Hormuz was “open, free, clear”. It was not immediately clear who Trump was referring to in Iran, which still has the same president. The US president, who is scheduled to address the nation later in the day, had earlier said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348704/trump-claims-iran-president-wants-ceasefire-no-response-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348704/trump-claims-iran-president-wants-ceasefire-no-response-tehran?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:32:08 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The risks of environmental calamity in the Strait of Hormuz are mounting with each passing week of the Iran conflict, conservationists have warned, as giant tankers filled with fuel are trapped in a small area and Iran continues to fire missiles and drones at Gulf oil assets. The potential for catastrophe in the waterway was sharpened on Monday when a Kuwaiti crude tanker was set ablaze at Dubai Port in an Iranian attack that damaged its hull, sparking warnings of a possible oil spill. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348680/environmental-risks-grow-iran-war-traps-oil-tankers-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348680/environmental-risks-grow-iran-war-traps-oil-tankers-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Pakistan is hoping that its role in building a diplomatic off-ramp from the US-Israel war on Iran will enable it to become a key actor in the Middle East after the conflict ends, analysts say. If Islamabad can deliver without being sucked into the maelstrom, it can capitalise on its position as peacemaker by signing defence deals with Gulf monarchies and attracting investment from them to strengthen its weak economy. This will help finance Pakistan’s military expansion for its envisioned new... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348621/pakistan-eyes-gulf-investment-defence-deals-return-playing-peacemaker-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:21:16 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran has not been weakened enough by the month-long US-led bombing campaign, according to US, Gulf and Israeli officials. After private grumbling at the start of the war that they were not given adequate advance notice of the US-Israeli attack and complaining the US had ignored their warnings that the war would have... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348490/gulf-allies-want-trump-prolong-us-bombardment-iran-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348490/gulf-allies-want-trump-prolong-us-bombardment-iran-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:16:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced confidence on Monday that Iran’s Islamic republic would eventually fall, though he again said that was not the objective of the US-Israeli war on the country. “I think this regime will collapse internally. But at the moment, right now, what we’re doing is just degrading their military capacity, degrading their missile capacity, degrading their nuclear capacity and also weakening them from the inside,” Netanyahu told conservative US broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348461/irans-islamic-republic-will-collapse-internally-says-netanyahu?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:36:53 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday she will consider holding talks with the Iranian leadership at an “appropriate” time based on the national interest as tensions remain high in the Middle East. Takaichi’s remarks come as prospects for a US-Iran meeting mediated by Pakistan remain uncertain, with US President Donald Trump later renewing threats to hit Iranian energy infrastructure if a deal is not reached. “I will judge the appropriate timing for holding talks based on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348442/japans-pm-will-mull-top-level-talks-iran-appropriate-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3348442/japans-pm-will-mull-top-level-talks-iran-appropriate-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:54:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israel said on Monday it was striking military targets across Tehran, a day after US President Donald Trump insisted a deal could “soon” be reached, while not ruling out ground operations. Iran also launched fresh strikes on Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia after its electrical facilities came under attack at the weekend, cutting power to parts of Tehran and surrounding areas. Trump also threatened on Monday to destroy Kharg Island, Iran’s oil wells and power plants if it does not agree soon to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348372/trump-claims-regime-change-achieved-iran-war-predicts-deal-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348372/trump-claims-regime-change-achieved-iran-war-predicts-deal-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:31:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press As they fled an Iranian missile strike, some Israelis with Android phones received a text offering a link to real-time information about bomb shelters. But instead of a helpful app, the link downloaded spyware giving hackers access to the device’s camera, location and all its data. The operation, attributed to Iran, showed sophisticated coordination and is just the latest tactic in a cyber conflict that pits the US and Israel against Iran and its digital proxies. As Iran and its supporters seek... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348285/iran-linked-hackers-open-low-cost-digital-front-us-israeli-attacks-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:49:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Friday that they had turned back three ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz, adding the route was closed to vessels travelling to and from ports “belonging to allies and supporters of the Zionist-American enemies”. “This morning, following the lies of the corrupt US president claiming that the Strait of Hormuz was open, three container ships of different nationalities … were turned back after a warning from the IRGC Navy,” the Guards said on their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348177/iran-says-hormuz-closed-shipping-and-enemy-ports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3348177/iran-says-hormuz-closed-shipping-and-enemy-ports?