Articles about Iran

Ripple effects of oil and fertiliser shortage felt by farmers in India and Sri Lanka despite governments saying there is enough stock to go roundGurvinder Singh never thought the war in Iran would touch his quiet corner of Punjab.Yet looking out over his smallholding, where he alternates between wheat and rice crops in the state known as India’s breadbasket, the 52-year-old farmer can barely think of anything else. His anxiety over a conflict playing out thousands of miles away is crippling as he fears what will come of this season’s rice crop. Continue reading...

Catholic Timothy Broglio says ‘hard to cast this war as something that would be sponsored by the Lord’The leader of all Catholic chaplains in the United States’ armed forces has questioned how righteous the US military’s campaign in Iran is, saying that “under the just war theory – it is not”.Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, told CBS News in an interview set for broadcast Sunday that while Iran “was a threat with nuclear arms”, waging war on the theocratic state constituted “compensating for a threat before the threat is actually realized”. Continue reading...

Aria Fani of University of Washington’s Middle East Center is latest critic of Israel to lose position at US universitySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA University of Washington professor was removed as head of the school’s Middle East Center after reportedly using newsletters from the center to criticize the US and Israel’s war on Iran and describe Zionism as “cancerous”.His case is one of at least three incidents in the past month in which higher education faculty members have faced suspension or dismissal after voicing opposition to US-Israeli actions in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Downing of fighter plane – the first shot down over Iran since start of war – prompts frantic US rescue effort A US F-15E fighter has been shot down over Iran, prompting a frantic US search and rescue effort for its two-strong crew, in the first such incident since the start of the war.Images of a tail fin and other debris were released by Iranian state media early on Friday accompanied by an initial claim that an advanced US F-35 and been hit by a new air defence system over central Iran and the pilot probably killed. Continue reading...

Petrol has risen 19% and diesel 35%, and in England the north has had the sharpest increasesFuel prices have risen faster in Northern Ireland than in any other UK region since the beginning of the Iran war.Analysis of official data shows that petrol has jumped by 19% in Northern Ireland since the end of February, and diesel is now 35% more expensive. The rises are among the largest in Europe. Continue reading...

International law experts ‘seriously concerned’ about ‘strikes on schools, health centres and homes’ in contravention of Geneva conventionsDonald Trump, other senior US officials and their cheerleaders appear to be embracing attacks – and threats of attacks – on Iranian civilian infrastructure, which legal experts say appears to constitute serious war crimes under international law.In his rambling national address on Wednesday, the US president warned that if Iran did not reach an unspecified deal with him, US forces would “hit each and every one of their electric-generating plants” and “bring [Iran] back to the stone ages – where they belong”. Continue reading...

Country is torn between those who hope for end to Tehran’s influence and those loyal to Islamic republicOf all the countries being pulled into the US-Israeli war on Iran, it is Iraq – a country that still bears the emotional and physical scars of the last time the Americans tried to reshape the region by force – where the conflict has exposed some of the deepest rifts.The war is dividing those who see the attacks on Iran as a way to end Tehran’s longstanding influence over Iraqi politics from the self-declared loyalists of the Islamic republic, and cutting through state institutions, armed forces and Shia Islamist parties. Continue reading...

• The IDF issued warnings on April 2, 2026, of potential coordinated rocket attacks by Iran and Hezbollah toward Israel as rocket sirens sounded across the country on Passover eve. • Hezbollah reported a top commander killed in a Beirut strike, escalating tensions amid broader Middle East conflict. • This development heightens risks of multi-front escalation, directly impacting US ally Israel and regional stability critical to American interests.

People leaving Iran for Turkey tell of impact of bombs and internet blackouts, while others are travelling the other way to be closer to relatives in perilHe could not help but splutter out a laugh at the question. Amir, whose name has been changed for his safety, had just crossed the Kapıköy border point in eastern Turkey, a mountain pass between snow-topped peaks that is one of the few gateways to the west from Iran.Until a few weeks ago, this was a busy place, popular among Iranian daytrippers coming across to Turkey to do some shopping in the lively city of Van, a further two hours drive west, or to spend a couple of nights out in its discreet Iranian-only nightclubs and bars serving alcohol. Continue reading...

US president warns Iran after strike; UN vote on authorizing the use of ‘defensive’ force to protect shipping in the strait of Hormuz delayedFull report: Trump warns Tehran ‘more to follow’ after strike destroys Iran’s largest bridge Continue reading...

Drone-maker backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr tries to win contracts with Gulf countries protected by USA drone-maker backed by Donald Trump’s two oldest sons is trying to sell to Gulf countries while they are under attack by Iran and dependent on the US military led by their father.The sales drive by Florida-based Powerus – which announced a deal last month to bring aboard Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr – positions the company to potentially benefit from a war that their father began. Continue reading...

Two people reported killed in attack on newly completed suspension bridge after strike splits structure in halfMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump claimed responsibility for destroying Iran’s largest bridge, a day after he threatened to bomb the country “back to the stone ages” if a deal to end the five-week-long war he started was not reached.The US president shared footage of part of the newly built 136 metre-high $400m B1 suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj collapsing dramatically on to the causeway below amid a rising plume of black smoke. Continue reading...

