Articles about War Iran

• On March 20, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon's request for $200 billion in extra funding, stating 'it takes money to kill bad guys'. • The request supports ongoing U.S. offensives, including jet patrols and helicopter strikes against Iranian forces in key waterways. • Funding comes amid surging oil prices from Iranian attacks on facilities, prompting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to propose lifting sanctions on Iranian oil.

• President Trump met Japan's prime minister on March 20, fielding questions from Japanese media on why allies were not warned before US strikes on Iran. • Meeting occurs as US redirects focus to Middle East, potentially weakening joint priorities with Japan on trade and security issues. • Discussions highlight differing US-Israel goals in the conflict, with Trump denying plans to deploy ground troops.

Closure of strait of Hormuz – a key fertilizer production and transportation route – has squeezed farmers as prices jumpRodney Bushmeyer has been farming as long as he can remember. Bushmeyer’s father was a farmer, as was his grandfather.The family-run Bushmeyer Farms in Illinois dates back more than 100 years, when his ancestors came to the US from Germany. They acquired the first 80 acres cost-free as homesteaders, cleared the land, and worked it. Continue reading...

Consultancy’s forecast of £1,972 annual dual fuel bill follows conflict pushing UK’s gas market past three-year highsBusiness live – latest updatesHousehold energy bills in Great Britain could soar by more than £330 a year to almost £2,000 from this summer after the war in Iran pushed the UK’s gas market past three-year highs.A typical combined household gas and electricity bill is now forecast to reach £1,972 a year from July under the UK government’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy. Continue reading...

VAT tax on fuels will reportedly drop from 21% to 10%, as Ursula von der Leyen suggests EU may move to help states with rising energy costsSpain is set to put forward a number of emergency tax cuts this morning to counter the economic impact of the Iran war.The measures – set to be presented at a press conference 11am local time – are expected to include lowering VAT tax on fuels to 10% from 21%, according to early media reports, alongside other changes, including to the hydrocarbon and electricity duties, intended to help with growing energy prices. Continue reading...

• The Pentagon is requesting more than $200 billion in additional funding from Congress to sustain the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which has been ongoing for approximately three weeks with thousands of strikes. • The funding request aims to urgently increase production of weapons that have been heavily expended during the intensive air campaign, according to the Washington Post. • Lawmakers from both parties are demanding detailed justification before approving the massive expenditure, with some questioning why the administration is requesting such funds if the conflict is expected to end soon.

Fuel retailers put on notice as watchdog promises to come down hard on those doing the wrong thingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe competition watchdog has received more than 500 reports of possible price-gouging at petrol stations since the breakout of war in Iran, with retailers on notice over cost increases for motorists within hours of the first US and Israeli-led strikes.Gina Cass-Gottlieb, the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), told Guardian Australia she was receiving further information about fuel price increases moving faster than petrol price cycles in the first days of the war, promising to come down hard against retailers found to be doing the wrong thing. Continue reading...

• Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee, claiming last year's strikes obliterated Iran's nuclear program with no rebuild efforts. • Republican senators blocked a war powers resolution to limit President Trump's Iran attacks, amid questions on an imminent nuclear threat. • Gabbard dodged direct queries during the hearing, drawing criticism from Sen. Jon Ossoff on threat assessments.

US president was meeting with Japanese PM when he said: ‘Who knows better about surprise than Japan?’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxIt would be funny if it wasn’t so Trumpy.Hosting the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in the Oval Office on Thursday, Donald Trump could not resist mocking Japan about its 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor during the second world war. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Federal Reserve decided to hold interest rates steady on March 19, 2026, in its first move since oil prices spiked due to the Iran war. • Officials cite inflationary pressures from energy disruptions but project stability if conflict de-escalates. • The decision impacts American consumers facing higher gas prices, influencing mortgage and loan rates nationwide.

• Thousands of TSA agents called out sick on March 19, 2026, protesting ongoing delays in wage payments despite federal funding. • The mass absenteeism disrupts airport security nationwide, coinciding with surging travel demands and war-related alerts. • Labor issues risk compromising U.S. aviation safety at a critical time, prompting emergency federal intervention calls.

US defense secretary suggests Thursday will be ‘largest strike package yet … death and destruction from above’ Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Thursday there is no “timeframe” for ending the US war against Iran and did not deny reports that the Pentagon could seek an extra $200bn in taxpayer funding.The military US-Israeli offensive began three weeks ago and continues to widen. Donald Trump threatened on Wednesday to “massively blow up” the world’s biggest gasfield after Israeli strikes on the Iranian site prompted Tehran to escalate strikes on oil and gas facilities around the Persian Gulf. Continue reading...

Carriers warn they cannot hold off passing on costs for long and some airlines plan to increase flights via AsiaBusiness live – latest updatesEurope’s biggest airlines have said that that the spike in fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East will drive up fares and are advising passengers to book early.While carriers have partly hedged the price of jet fuel, bosses said they could not avoid passing on additional costs to passengers for long. Continue reading...

Decision comes as concerns mount over economic fallout from conflict bringing fresh cost of living shockBusiness live – latest updatesThe Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold amid growing fears over an inflation shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.As households brace for a rise in living costs, the Bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority to keep its key base rate at the current level of 3.75%. Continue reading...

Now, the total is likely to have exceeded $18bn and counting. Where are America’s war dollars going, in a war that was never declared in the first place? Continue reading...

• The US national debt exceeded $39 trillion on Wednesday, a record milestone reached just weeks into the US-Israeli war in Iran, driven by competing priorities including tax cuts, defense spending, and immigration enforcement. • White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett estimated the Iran war has cost more than $12 billion so far, with the federal debt having grown from $37 trillion two months ago to $38 trillion five months ago, now reaching $39 trillion. • The Government Accountability Office warns rising debt increases borrowing costs for mortgages and cars, reduces business investment and wages, and makes goods and services more expensive for Americans.

