Against Iran

• On Monday, August 24, 2026, the United States announced a new series of sanctions targeting Iran amid escalating tensions. • The measures are part of a broader strategic effort involving the US and Israel to curb Iranian activities and influence in the region. • These sanctions aim to exert economic pressure on the Iranian government to prevent further military escalation and destabilization.

Washington launches campaign to isolate Tehran but it is unclear whether it would apply sanctions to ChinaThe US has threatened to impose severe sanctions against any country or entity maintaining economic ties with Iran, hoping to achieve with economic measures what military means have so far failed to do.However, it is unclear how far the Trump administration is prepared to go in confronting China, Iran’s biggest trading partner, which has signalled its resistance to US economic pressure to cut off links with an ally. Continue reading...

• The Iranian currency has plummeted to a record low against the US dollar as President Donald Trump claims the nation is "completely collapsing." • The US administration is preparing to unveil an "economic D-Day," a plan designed to tighten financial restrictions and increase pressure on Tehran. • Analysts note that Iran has developed a "survival economy" to endure sanctions, meaning the US must target clandestine trade and banking networks to be effective.

Test of US rhetoric will rest on whether nations such as India, China and Russia view economic threats as credibleIran has vowed to retaliate against any country that cooperates with the US attempt to impose fresh sanctions against Iran in what the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has billed as “the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary”.In advance of the US announcement, the United Arab Emirates, Iran’s single biggest trading partner in the Middle East, announced it was ending all trade with Iran, a move Tehran believes was coordinated between Washington and Dubai. Continue reading...

• The new leader of Iran’s top security body, Rezaei, has warned neighboring countries against participating in U.S.-led economic sanctions designed to squeeze Tehran's economy. • Rezaei accused the United States of increasing global nuclear insecurity and cautioned against deploying additional military personnel to the region. • The security chief vowed to overhaul Iran's diplomatic approach and develop new capabilities to prepare for what he termed the "next war."

• Former President Donald Trump threatened "unprecedented" economic warfare against Iran during a recent radio interview. • In a surprising turn, Trump conducted the interview alongside Michael Cohen, his former lawyer and current political adversary. • Separately, it was reported that Braid, a former senior aide to Senator JD Vance, is departing the administration.

• The US has signaled an increase in economic pressure on Iran and imposed new sanctions against Hezbollah amid stalled wartime diplomacy. • President Donald Trump has threatened "crushing economic warfare," though analysts note Iran has developed a "survival economy" to withstand long-term sanctions. • To increase effectiveness, the US Treasury suggests cracking down on clandestine trade and banking networks operating primarily through Singapore, Hong Kong, and the UAE.

• Former President Donald Trump appeared on a radio show hosted by Michael D. Cohen, his former personal lawyer who previously pleaded guilty to federal crimes and implicated Trump. • Trump asserted that the U.S. effectively controls Venezuela's government and predicted that Cuba would be the next leftist Latin American government to fall. • Cuba is currently facing its worst energy crisis in history, characterized by nationwide blackouts and a lack of cooking gas, following an oil blockade imposed by Trump in February.

• Pakatan Harapan (PH) is facing a decline in public confidence following three election losses and allegations of abandoned reform promises. • Former senior political secretary Shamsul Iskandar Akin is allegedly linked to a Sabah mining scandal, with whistleblower Albert Tei claiming a payment of RM629,000 was made to him. • Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is embroiled in a citizenship scandal involving forged documents and misleading statements regarding seven "heritage" footballers.

• European stock indexes are currently balancing strong corporate earnings reports against market volatility caused by the escalating conflict between the U.S. and Iran. • Key financial gains include a 2% rise for Societe Generale following record quarterly profits and a 2.6% increase for Spain’s BBVA after reporting higher second-quarter net profits. • Asset manager Amundi also contributed to the positive momentum by beating core earnings estimates during an unusually heavy corporate reporting calendar.

• President Trump has decided to hold off on a major military escalation against Iran following a Friday meeting with top cabinet members and advisers. • Key concerns include the potential depletion of air defense munitions in the Middle East and the risk of alienating vulnerable Gulf allies. • Advisers warned that expanded hostilities could trigger a global economic crunch, as well as escalating energy and refugee crises.