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:48:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran on Wednesday dismissed an American plan to pause the war in the Middle East and launched more attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, including strikes that hit a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, sparking a fire. Iran’s defiance came as Israel launched air strikes on Tehran and as the United States deployed paratroopers and more Marines to the region. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview on state TV that his government has not engaged in talks to end the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347913/iran-rejects-us-ceasefire-plan-issues-own-demands-strikes-land-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347913/iran-rejects-us-ceasefire-plan-issues-own-demands-strikes-land-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:50:01 +0000 Nong Hong Nong Hong Gulf exporters are scrambling to bypass the Strait of Hormuz after Iran choked off most of the maritime traffic in one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates rushed to divert exports through overland pipelines; officials warned that even naval escorts could not guarantee safe passage. About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade passed through this narrow waterway. The immediate shock was felt in the Gulf. The strategic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347190/conflict-middle-east-boosting-value-arctic-windfall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3347190/conflict-middle-east-boosting-value-arctic-windfall?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Chenjie Song Chenjie Song Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s press conference at the annual “two sessions” on March 8 was the Chinese government’s most authoritative statement on the war on Iran since strikes began on February 28. Wang called the war one that “should not have happened” and offered five principles for resolution: respect for sovereignty, rejection of force, non-interference in internal affairs, political settlement and goodwill among major powers. Diplomatic language aside, Wang named no concrete enforcement... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347043/when-it-comes-persian-gulf-chinas-top-priority-economics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3347043/when-it-comes-persian-gulf-chinas-top-priority-economics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Britain is sending short-range air defence systems to the Gulf to help counter Iranian missile attacks, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday. “We’re deploying short-range air defence systems to Bahrain at speed,” Starmer told a parliamentary committee, adding the UK was “doing the same with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia”. The UK is working with industry to “distribute air defence missiles to Gulf partners”, which have faced waves of Iranian barrages in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes, and has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347637/uk-sending-air-defence-systems-gulf-help-counter-iranian-missile-attacks-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347637/uk-sending-air-defence-systems-gulf-help-counter-iranian-missile-attacks-starmer?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:35:24 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Firefighters battled a blaze at a giant oil refinery in Kuwait on Friday after a fresh drone attack as Iran kept up a wave of strikes on its neighbours and vowed there was “no concern” about its missile production. Despite calls for an end to targeting Gulf energy infrastructure by European leaders on Thursday, Kuwait reported a fire at its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, a day after a direct hit on Qatar’s vital Ras Laffan facility. Iranian authorities had vowed to retaliate after an Israeli strike on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347314/kuwait-oil-refinery-hit-iran-says-its-still-building-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347314/kuwait-oil-refinery-hit-iran-says-its-still-building-missiles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:58:38 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Iran’s air strikes on the Gulf states have turned the spotlight onto China’s dilemma in trying to develop long-term relations with those nations but also with their arch-rival Iran. Strikes on all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on Iran have hit both American military assets stationed in those countries and civilian infrastructure, including oil refineries. As oil and gas producers, they are also bearing the brunt of the effective closure of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346919/can-china-still-maintain-good-relations-gulf-states-and-iran-fighting-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346919/can-china-still-maintain-good-relations-gulf-states-and-iran-fighting-escalates?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:10 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korea is unlikely to rush into joining a US-led military effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz, officials and analysts have said, after President Donald Trump urged other nations to send ships to the strategic waterway. Seoul is expected to seek parliamentary consensus before making any decision and is waiting for the outcome of a summit on Thursday between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as well as a formal request through diplomatic channels. A key US ally, South Korea... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346756/south-korea-catch-22-situation-over-trumps-call-warships-secure-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Mia Nurmamat,Carol Yang Maritime tracking data showed that no ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first full day without any confirmed commercial traffic in either direction since February 28, when the US and Israel began military strikes on Iran. Crossings dropped to zero, below the previous seven-day average of 2.57 daily transits, according to maritime analytics firm Windward. Although no vessels entered the waterway that day, about 400 ships sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, it... