International
Chinese-operated ships attempting to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz turned back on Friday despite earlier Iranian assurances that vessels from friendly countries would be allowed safe passage. The development has raised fresh doubts over whether navigation through the crucial waterway can actually resume even for countries that Tehran says are not hostile.
Business Markets
Asian stock markets fell on Friday as uncertainty over the Iran conflict kept investors cautious, although some indexes recovered part of their earlier losses as oil prices eased slightly and hopes of de-escalation improved later in the session. South Korea remained under the most pressure, with semiconductor stocks leading the decline. Asian Stocks Fall Amid […]
International
Iran has mobilised more than one million ground fighters amid fears of a possible US invasion from the south, as the war in West Asia pushes Tehran to prepare for a wider battlefield confrontation. The move comes as reports of fresh troop mobilisation, militia readiness and defensive build-up add to concerns that the conflict could […]
International
US President Donald Trump has said he is extending his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz until April 6, stepping back for now from an earlier threat to target Iran’s energy infrastructure. He said talks aimed at ending the war were “going very well,” signalling a temporary diplomatic pause in what had […]
International
Pakistan has emerged as a behind-the-scenes player in the diplomacy around the Iran war, with reports saying Islamabad urged the United States to press Israel not to target two of Iran’s top officials, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. According to the report, Israel paused plans to strike them because their […]
International
Israel has said it killed Alireza Tangsiri, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, in a strike in Bandar Abbas, marking one of the most significant blows yet to Tehran’s naval command structure during the ongoing war. Tangsiri had been seen as a key figure in Iran’s maritime strategy, especially around the Strait […]