• President Donald Trump announced the launch of "major combat operations" against Iran on February 28. • The offensive consists of massive joint airstrikes carried out by the United States and Israel. • These operations represent a significant escalation in military conflict between the U.S.-Israeli alliance and the Iranian government.

American and Iranian forces exchange heavy missile and drone attacks over control of strait of Hormuz, increasing pressure on truceThe US military has launched a new wave of attacks against Iran amid the escalating standoff over the strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying the latest strikes had “rendered futile” all the diplomatic efforts of the past few months.The US military began launching more strikes against Iran at 9pm GMT on Sunday, US Central Command (Centcom) said on X, “to continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz”. Continue reading...

Strikes come after retaliatory attacks on Friday following a drone strike on cargo ship in strait of HormuzThe US has struck multiple targets in Iran after strikes on Friday that were in response to a drone strike on a cargo ship a day earlier in the strait of Hormuz, US Central Command (Centcom) has confirmed.Centcom said its strikes on Saturday were in “direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping”. The US strikes targeted “Iranian military surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities, and minelayer capabilities”, Centcom said in a statement. Continue reading...

• G7 energy billionaires have reportedly accumulated $300 million daily amid ongoing conflicts involving the US, Israel, and Iran. • Total billionaire wealth has surged by nearly $10 trillion during the fifth global economic crisis since 2020. • Between 2024 and 2025, G7 nations reduced official development assistance to the world's poorest countries by $48 billion, the largest cut in history.

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both aged 53, given 10-year sentences in February after being convicted of espionageA British couple jailed on spying charges in Iran have lost an appeal against their convictions, their family has said.Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both aged 53, were handed 10-year prison sentences in February after being convicted of espionage, which they both deny. Continue reading...

Pentagon chief also tells Singapore defence summit of ‘alarm’ at China’s military buildup but says US does not seek ‘needless confrontation’The US has more than sufficient stockpiles of weapons and is “more than capable” of resuming the war with Iran, Pete Hegseth told a defence summit hours after a meeting in Washington failed to produce a deal to end the conflict.“Our ability to recommence if necessary is we are more than capable,” the US defence secretary told the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defence summit held in Singapore on Saturday. “Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe because of how we balance exquisite and more plentiful munitions.” Continue reading...

• Asia-Pacific stock markets rose as investors balanced concerns over Iranian military activity with optimism regarding a potential temporary U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal. • Key gains were seen across the region, with South Korea's Kospi jumping 2.68%, Japan's Nikkei 225 rising 0.88%, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 increasing by 0.72%. • The market movement reflects a cautious but positive sentiment, as hopes for diplomatic resolution currently outweigh the risks posed by geopolitical tensions.

The film-maker, who won the Grand Prix for A Hero in 2021, condemned both the killing of protestors and the conflict’s bombing campaigns during a Cannes press conferenceOscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has described the deaths of civilians in Iran as “extremely cruel and tragic” during a press conference at the Cannes film festival.Farhadi, whose new Paris-set drama Parallel Tales premiered on the Croisette on Thursday night, was asked about working free from censorship in France, the war involving Iran, the US and Israel, and the repression of protesters in his native country. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration has announced 'Operation Economic Fury,' implementing a comprehensive blockade against Iran as part of an expanded sanctions campaign. • The initiative represents a significant escalation in economic pressure against Iran, marking a shift in US foreign policy toward more aggressive measures. • This action comes amid broader geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and follows months of diplomatic tension between the US and Iran.