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3346755/no-ships-cross-strait-hormuz-first-time-conflict-began-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:30:14 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump on Sunday sought to pressure Nato allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit that Iran has effectively closed in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against Tehran. With the conflict creating turmoil across the Middle East and shaking up global energy markets in its third week, Trump insisted that nations relying heavily on oil from the Gulf have a responsibility to help protect the strait. “I’m demanding that these... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346692/starmer-holds-calls-trump-and-carney-irans-hormuz-blockage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3346692/starmer-holds-calls-trump-and-carney-irans-hormuz-blockage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:59:39 +0000 Amna Saqib Amna Saqib The 2020 Abraham Accords were heralded as a transformative diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East. The US-brokered agreements normalised relations between Israel and Arab states including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. They established full diplomatic relations, opening embassies, initiating direct commercial flights, expanding trade ties and encouraging people-to-people exchanges. The accords were notable because the participating Arab states agreed to normalise relations with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346247/how-us-israel-war-iran-rocks-foundations-abraham-accords?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3346247/how-us-israel-war-iran-rocks-foundations-abraham-accords?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Since the Iran war began late last month, it has threatened shipping across the Middle East’s two most important maritime chokepoints – the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb – through which much of Asia’s energy imports and manufactured exports flow. For Gulf states and their major trading partners in Asia, the conflict is forcing a hard question: what, if anything, can protect supply chains if US security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted? Analysts say the usual answers –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346627/iran-war-exposes-fragility-gulf-asia-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3346627/iran-war-exposes-fragility-gulf-asia-supply-chains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:00:16 +0000 Xinmei Shen,Teresa Elena Frontado Xinmei Shen,Teresa Elena Frontado The Trump administration has sought to minimise the impact of the Strait of Hormuz’s effective closure while offering few details on how it might restore oil flows through the strategic waterway. “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News aired on Friday, urging oil tankers to “show some guts.” Trump said Washington was still considering escorting ships through the strait but did not indicate whether a decision had been made. “We would do it... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346558/us-says-irans-new-supreme-leader-likely-wounded-dismisses-strait-hormuz-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3346558/us-says-irans-new-supreme-leader-likely-wounded-dismisses-strait-hormuz-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:23:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Australia’s decision to send a surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles to the Gulf highlights the difficult position the country now faces: supporting US and regional partners while trying to avoid being drawn deeper into the widening conflict. Analysts said the government was “walking a very fine line” with the deployment, signalling support for partners under Iranian attack while stopping short of committing Australia to offensive operations. At the same time, they said Canberra was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346459/australia-walks-very-fine-line-gulf-deployment-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346459/australia-walks-very-fine-line-gulf-deployment-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:39:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters All six crew ⁠members aboard a US military refuelling ⁠aircraft that crashed in western Iraq are confirmed to have been killed, the US military said on Friday. A US military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident the military said involved another aircraft but ‌was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. The deaths add to the seven US service members who have already been killed as part of US operations against Iran which began on February 28. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346421/us-military-refuelling-plane-crashes-iraq-rescue-efforts-are-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346421/us-military-refuelling-plane-crashes-iraq-rescue-efforts-are-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 23:02:39 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen Lucy Quaggin,Xinmei Shen Iran’s new supreme leader has vowed to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases and avenge the blood of its martyrs in his first statement since succeeding his father. US President Donald Trump responded with an insult and threat soon after. “The lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must definitely be used,” Mojtaba Khamenei said about the strategic waterway, which carries about a fifth of global oil shipments. Khamenei urged Iran’s Gulf neighbours to close US military bases in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346408/irans-mojtaba-khamenei-tells-gulf-nations-close-us-bases-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346408/irans-mojtaba-khamenei-tells-gulf-nations-close-us-bases-war-rages?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:05:21 +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 When joint US-Israel strikes killed Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the initial shock soon gave way to a deeper unease. At the heart of this anxiety lay the method used in the decapitation of a regional power’s leadership: an accelerated “kill chain” orchestrated... