US president tells Financial Times his âpreference would be to take the oilâ but that âsome stupid people back in the US say: âwhy are you doing that?ââFull report: Iran accuses US of plotting ground assault while publicly seeking talksAnalysis: what the Houthisâ entry into the Iran war means for the conflict and the wider regionThe price of brent crude had now gone over $116 a barrel, while stock markets have slumped in Asia as investors dig in for a protracted Gulf conflict that could bring a spike in inflation and the risk of recession to much of the globe.Brent crude was just over $70 a barrel when the war started last month and prices have risen by over 50% since. Continue reading...
War continues to escalate with Yemenâs Iran-backed Houthis confirming a second wave of attacks on Israel since they joined the war on SaturdayRead the full reportHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East as the war enters its second month.The war only continues to escalate as Yemenâs Iran-backed Houthis confirmed a second wave of attacks on Israel since joining the conflict on Saturday. They have vowed to continue strikes in the coming days, posing a threat not just to worsening regional security but also global trade.In a televised speech, Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the Iran-backed group had launched a âbarrage of cruise missiles and dronesâ in a second attack on Israel, targeting key military sites. He vowed the Houthis would continue military operations in the coming days until Israel âceases its attacks and aggressionâ.The entry of the Houthis, poses a direct threat to the Bab al-Mandab strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, a second major choke point in the supply chain of energy supplies and other trade in and out of the Middle East. With Iranâs near total closure of the strait of Hormuz, a shutdown of the Bab al-Mandab, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, would amplify the already grave impact of the war on the global economy, and could also reignite a Saudi-Yemen conflict.The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran â potentially including raids on Kharg Island and coastal sites near the strait of Hormuz â though President Donald Trump has not yet approved any deployment, the Washington Post is reporting. Any ground operation would stop short of a full-scale invasion, instead involving raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry troops, the Post said, citing unnamed officials.Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has told one of the USâs biggest annual gatherings of conservatives that he is ready to lead a new Iranian government and would call on the countryâs citizens to rise up when the âright moment arrivesâ, AP reports. Pahlavi is the son of the shah, a monarch deposed in 1979 when the Islamic theocracy came to power.Iranâs Revolutionary Guard threatened to target US universities in the Middle East after saying US-Israeli strikes had deliberately targeted two Iranian universities. âIf the US government wants its universities in the region to be free from retaliation... it must condemn the bombing of the universities in an official statement by 12 noon on Monday, March 30, Tehran time,â said the statement published by Iranian media.Pakistan has said it would host a meeting of Middle Eastern powers on Monday in an effort to find a regional approach to ending the conflict. But the talks, which bring together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, did not appear to include any of the warring parties, casting further doubt on persistent US claims of diplomatic progress.Israeli attacks killed three journalists in a targeted strike on their car in southern Lebanon, which the Lebanese president condemned as a âblatant war crimeâ. The strike killed Ali Shoeib, from Hezbollah-owned al-Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni and her brother and cameraman Mohammed Ftouni from pro-Hezbollah outlet al-Mayadeen.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organisation, called for an end to attacks on medical staff after nine paramedics were âkilled in southern Lebanon on Saturday.The Israeli military bombarded Tehran with a âwide-scale wave of strikesâ, damaging residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and research and educational buildings. The IDF also said it had hit Iranâs headquarters for naval weaponry.Iran has allowed 20 oil tankers from Pakistan to pass through the strait of Hormuz. Ishaq Dar, Pakistanâs deputy prime minister, said two ships would cross per day. The country has been playing a key mediatory role in the conflict. Continue reading...
⢠At least 12 U.S. service members were injured, with two in serious condition, after an Iranian missile and drone attack on a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia.
⢠The attack followed Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and Iran's vow to retaliate against Israeli military actions in the region.
⢠The incident marks a significant escalation in direct Iranian military engagement with U.S. forces in the Middle East conflict.
⢠The Pentagon is considering deploying up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East beyond the 1,500 already mobilized from the 82nd Airborne Division, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
⢠U.S. Central Command reported striking more than 8,000 targets, including over 130 Iranian naval vessels, while Israel confirmed dropping more than 15,000 munitions as part of coordinated Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion campaigns launched on February 28.
⢠U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on March 27 that Washington expects the operation against Iran to conclude "within weeks, not months" and that the U.S. can meet all objectives without using ground troops.