Tehran’s UN envoy says ‘full respect’ of Iran’s rights also key for lasting regional stabilityUS is being ‘humiliated’ by Iran’s leadership, says Friedrich MerzWe are restarting our live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran.Iran needs “credible guarantees” against more US-Israeli attacks before it can ensure security in the Gulf, Tehran’s envoy to the UN has said, while on a Russian visit Iran’s foreign minister blamed Washington for the failure of peace talks.Donald Trump is unhappy with an Iranian proposal on the war because it does not address Iran’s nuclear program, Reuters cited a US official as saying on Monday, after Trump discussed the proposal with his top national security aides. Iran had offered to end its closure of the strait of Hormuz if the US lifted its blockade and ended the war in a proposal that would postpone discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, the Associated Press reported earlier, citing two unnamed regional officials. Later reporting quoted White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as saying the proposal was “being discussed”.Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said direct talks with Israel sought to end the war on Lebanon and that those who dragged Lebanon into it were the ones committing “treason” – a jab at the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, which claimed several attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon on Monday.Iraq’s newly elected president nominated businessman Ali al-Zaidi as the country’s prime minister-designate on Monday, after the country’s leaders yielded to US pressure not to support the bid of a former premier close to Iran.The Coordination Framework – an alliance of Shia factions with varying links to Iran – had initially backed powerbroker Nouri al-Maliki to become the country’s next premier, but Trump’s ultimatum left Iraqi leaders looking elsewhere.The US and Iran clashed at the UN on Monday over Tehran’s nuclear program and its selection to be one of dozens of vice-presidents at a month-long conference to review the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. US official Christopher Yeaw said Iran’s selection was an “affront” to the treaty. Tehran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Reza Najafi, rejected the US statement as “baseless and politically motivated”. Continue reading...

• Russia's Mikhail Ulyanov stated in Vienna that US tactics of strength, blackmail, ultimatums, and deadlines fail against Iran and undermine talks. • Hours before Araghchi's Moscow meeting with Putin, Ulyanov criticized Washington's approach amid broader Eurasian conflicts involving Ukraine and Iran. • The remarks align with Iran's regional tour, including Pakistan and Russia, as Tehran coordinates with allies against US pressure.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a bombshell speech from the Kremlin warning against Western military intervention in Iran, marking a significant strategic pivot and directly challenging Trump administration foreign policy. • The address has dramatically escalated geopolitical tensions and prompted immediate reactions from global capitals assessing implications for international security and the balance of power in the Middle East. • Putin's declaration signals Russia's strategic commitment to the region amid the ongoing US-Iran crisis and fragile ceasefire negotiations.

• Iranian military officials have alleged that an American C-130 aircraft was struck by Iranian forces during a claimed US infiltration attempt in southern Isfahan, though the claim remains unverified. • Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia reiterated Tehran's "no survivors" doctrine against any foreign troops entering Iranian territory, signaling extreme hostility toward potential ground operations. • Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has indicated conditional support for Iran, raising the possibility of external involvement if a ground conflict escalates and widening regional security implications.

Resolution needed two more votes to pass, but Democrats now appear solidified in oppositionSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly rejected a war powers resolution that would have prevented further military action against Iran, as Democrats united against continued US involvement in the conflict amid peace talks that have yet to make a breakthrough.The resolution introduced by Greg Meeks, the top Democrat on the House foreign affairs committee, failed by a vote of 213-214, with one Republican member voting present. It required at least two more votes to pass, as tied votes fail in the House. Continue reading...

Alarm among military observers after president says ‘whole civilization will die tonight’ if Iran ignores demandsUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailDonald Trump’s Tuesday morning comments threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” in Iran have raised alarms among military observers and retired officers, who called them “likely war crimes”.“I have to hope that this is bluster, and a negotiating tactic on his part,” said retired admiral Michael Smith, who commanded a carrier strike group in the US navy. “He must understand that those types of threats themselves are likely war crimes.” Continue reading...

Trump claims Iranians welcome US strikes and lower court judges challenge Trump’s ‘war on rule of law’ – key US politics stories from Monday 6 April at a glanceDonald Trump was asked at a press conference Monday if his war on Iran was winding down or ramping up. His response: “I can’t tell you.”The US president’s comments came as diplomatic negotiations aimed at halting the war in the Middle East appeared to be faltering. Continue reading...

The Trump administration takes pleasure in deploying dysphemism to describe the killing of IraniansOn 23 March, Donald Trump said that if things didn’t go to his liking in Iran, “we just keep bombing our little hearts out”. A week later the US president told journalists on Air Force One: “You never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up.”On 4 March, Pete Hegseth squirmed in pleasure as he described “death and destruction from the sky all day long”. Whatever happened to the subtle art of political euphemism? Continue reading...