8 mins read

The Strait of Hormuz’s future is unsettled even as more ships venture through

NEW YORK | Ship traffic has picked up in the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the U.S. signed an interim deal to end a war that constricted global oil supplies and fueled inflation, but questions surrounding control of the vital waterway and whether vessels will be charged tolls to cross it could interfere with […]

5 mins read

Pentagon seeks $80 billion from Congress for Iran war

WASHINGTON | The Pentagon has told senators it needs roughly $80 billion, mostly to cover the cost of the U.S. war against Iran, adding to what is already a sizable military spending boost being sought by President Donald Trump. The White House Office of Management and Budget has yet to make a formal request to […]

3 mins read

Qatar says gas export terminal blast killed 13 people

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | Qatar’s energy minister said Monday that an explosion killed at least 13 people at a key gas export terminal. Saad Sherida al-Kaabi gave the toll during a news conference in Doha, Qatar’s capital and described the explosion as related to an industrial accident. The blast at the Ras Laffan industrial […]

7 mins read

Vance says talks with Iranian officials set ‘good foundation’ for a deal to end the war

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland | Vice President JD Vance on Monday said his lengthy talks with senior Iranian officials in Switzerland created a “good foundation for a successful final deal” as they seek a permanent end to the war that the U.S. and Israel began in late February. “The final deal is the house,” Vance told reporters […]

7 mins read

US-Iran negotiations end, technical talks will continue after Trump shakes talks with threats

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland | High-level negotiations in Switzerland seeking a permanent end to the Iran war concluded early Monday, with lower-level talks planned for the rest of the week as Iran and the United States agreed to create a “de-confliction cell” to address the fighting in Lebanon. A statement from mediators Pakistan and Qatar said the […]

7 mins read

US and Iran to talk Sunday in Switzerland as Tehran says it closed Strait of Hormuz again

TYRE, Lebanon | U.S. and Iranian negotiators headed to a Swiss venue Saturday for talks on adding key details to their interim agreement to halt the war, hours after Tehran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and warned that little might be achieved if the fighting doesn’t stop. […]

7 mins read

Talks between the US and Iran are called off because of fighting in Lebanon, officials say

JERUSALEM | Talks between the U.S. and Iran were called off on Friday after intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, three officials said, raising questions about a nascent agreement to end the war in Iran. Iranian officials didn’t travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before […]

6 mins read

Israel seized more land from neighbors since 2023 than it has in decades

JERUSALEM | Over the past two and a half years, Israel has taken control of swaths of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria that amount to its biggest expansion of militarily occupied lands in decades. It is an area larger than many major cities — roughly 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) — and Israel has said […]

6 mins read

Residents return to war-ravaged southern Lebanon with hope and sorrow after the US-Iran deal

TYRE, Lebanon | Adnan Kaour returned on Thursday to check on his home in southern Lebanon ‘s coastal city of Tyre — once known as an idyllic summer getaway spot — just a week after Israel issued warnings for all of its residents to evacuate. The warnings were followed by sweeping airstrikes on the city, […]

9 mins read

U.S. lifts blockade of Iran and Iranian supreme leader endorses direct talks with American officials

WASHINGTON | The U.S. on Thursday lifted its blockade of Iran, and oil tankers began freely moving through the Strait of Hormuz after months of being unable to use the critical channel, as the tentative agreement to end the war took effect. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance announced that he may postpone a trip to […]