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3346204/us-war-iran-underscores-need-global-governance-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3346204/us-war-iran-underscores-need-global-governance-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Since the war in the Middle East began nearly two weeks ago, the phone at Ron Hubbard’s bomb shelter company in Texas has not stopped ringing. Foreign and US clients are rushing to buy his bunkers, seeking refuge in case of air raids, nuclear fallout or apocalypse. With the United States and Israel pounding Iran, and Tehran retaliating with strikes across the region, Hubbard has seen demand for his product soar, mostly from Gulf nation clients in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346295/preparing-worst-us-bunker-maker-claims-big-demand-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346295/preparing-worst-us-bunker-maker-claims-big-demand-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:09:54 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN Security Council on Wednesday called for Iran to halt its attacks on Gulf states, in a resolution that did not mention US or Israeli strikes on Iran, prompting Tehran’s ambassador to decry a “blatant misuse” of the international body. The resolution, passed by 13 votes with two abstentions, “demands the immediate cessation of all attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan”. It also “condemns any actions... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346278/un-security-council-demands-iran-halt-attacks-gulf-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346278/un-security-council-demands-iran-halt-attacks-gulf-states?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2026 23:03:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Since the US and Israel unleashed strikes on Iran on February 28, war has spread across the region and casualties have been reported in countries across the Middle East. Due to reporting restrictions, Agence France-Presse has not been able to independently verify all of the following tolls. The figures are based on numbers released by governments, militaries, health authorities and rescue organisations in the affected countries. Iran Iran’s health ministry said on Monday that more than 1,200... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346059/casualty-figures-across-middle-east-iran-war-enters-second-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346059/casualty-figures-across-middle-east-iran-war-enters-second-week?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:09:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran has named a son of its late supreme leader as his successor. US President Donald Trump already had expressed disdain for Mojtaba Khamenei, calling him “unacceptable”. The Islamic Republic’s war strategy now has a new commander, and the powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has pledged allegiance. Oil prices shot above US$100 a barrel. Both sides in the war struck new targets over the weekend, including civilian ones. Bahrain accused Iran of hitting one of the desalination plants that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345933/where-things-stand-after-another-weekend-war-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345933/where-things-stand-after-another-weekend-war-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:39:05 +0000 The Star The Star Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday that his government would do whatever it took to keep RON95 petrol at 1.99 ringgit (50 US cents) per litre – even as the US-Israel war on Iran pushed global crude prices past US$100 a barrel. “We will do our best to ensure the price of RON95 remains at 1.99 ringgit so that the rakyat (common people) are not burdened,” he said at the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry’s monthly assembly in Kuala Lumpur. The pledge comes as the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345932/malaysia-vows-hold-petrol-prices-oil-nears-us100-barrel-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3345932/malaysia-vows-hold-petrol-prices-oil-nears-us100-barrel-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:34:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran on Monday named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, signalling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old US-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above US$100 a barrel. Mojtaba, a cleric with influence inside Iran’s security forces and vast business networks under his father, had been viewed as a front runner in the lead-up to Sunday’s vote by the Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics tasked with choosing Ali Khamenei’s successor. “By a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345907/tehran-indicates-khameneis-son-will-be-named-supreme-leader-israel-expands-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345907/tehran-indicates-khameneis-son-will-be-named-supreme-leader-israel-expands-iran-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 18:39:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press As missiles and drones curtail energy production across the Persian Gulf, analysts warn that water, not oil, may be the resource most at risk in the energy-rich but arid region. On Sunday, Bahrain accused Iran of damaging one of its desalination plants. Earlier, Iran said a US air strike had damaged an Iranian plant. Hundreds of desalination plants sit along the Persian Gulf coast, putting individual systems that supply water to millions within range of Iranian missile or drone strikes. Without... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345897/iran-strikes-desalination-plants-threaten-arab-states-water-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345897/iran-strikes-desalination-plants-threaten-arab-states-water-supplies?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:22:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gulf nations reported missile and drone attacks on Sunday, while Iran vowed to press on with strikes against neighbouring countries as the regional war entered its second week. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait all reported new attacks, after loud explosions were heard in Dubai and Bahrain’s Manama a day earlier. Kuwait’s national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to its crude production, as the country’s military said on Sunday it had responded “to a wave of hostile drones that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345845/kuwait-airport-saudi-arabia-targeted-iran-vows-continue-gulf-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345845/kuwait-airport-saudi-arabia-targeted-iran-vows-continue-gulf-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 01:45:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gulf nations on Saturday reported new missile and drone attacks, while Iran vowed to press on with its strikes against neighbouring countries. Loud explosions were heard in Dubai, the Qatari capital Doha and Bahrain, while attacks were later reported in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, where the national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to production. The attacks came despite Iran’s president earlier apologising to Gulf countries for prior strikes, saying they would no longer... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345841/iran-vows-more-attacks-gulf-despite-presidents-apology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345841/iran-vows-more-attacks-gulf-despite-presidents-apology?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 20:55:32 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Iran’s president said on Saturday that a demand by the United States for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave”. President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a pre-recorded address aired by state television. He also apologised for Iran’s attacks on regional countries, saying that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks. He blamed the killing of the country’s supreme leader and other top officials for what... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345818/iran-defies-us-demands-surrender-apologises-strikes-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345818/iran-defies-us-demands-surrender-apologises-strikes-neighbours?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:18:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Alyssa Ramos’ evacuation from Kuwait took 48 hours and carried her across four continents. The US government did not help with any part of it, the travel blogger said. “They keep going on the news and saying they’re doing everything they can to get Americans out,” Ramos said after landing in Miami on Thursday. “I know for a fact they’re not.” She said she repeatedly messaged the US embassy in Kuwait before being directed to the consular section, which told her it could not help her leave the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345789/americans-recall-desperate-self-organised-escapes-middle-east-youre-your-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345789/americans-recall-desperate-self-organised-escapes-middle-east-youre-your-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:35:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters European powers said ⁠on Thursday they would work together to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea and send naval and other assets to protect Cyprus as the expanding US-Iran war entered its sixth day. The conflict – which has widened beyond Gulf states to the Mediterranean, where a drone strike hit a British airbase on Cyprus on Monday, and as far afield as Asia – has convulsed global markets and sent oil and gas prices soaring. Italy, ‌Spain, France and the Netherlands will send naval assets to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345596/italy-send-aid-gulf-states-and-cyprus-after-iranian-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3345596/italy-send-aid-gulf-states-and-cyprus-after-iranian-strikes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:33:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The unfolding Iran war has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel, many reporting casualties, and key embassies, economic engines and passageways closing down. Off the coast of Sri Lanka, a US submarine sank an Iranian warship as the war intensified and its footprint grew. Foreign governments have for days urged their citizens to leave Middle East countries on any available commercial... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345492/guide-how-iran-war-has-ricocheted-across-middle-east-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3345492/guide-how-iran-war-has-ricocheted-across-middle-east-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:01:04 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen As missiles fly throughout the Middle East, China is walking a diplomatic tightrope between strategic partner Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, with whom it has deep economic ties. All six GCC members have been struck as Tehran has widened its retaliation for US and Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials. Its strikes have also expanded beyond United States’ assets to include landmark buildings and airports, causing death and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345443/china-must-find-path-between-iran-and-gulf-states-tehran-strikes-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3345443/china-must-find-path-between-iran-and-gulf-states-tehran-strikes-across-middle-east?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 11:19:08 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Major shipping lines are suspending services and diverting vessels across the Middle East as escalating military tensions threaten a prolonged disruption of global supply chains, with the critical Strait of Hormuz chokepoint effectively closed to commercial traffic following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The crisis has ensnared both oil tankers and container ships, creating a maritime bottleneck that could ripple through international commerce. As of Monday, 132 container ships with a combined... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345291/shipping-firms-suspend-gulf-routes-iran-war-leaves-132-vessels-trapped?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3345291/shipping-firms-suspend-gulf-routes-iran-war-leaves-132-vessels-trapped?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 02:00:09 +0000