US president says he is extending deadline for strait of Hormuz to reopen to 6 April; Houthis tell Lloydâs List âno reasonâ to prevent Saudi oil using Red Sea routeFull report: Trump extends deadline Analysis: Trump pitches peace plan but military buildups rarely veer to off-rampHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and the consequences for the region, the world, and the global economy.Here are the latest developments:Donald Trump said he will extend â once again â his pause on his threat to attack Iranâs energy infrastructure for 10 days until 6 April, claiming that the request came from Tehran and that talks were going âvery wellâ. The US president threatened last Saturday to would strike Iranian energy infrastructure if Tehran did not reopen the strait of Hormuz. Then, on Monday he postponed his threat for five days (until Friday), citing âvery good and productive conversationsâ with Iran on ending the war (which Tehran dismissed as âfake newsâ designed to âmanipulateâ the oil markets). Now, heâs pushing that deadline back, again.The price of Brent crude also dropped following Trumpâs latest announcement. Oil prices rose to their highest level this week, with Brent crude trading at roughly $108 a barrel after Trumpâs cabinet meeting earlier on Thursday.Yemenâs Houthis have said there is no need to worry amid fears that if Donald Trump follows through on threats to seize Iranâs Kharg Island, Tehran may ask them to attack shipping in the Red Sea.A day after Tehran dismissed Trumpâs 15-point ceasefire plan, the US president claimed that Iran was âbegging to make a deal,â and that he wasnât the one pushing for negotiations. Earlier, he told Tehran to âget serious soonâ on negotiating a deal to end the war.Trump rejected reports that he was looking for an exit ramp, as oil prices soar and political pressure mounts to avoid the kind of drawn-out Middle East war he once spurned. âI read a story today that Iâm desperate to make a deal,â Trump told reporters. âIâm the opposite of desperate. I donât care.âA US proposal for ending nearly four weeks of fighting is âone-sided and unfairâ, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday.However, Trump said Iran is allowing some oil tankers through strait of Hormuz as a sign of good faith for talks. He said that Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strategic strait as a âpresentâ to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war.The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give Trump more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, quoting defence department officials with knowledge of the planning.The Israel Defence Forcesâ chief of staff has warned that the military will âcollapse in on itselfâ as it faces increasing demands and a growing manpower shortage while fighting on multiple fronts, according to Israeli media reports.A Thai-flagged cargo ship that was hit by unknown projectiles in the strait of Hormuz earlier this month has run aground off Iranâs Qeshm Island, Iranâs Tasnim news agency said on Friday. Continue reading...
⢠Iranian strikes on US bases in the Middle East prompted thousands of American troops to relocate to hotels and office spaces throughout the region on March 26, 2026.
⢠The attacks represent an existential threat to Gulf states, which urged the UN to intervene amid escalating regional tensions.
⢠This displacement highlights vulnerabilities in US forward bases, forcing operational shifts and increased reliance on civilian infrastructure during ongoing conflict.
US president claims Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side; US military command claims to have damaged or destroyed over two-thirds of Iranâs missile, drone and naval production facilitiesIran rejects US ceasefire plan and submits its own amid push for talksAnalysis: Trump pitches Iran peace plan but military buildups rarely veer to off-rampChinaâs foreign minister has said that a âglimmer of hopeâ for peace has emerged due to moves to stop the war in the Middle East, despite Tehran vowing to keep fighting.Wang Yi urged dialogue in separate calls with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting that both Tehran and Washington had shown signals they were willing to return to the negotiating table.Speaking of negotiations now is an admission of defeat.Prolonging this war would only result in further casualties and needless losses, leading to a further spillover of the conflict. Continue reading...
⢠The Pentagon has deployed approximately 2,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, providing President Trump with additional military options while he pursues diplomatic efforts with Iran.
⢠The troop movement occurs as the Trump administration has sent Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan through Pakistani intermediaries, according to officials briefed on the diplomacy.
⢠The dual strategy reflects efforts to find an economic off-ramp from the Middle East conflict while maintaining military readiness, though Iran has given a negative response to the ceasefire proposal.
⢠China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi engaged in direct communications with Iranian officials regarding the Middle East situation, signaling Beijing's involvement in diplomatic efforts surrounding the US-Iran conflict and ceasefire negotiations.
⢠The Chinese diplomatic move reflects broader international efforts to stabilize the region, with multiple nationsâincluding Pakistan, Qatar, and Gulf statesâpositioning themselves as potential mediators or supporters of de-escalation amid escalating military operations.
⢠International organizations and nations are preparing for prolonged Middle East tensions, with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi requesting the International Energy Agency consider additional coordinated global oil reserve releases if tensions persist beyond mid-April.
⢠The Trump administration submitted a 15-point ceasefire proposal to Iran on March 25, with details including dismantling of Iranian nuclear capabilities and Iran's commitment never to pursue nuclear weapons, according to Israeli media reports.
⢠President Trump stated the US is in contact with "the right" Iranian interlocutors and that Iran wants to make a deal "so badly," while approximately 290 US service members have been wounded since Operation Epic Fury began against Iran.
⢠The diplomatic initiative has sparked market optimism, with oil prices falling more than 3% and Asian shares gaining on de-escalation hopes, though Iran's military dismissed Washington as not being in a position to negotiate.