Speaking in South Korea, the French president defended the transatlantic alliance and called for return to peaceMiddle East crisis – live updatesEmmanuel Macron has sharply criticised Donald Trump’s inconsistent and often contradictory pronouncements on the Iran war and Nato, saying if “you want to be serious” it was better not to come out with a something different every day.“There is too much talk … and it’s all over the place,” the French president said on Thursday during a state visit to South Korea. “We all need stability, calm, a return to peace – this isn’t a show!” Continue reading...

US president’s 19-minute Wednesday address at the White House was met with bewilderment from commentatorsDonald Trump’s primetime nationwide address on the war with Iran caused widespread bewilderment, with commentators voicing shock at his vow to continue bombing to “bring them back to the stone ages”.Speculation before Wednesday’s speech from the White House Blue Room suggested that the president might be about to signal a winding up of the US military effort, which began on 28 February. Continue reading...

Activists accuse Iran’s regime of crackdown on civil society as whereabouts of Nasrin Sotoudeh are unknownIs Iran using the war to hide a surge in executions?The prize-winning Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been arrested in Tehran, according to her family, as activists accused the regime of cracking down on civil society under cover of the war with Israel and the US.Sotoudeh’s daughter Mehraveh Khandan said her mother was taken from her home in Tehran late on Wednesday and that her whereabouts were unknown. Khandan suspected the arrest may be related to recent interviews about the war, in which Sotoudeh criticised the government. Continue reading...

• President Trump announced in a White House speech that U.S. involvement in the Iran war will extend two to three more weeks, with objectives nearly met. • Trump vowed continued strikes on Iran, threatening energy and water sites, while claiming Iran's offensive capabilities are 'essentially decimated.' • Oil prices surged 6% to $108 per barrel for Brent crude, pushing U.S. gas prices over $4 a gallon and impacting motorists and food costs.

• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy commenced large-scale military exercises in the Persian Gulf on April 1, deploying multiple warships and missile systems near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. • US Central Command deployed additional naval assets to the region in response, with Pentagon officials stating the move is designed to "ensure freedom of navigation" and protect commercial shipping lanes critical to global energy markets. • The Iranian exercises follow recent diplomatic tensions and represent the latest in a series of military posturing events that have increased risk premiums on global oil prices by approximately 3% this week.

Visa ban makes Iranian-Australian feel her adopted country is a ‘home that doesn’t support you’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastHedieh Jamshidian feared the window to see her mother, living in Tehran under waves of airstrikes, was closing.The Australian government had just announced it could block some visa holders from entering the country. So, Jamshidian, a 32-year-old Iranian Australian, decided to act quickly. Within a week she bought her mother, who held a three-month tourist visa, a ticket to Sydney. Continue reading...

Bank of England survey in March shows chief financial officers foresee 3.7% increase over coming yearBusiness live – latest updatesCompanies in the UK expect to raise their prices more rapidly over the coming months as the war in the Middle East drives up costs, Bank of England research shows.The Bank’s regular survey of more than 2,000 chief financial officers conducted last month, after the Iran conflict began, shows they now expect to raise their prices by 3.7% over the coming year. Continue reading...

Democrats criticize speech as doing little to answer ‘the most basic questions’ of the American people. Plus, how rap lyrics were used to help sentence a man to deathGood morning.Donald Trump declared the month-long US-Israeli war against Iran a success “nearing completion” in his prime time address to the nation on Wednesday evening – despite the conflict wreaking global economic chaos, damaging transatlantic alliances and hitting his approval ratings.What is the significance of Trump’s comments on HEU? The apparent decision to leave it appears to conflict with his assertions that a key war aim was to ensure Iran could never make a nuclear bomb.Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.What has Houston said about the rocket’s deployment? Flight controllers confirmed that all four solar arrays, which will provide the spacecraft with continuous electrical power throughout its lunar journey, were deployed successfully. Continue reading...

Brent crude jumps 6.5% as US president vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ over coming weeksBusiness live – latest updatesOil prices soared and stocks sank after Donald Trump vowed in a televised speech to hit Iran “extremely hard” over the coming weeks, knocking investors hopes of a near-term end to the conflict in the Middle East.Brent crude prices jumped by 6.5% on Thursday morning to more than $107.6 a barrel, reversing Wednesday’s drop when hopes of a de-escalation pushed the international benchmark below the $100-a-barrel mark at one point. Continue reading...

Battlefield outcomes are connected by the sharing of weapons and intelligence as well as the damage to the global economyThe Iran and Ukraine wars are becoming more intertwined with every passing week – to the point that some analysts argue the two conflicts are beginning to merge.Quite how each war will affect the trajectory of the other is hard to predict, but it is already clear that their interconnectedness is drawing more countries into both cauldrons, extending an arc of instability that straddles Europe and the Middle East. Continue reading...

