Down Iran

China roept op tot een staakt-het-vuren en het openen van de zeeroute, terwijl Donald Trump zegt dat Xi ‘zeer gelijkaardig’ denkt over het beëindigen van de oorlog in Iran Trump in China – laatste updates Donald Trump heeft beweerd dat de VS en China “zeer gelijkaardig denken” over het beëindigen van de oorlog in Iran, maar gaf geen details over een mogelijke doorbraak. De Amerikaanse president sprak samen met Xi Jinping van China in de Zhongnanhai-tuinen in Peking op de tweede en laatste dag van de top tussen de leiders. Lees verder...

Conflict appears to have reached painful stalemate, but leaders in Tehran and Washington seem to think victory is nearThe month-old ceasefire between Iran and the US appeared to be in new peril on Tuesday with a fresh barrage of Iranian missiles reported to have targeted the United Arab Emirates as US naval forces pressed ahead with efforts to reopen the strait of Hormuz.The Iranian strike on the UAE was the second in 48 hours, and came shortly after the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, insisted the shaky truce which has paused the war in the Middle East was intact, despite the new increase in violence. Continue reading...

The US president has criticised Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and raised the prospect of pulling US troops from Italy and Spain. Plus, 10 big lessons on ending the fossil fuel eraGood morning.Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain a day after he saying was looking at curtailing the number deployed in Germany.What has Congress been saying about the war? A senior Democrat in the Senate grilled the US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, on Thursday, accusing him of failing to give Trump an accurate picture of the war on Iran while resorting to “dangerously exaggerated” statements to create an inaccurate picture of a US military triumph.What’s the latest on the suspect? The man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump agreed on Thursday to remain in custody while his federal criminal case moves forward. Continue reading...

• Iran shot down a US F-15E fighter jet over Iranian territory, representing a major battlefield setback in escalating tensions. • President Trump reacted with hours of intense exchanges with aides, reported by The Wall Street Journal as a full meltdown. • The incident underscores growing military confrontations amid collapsing ceasefire and stalled US-Iran diplomacy.

As fossil fuel prices soar ‘the era of clean energy security must come of age’, energy secretary will sayEd Miliband will double down on Labour’s commitment to net zero in the face of the Middle East conflict this week, insisting that as fossil fuel prices soar “the era of clean energy security must come of age”.The energy secretary is set to announce a package of new policies in a speech on Tuesday in response to an expected energy crisis prompted by Donald Trump’s war with Iran. Continue reading...

• A US fighter jet was shot down over Iranian airspace, marking a significant escalation in military confrontations amid ongoing US-Iran hostilities that began on February 28, 2026. • The incident occurred as tensions remain high following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and subsequent Iranian retaliatory strikes against Israel and US bases across the region. • The downing of the aircraft raises concerns about potential further military escalations and complicates ongoing ceasefire negotiations between US and Iranian delegations.

President’s press conference after White House Easter egg roll did little to dispel fears he has lost touch with realityDonald Trump began his day standing with a person in a giant bunny costume and boasting about the Iran war to an audience of children.The annual Easter egg roll on the White House South Lawn conjured a fitting Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland image for a US president who has disappeared down what many would call a rabbit hole. Continue reading...

Iranian authorities cut access to internet on 28 February leaving many with limited information about warIran’s internet shutdown, which began shortly after the first US-Israel strikes in late February, is now the longest national-scale blackout since the Arab spring, monitors have said.Iranian authorities cut all access to the internet on 28 February, the day the war began, after an earlier shutdown in January during nationwide protests. This current blackout has lasted more than 38 days. Continue reading...

• A US fighter jet was shot down over Iran as military tensions between Washington and Tehran intensify dramatically. • The incident marks a significant escalation in direct military confrontation between the two nations amid ongoing threats and counter-threats. • US forces have deployed advanced long-range missile systems in response, positioning for potential large-scale operations.

Donald Trump will claim rescue as a triumph but 48-hour drama should be a caution against launching ground operationMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump will inevitably claim the rescue of the second crew member of the downed F-15 fighter as a propaganda triumph, though the 48-hour drama is a reminder that an undefeated Iran is able to fight back and inflict costs on the US.It also ought to be a caution for a White House still contemplating a ground operation in Iran whether to seize an island in the Persian Gulf – particularly if there a serious ambition to extract Iran’s highly enriched uranium from deep underground. Continue reading...

• A US fighter jet was shot down over Iranian territory on April 3, 2026, intensifying the US-Israeli war on Iran that began with airstrikes on February 28 targeting nuclear sites and leadership. • The incident prompted immediate retaliatory concerns, with Bitcoin prices wavering amid rising geopolitical risk premiums affecting crypto markets globally. • Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered the largest oil supply disruption since the 1970s, spiking energy prices and impacting US economy.