The reported inquiry predates Joe Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counter-terrorism centerThe resignation of Joe Kent, a senior counter-terrorism official who spoke out against the US war in Iran, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday with a report that he is under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an alleged leak of classified information.The inquiry predates Kent’s departure on Tuesday from his post as director of the national counterterrorism center, where he had overseen the analysis of terrorist threats, according to Semafor and CBS News. The FBI declined to comment on the existence of any such investigation. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese also announces new national fuel supply taskforce and urges motorists ‘only take what you need’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s competition watchdog is investigating major fuel suppliers including Ampol, BP, Mobile and Viva energy for alleged anti-competitive conduct amid growing shortages sparked by the Iran war.Australian Competition and Consumer Commission boss Gina Cass-Gottlieb said on Thursday morning she was investigating reports about diesel availability to independent wholesalers and distributors in regional and rural Australia. Continue reading...

• Intelligence officials testified before Congress on March 18 regarding Iran war threats and national security, with National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard deflecting questions about pre-war intelligence she offered Trump, while facing Democratic accusations of misusing national security powers for domestic political interference. • FBI Director Kash Patel made his first Capitol Hill appearance since a viral video showed him celebrating with the U.S. men's hockey team at the Winter Olympics; Patel has fired dozens of FBI agents in his first year, raising concerns about loss of national security expertise during elevated terrorism threats. • Multiple terrorism-related incidents occurred this month, including a gunman inspired by Iranian ideology killing two at a Texas bar, suspects arrested for explosives near New York City, a shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia, and a car attack on a Michigan synagogue.

• Senior Trump-appointed US intelligence official Joe Kent abruptly resigned on March 17, 2026, citing concerns about the administration’s ongoing war with Iran. • President Trump dismissed the resignation as a 'good thing,' calling Kent 'very weak on security' amid escalating military actions. • The move highlights internal divisions within the US government as the conflict enters its 19th day, potentially impacting intelligence coordination.

• President Trump stated the US should rethink NATO membership after allies refused to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel-Iran war. • Multiple American partners balked at Trump's requests for naval assistance in protecting oil tanker traffic through the vital waterway. • A senior UAE official indicated openness to helping, contrasting with broader allied reluctance that risks one-fifth of global oil flows.

Foreign minister Anita Anand says she has drafted principles to reduce risk of regional spillover and wider shocksMiddle East crisis – live updatesCanada is pushing for a collective G7 and Middle East approach to de-escalating the Iran war, including off ramps that might bring an end to the conflict, the Canadian foreign minister, Anita Anand, has told the Guardian.In London to meet the UK’s foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, after of talks with the her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, she said she hoped a G7 meeting chaired by France, this year’s president of the group, might start to build a broader collective approach to the crisis. Continue reading...

Jerome Powell resists Trump pressure as policymakers weigh energy shock against a weakening US jobs marketSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the second time this year, a widely expected move amid turmoil in the Middle East and rising energy prices.Fed officials faced a confluence of issues to consider in their meeting this week: soaring oil and gas prices, fluctuating inflation that still remains above the Fed’s target of 2% and a weakened job market that unexpectedly saw 92,000 losses last month. Continue reading...

$11.3bn more than enough to fund EPA or National Cancer Institute, where administration sought to slash budgetsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US spent $11.3bn on just the first week of its military assault on Iran. This huge expenditure dwarves the annual budgets of many of the public health and scientific agencies the Trump administration has sought to cut, raising stark questions about the country’s priorities.In the six days that followed the US and Israel’s joint attack on Iran on 28 February, $11.3bn was spent on American taxpayer-funded bombs that hit the country and caused hundreds of deaths, the Pentagon has told lawmakers. This figure does not capture the full cost of the conflict, such as deployment of forces, and will now be far higher given the ongoing nature of the war. Continue reading...

• Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest over the Iran war, stating that Iran posed no imminent threat and raising serious concerns about the conflict's justification. • Kent's resignation exposes growing divisions within Donald Trump's administration, with internal dissent emerging as the war continues to escalate into its third week. • The resignation highlights a significant breach in the intelligence community's support for Trump's military strategy, signaling potential credibility questions about the administration's stated rationale for the conflict.

• As the Iran war enters its 17th day, President Trump is pressuring NATO allies and other nations to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to secure the critical oil route, warning that the United States cannot do it alone. • Trump stated "We'll protect them and if ever needed help, they won't be there for us," signaling frustration with allied hesitancy while claiming numerous countries are on their way to assist despite limited public commitments. • Military analysts suggest a four-week campaign would be required to remove missiles, drones, fast attack craft, and mines from the strategic waterway, with Trump's administration reportedly reaching out to Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UK, France, and China with minimal success in securing open support.

Progressive and green groups join call for tax on major fossil-fuel companies to help offset rising living costsWith big oil companies poised to reap billions of dollars in profits from the war in Iran, Democratic lawmakers and progressive groups are calling for a windfall tax on major fossil fuel companies.The US-Israeli strikes on Iran have triggered the largest ever disruption to fuel supply, according to the International Energy Agency, sending crude costs surging over $100 per barrel in recent days. Those high prices have hit US pocketbooks, with average domestic gas prices topping $3.70 a gallon, and Americans spending more than an additional $2bn to fill their tanks in the past fortnight according to one estimate. Continue reading...

Joe Kent resigned as national counter-terrorism center director, saying Iran posed no imminent threat to the USSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxJoe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center and a far-right political figure and supporter of Donald Trump, resigned from his position on Tuesday in protest of the war in Iran.“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote in a resignation letter posted to X. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Continue reading...