President says ‘little journey’ to Iran close to achieving US aims but offers little clarity on plan to wind down conflictMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump used a primetime address to the nation on Wednesday evening to declare the month-long war in Iran a success “nearing completion”, despite a spiraling conflict that has caused economic turmoil across the globe, fractured transatlantic alliances and eroded the president’s approval ratings.In remarks from the White House, Trump argued that the US’s “little journey” to Iran had nearly accomplished “all of America’s military objectives”, but offered little clarity on how he planned to wind down the conflict over the next “two to three weeks”. Continue reading...

President is expected to offer a timeline for end of the war, and speak about his threat to withdraw the US from Nato as he faces falling poll numbers and global energy crisisTrump says he is ‘absolutely’ considering withdrawing US from Nato Israel hits Iran with waves of attacks and says it killed top Hezbollah commanderWelcome to our continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, as Donald Trump prepares to address America for the first time since the US-Israel war on Iran was launched.The president will deliver the prime-time speech at 9pm ET from the White House.Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s claim that its leadership asked for a ceasefire, calling the US president’s statement “false” and “baseless”. Trump made the claim in a post on Truth Social, which said: “Iran’s New Regime President, much less Radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors, has just asked the United States of America for a CEASEFIRE! We will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”Trump also said he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing the US from Nato, warning that the matter was “beyond reconsideration” after the refusal of US allies to join the US-Israeli war against Iran. The president’s threats, his most determined to date, have left the alliance facing its worst crisis in its 77-year history, a former US ambassador has said. Here’s our story.Meanwhile, in an open letter to the American people, Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian said relations between Washington and Tehran were “misunderstood” and that Iran was not an aggressor. The Iranian “harbor no enmity toward other nations, including the people of America, Europe, or neighbouring countries,” he said, adding that portrayals of Iran as a security threat were inaccurate, and Tehran was acting in self-defence – not aggression.In Tehran, Kamal Kharazi, a top foreign policy official and former Iranian foreign minister, has been severely injured in an airstrike on his home in the Iranian capital. His wife was reportedly killed in the attack. Kharazi, considered a moderate politician and veteran policy expert, also served as an adviser to the assassinated former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Reports suggest his targeting is being viewed as an attempt to derail diplomacy. Continue reading...

• Energy stocks like Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum, and Valero Energy topped S&P 500 performers for the month and quarter due to oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel. • Exxon Mobil recorded its largest quarterly gain, benefiting from sustained high crude demand. • Sector strength highlights vulnerability of broader market to geopolitical risks and inflation.

War shows little sign of easing despite Donald Trump claiming Iranian leadership ‘just asked’ for ceasefireIsrael unleashed two waves of attacks on Tehran and said it had killed a senior Hezbollah commander on Wednesday with little sign of the war easing up despite Donald Trump repeating a claim that Iran’s leadership was seeking a ceasefire.The US president, writing on social media, said that Iran’s president had “just asked” for a ceasefire, and that American troops would be “out of Iran pretty quickly”, as he sought to extricate the US from the war. However, he confused the picture by incorrectly describing the president as a “new regime” leader. Continue reading...

Experts say the US believes it is entitled to resources it desires – a perspective president has supported for decadesDonald Trump said this past weekend he wants to “take the oil in Iran” by seizing control of a key export hub, echoing a refrain he has returned to for over a decade.It’s a sign of his disregard for international law and belief in “fossil-fuel imperialism”, experts say. Continue reading...

• Asian equity markets surged following signals from Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian indicating willingness to pursue a ceasefire with the United States, with Trump stating military action could conclude within two to three weeks. • South Korea's Kospi jumped 8.1% to 5,461.51, Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 4.5% to 53,352.96, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 2% amid improved investor sentiment. • The geopolitical shift triggered broad rallies across Asia-Pacific exchanges including Australia's ASX 200 climbing 2% and Taiwan's Taiex jumping 4.4%.

Some European countries have blocked Israeli and US planes from moving weapons through their airspace. Plus, a rocket heads to the moon on Wednesday for the first time since 1972Good morning.Donald Trump has launched a tirade against European countries that refused to join the Israel-US war against Iran, calling out the UK and France, as transatlantic relations continue their downward spiral and the war wreaks havoc on the global economy.What pushback has there been from Europe? France has blocked Israeli planes from flying weapons through its airspace, while Italy refused last-minute permission for US bombers to land in Sicily. Spain has already denied the US use of its bases and airspace. The UK, however, has allowed the US to use its bases for a war that its government says is illegal.For the latest updates, follow our live blog. Continue reading...

PM to focus on European defence and economic partnership for ‘dangerous world’ in pivot away from USUK politics live – latest updatesBritain’s long-term national interest requires closer partnership with the EU, Keir Starmer has said, citing war in the Middle East and the increasingly “volatile” international situation.The prime minister indicated that the conflict had re-focused the government on “ambitious” new ties with Europe, economically and in defence, and said that how Britain emerged from the crisis “would define us for a generation”. Continue reading...