• Two U.S. fighter jets were downed by Iranian fire, with one pilot successfully rescued following an active search and rescue mission in the ongoing Iran conflict. • Two Black Hawk helicopters were also struck by incoming Iranian fire during operations, according to defense officials. • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has maintained that U.S. forces have significantly degraded Iran's air defense capabilities in recent weeks.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing an area near where plane came down in south-western Iran; Israeli military strikes ‘Hezbollah infrastructure’ in Lebanon capitalUS F-15E jet confirmed shot down over Iran as Tehran releases wreckage imagesHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy.Iranian and American forces were racing each other early on Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.Tehran rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, said Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, citing an unnamed source. There was no immediate comment from the US. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had officially told mediators it was unwilling to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days.The UN force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions had wounded three peacekeepers, two of them seriously, in the third such incident in a week.Israeli fire killed a man in Syria’s Quneitra province in the south near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syrian state media said. The man was killed in an attack by “an Israeli tank”, the Sana agency said, while state TV said a car was targeted.An Egyptian national was killed and four others wounded after a fire at a gas complex in Abu Dhabi, caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack, the government media office said. Two of the four people hurt were from Egypt, while the others were from Pakistan, it said.Trump asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5tr defence budget for 2027 as the US faces rising costs from its war with Iran and mounting global security commitments. The proposal would lift Pentagon spending by more than 40% in a single year – the sharpest increase since the second world war.The US embassy in Lebanon said Iran and allied groups could seek to target universities in the country, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah is at war with Israel and Israeli troops are carrying out a ground invasion.Three tankers, including one co-owned by a Japanese company, crossed the strait of Hormuz by hugging close to Oman’s shore –a rare transit route – maritime traffic data showed on Friday. With agencies 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...

Price of typical UK home increased by 0.9% in March, but surging mortgage rates amid conflict in Middle East is expected to put break on activityBusiness live – latest updatesUK house prices increased at the fastest rate in almost 18 months in March, although surging mortgage rates amid the Iran war is likely to lead to a slowdown in the market, according to Nationwide.The UK’s biggest building society said the price of a typical UK home increased by 0.9% month-on-month in March, the largest increase since December 2024. Continue reading...

• One month into the U.S. war with Iran started February 28, President Trump lists five objectives for the air campaign, up from initial three by Pentagon and four by staff, as he signals potential wind-down despite some unfulfilled aims. • Press secretary Karoline Leavitt states Operation Epic Fury is 'ahead of schedule,' with Trump claiming Thursday the Iranian regime is 'largely decimated' amid talks to reopen Strait of Hormuz. • Israeli strikes hit Iranian heavy water and yellowcake plants Friday, confirmed by Israel; conflict strains global economy, alliances, and raises questions on planning and aftermath.

Party intends to craft a bill using the reconciliation procedure, which will allow it to circumvent the Senate filibusterUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenate Republicans on Wednesday announced plans to begin a unilateral push for legislation that may include funding for Donald Trump’s war with Iran and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while also including elements of a voter ID bill that is a priority of the party’s right wing.The legislative effort – which could take weeks to play out and has no guarantee of success – comes amid a protracted standoff with Democrats over the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has led to lengthy lines at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some airports. Continue reading...

• The FTSE 100 fell 1.44% on Friday to close at 9,918, down approximately 9% since the Iran conflict began and at its lowest level since December 2025, reflecting broad market weakness across UK equities. • The FTSE 250 mid-cap index declined 1.01% on the day and has dropped 11.3% since the start of the conflict, hitting its lowest level since November 2025, indicating selling pressure across market capitalizations. • Oil prices climbed despite geopolitical uncertainty, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rising 2.8% to $98.50, though the Brent-WTI spread has widened sharply, signaling market stress and supply concerns.

Move to allow shipments already at sea comes amid a supply crisis and after US president says he does not ‘want to do a ceasefire’; IDF says it is attacking regime targets in Tehran after missiles fired at Israel from IranUS to send three more warships and thousands more troops, reports sayHow the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globeHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its repercussions for the Middle East, the world and the global economy.President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering “winding down” military operations against Iran, as the US temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil shipments to stem a global supply crisis.Iran is willing to help Japanese ships sail a vital route for global fuel supplies, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told Kyodo News in an interview published on Saturday. Japan depends on crude oil imports from the Middle East, most of which transits the strait of Hormuz.Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia but neither of them hit the joint US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported, citing multiple US officials. The WSJ said one of the missiles failed in flight, and a US warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other. Neither outlet confirmed when Iran launched the missiles.One person was killed and two others wounded after an Israeli airstrike hit a house in a town in southern Lebanon early on Saturday, state media said.Trump continued to make his disappointment with the British government known, saying the UK “should have acted a lot faster” in allowing the US military to use its bases in the Middle East.Earlier, Downing Street approved US use of its bases “for the collective self-defence of the region”, including “defensive operations” degrading Iranian missile sites targeting ships in the strait of Hormuz. Britain had previously only allowed US forces to use its bases for operations to prevent Iran firing missiles that put British interests or lives at risk.Araghchi said UK prime minister Keir Starmer “is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran”. Continue reading...

Move to allow shipments already at sea comes amid a supply crisisUS to send three more warships and thousands more troops, reports sayHow the Iran war has sent shocks rippling across the globeKuwait’s state oil firm KPC said its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by multiple drone attacks early on Friday, causing a fire in some units, with no initial casualties reported, the state news agency said.Firefighters responded immediately, with several units shut down as a precaution to ensure workers’ safety. Continue reading...